Can you at Google tell me about this *Firm* that's peddling what they
call Browser Cleanser $98.50?  They have infected my Netscape browser
some how so that when I use Google for home page or search engine I
get them. They state on their first disgusting page that they are not
connected with Google. Removing cache, history, cookies does no good.
I would like to rid them from my boxes and pursue legal relief direct
at them. I can't believe I'm the only one with this problem but your
search engine list only the $98.50 spiel.
Thank you

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Request for Question Clarification by secret901-ga on 25 Jul 2002 13:55 PDT

When you mean that they infect your web browser, do you mean that
their web site show up instead of Google's or that a pop-up ad comes
up everytime you go to Google?

Hello:
It appears that you have fallen victim to what is known as a homepage
hijacker (http://www.cexx.org/hphijack.htm), in the family of
foistware/spyware/scumware/adware (http://www.cexx.org/gator.htm). 
These programs monitor your Internet usage and sometimes hijack web
pages, popping up ads that the site owners never intended to show
(Gator, a major company in this business, has been sued by several
companies for displaying rival companies' ads on companies' web
sites).  These applications are included in many of the popular
program out there today, including Kazaa, Gator, BonziBuddy, and
countless others.  These programs, especially the ones advertising for
browser erasure, are sometimes installed as a result of the user
downloading a program or accepting some code from an adult-oriented
web site.
To determine whether you are infected with one of these programs, try
pressing Control+Alt+Click ONCE (doing so twice will restart your
computer) on your Windows system.  If your computer is not NT-based,
you will see a list of programs that your computer is currently
running.  Check to see if there are any unfamiliar programs.  If there
is, check its name against the list of programs in the middle of this
page: http://www.cexx.org/adware.htm.  If there is a match, you
certainly have adware on your computer.  Close the window.
Even if there is no match, your next step is to download a program
called Ad-Aware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com.  It is a highly useful
spyware-removal utility that is absolutely free (no Adware attached!).
 Install it onto your system and run a system scan of all the programs
and files in your computer.  Once Ad-Aware finds spyware programs, you
can tell Ad-Aware to delete them from your system.
Caveat: Be careful, as deleting some adware programs might make the
program bundled with it useless, as the case with Kazaa.  But I think
losing control of your computer and privacy is a big price to pay for
a measly program.  I'm sure that there are adware-free alternatives to
most programs that depend on Adware.

Good luck in exorcising your computer,
secret901-ga

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Clarification of Answer by secret901-ga on 25 Jul 2002 14:27 PDT

Please do not blame Google for this.  It, like you, has fallen victim
to some unscrupulous companies out to make a few quick bucks.  Google
absolutely does not allow pop-up ads nor even banner ads:
://www.google.com/help/nopopupads.html.

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Clarification of Answer by secret901-ga on 25 Jul 2002 14:32 PDT

I meant pressing Control+Alt+Delete to have a list of current system
processes.  If your system is NT-based, you might have to click the
tab that says "Processes" or clicking a button to access that list.

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Request for Answer Clarification by jackslack-ga on 25 Jul 2002 19:17 PDT

You asked these were pop-ups or the whole page. The WHole page with
several pages so if you close the present one, another is there. I'm
running MacOS and FreeBSD. On the mac I ran a program called peekaboo
to see running processes: darkside, dnetc client, netscape, peekaboo,
finder, and kensington startup. Nothing strange. This problem has been
on both os but now only on Macs. The only thing I have done on FreeBSD
is update system and rebuilt mozilla. On the Macs I have tried to delete
all remains of Netscape and reinstall but the trash remains.
Where can I find news or newsgroup comments, including law suits, about
these buggers?

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Clarification of Answer by secret901-ga on 25 Jul 2002 20:06 PDT

Apparently my answer was not satisfactory to you since I assumed that
you were using a Windows-based system.  Since I have no experience in
Unix-based systems nor in Apple, I am unable to answer your question. 
If you wish, please request for a refund:
https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=refundrequest
Here are some news items pertaining to lawsuits targeted at
spyware-makers:
Publishers sue Gator: http://news.com.com/2100-1023-940072.html
Gator countersues: http://www.revenews.com/archives/00000144.html
Regards,
secret901-ga

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Clarification of Answer by secret901-ga on 27 Jul 2002 00:43 PDT

Thank you for your attempt to rate me highly.  As you know, rating
helps determine the effectiveness of an answerer.  You can rate an
answer by clicking "Rate Answer" in the answer field.  Please check
https://answers.google.com/answers/help.html#followup if you still
can't rate the answer.
secret901-ga

secret901-ga, while not handing me an exact solution, got me headed in the right
direction. Searches at google had failed me at this. btw this homepage hijacker
is targetting Google only, not Yahoo, Lycos, or (fill the blank). As I trace these
people I'll probably have more questions. Thanks

There is a version of the Kazaa software with adware deleted called
Kazaa Lite http://www.kazaalite.com/ .

I had a similar problem involving www.lop.com, hijacking the default
search that IE gives you if you try a unavailable URL. It diverted you
to "LopSearch" and tossed a half dozen annoying popups up, then it
flushed out the history file so you couldn't hit back.

Spent a lot of time trying to find the files doing it - cleared out
the registry entries, startup menu, everything! - even tried the Ad
Aware software mentioned earlier - didn't get it out - and right after
running Ad Aware the whole system crashed and had I had to erase the
whole disk to  be able to restore it!!!  Not Fun !!!   ALWAYS BACK UP
YOUR DATA FIRST!!!!

I had the same problem with www.lop.com - that was more than a
headache to figure out. It turns out it sets your desktop to "view as
webpage" and replaces it with a webpage with the same background and
icons as your desktop that pops up the lopsearch from time to time or
based on some event. Changing the desktop back to normal will fix the
problem as will finding and deleting the html document. The adware
program wouldnt find it because it is just text javascript (i assume
javascript, i didnt bother to check the code) running on the browsers
parser.

-Tommo

secret901-ga
You misunderstand, you and all respondents did help and I wouldn't
think of asking for a refund. I thoght google would be interested
since their product was being disrupted, no others. You and the others
got me headed in the righr direction.
I'm a bit baffled by the comment closing my question, saying that
content or language was the cause. Oh well :)

Thanks again. I tried to rate your answer but couldn't do it - I'd
rate you a five (5)

Another good source of information in a question/answer format is 
www.computing.net...

The forum has a very good search engine and it is possible you may
find more helpful informatin there...

Good Luck