hello there. spybot found some rather annoying spyware on my computer called "DSO Exploit". it exploits some flaw in internet explorer that lets it runs code or scripts or something without having to ask permission. i've tried deleting, but it just keeps coming back. so i found a site that has information on how to stopping it running. it seems i have to change internet explorer's registry key, but i've no idea how. the site said: "Since the injected <object> runs in the "My Computer" Zone changing the Internet Zone's settings didn't affect it, but changing the correct zone's settings will prevent this exploit from running. Here is the registry information: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\0] Change the value of "1004" (DWORD) to 3." can anyone put the into english for me? thanx a lot.

It goes like this: If you go into IE Tools/Internet Options/Security you will see four zones. Thes are: Internet Local Intranet Trusted site Restricted sites There is another one called "My Computer" which is hidden from you. The key 1004 changes the setting to "disable active scripting" (which prevents website scripts from running). You change this by using "Custom" for the four listed but for "My Computer (zone 0)" you have to use the registry. There is every chance that it has already been done as part of some Update. I am still using IE55 SP2 (with the last update Feb 04) and mine is set to 3. You can take a peep like this: Type regedit in the Run box and you will see a screen with folders (a bit like Windows Explorer). You double click your way through the bracketed section in your posting (folders) until you find yourself at the one which is a sub-folder of Zones called 0 - just before your close bracket. If this already has an entry 0x00000003(3) then it's fine. If it says 0x00000000(0) then presumably you should change it. You can do this by right clicking 1004 and selecting "Modify". You change the 0 to 3 in the box. Word of warning, if you change the wrong thing in the registry you can cause bags of trouble. It should be safe to look but it is nevertheless sensible to Export your registry first so that you can merge it back if anything goes wrong. This is how you do it: In Windows Explorer, make a folder straight off C called Regfile (this can be then be found in DOS if the worst comes to the worst). On the Regedit screen highlight My Computer, select Registry (at the top) then Export Registry File. It will ask for a name, so something simple such as Myreg will do. Save it to the folder Regfile that you made. This will put a file called Myreg.reg in c:\regfile. If anything goes wrong you double click this file and your old registry merges back. You can also run the file from DOS as I said. Note that your registry changes over time, so you can't keep this saved file forever and expect it to be of any value (quite the reverse). Don't let me frighten you off from having a peep, but it is better to be safe than sorry, so worth taking the above precaution before you go further than the main registry screen. Good luck Derek.W

I should have said also, that if you do change to 3 then do a bit of browsing to make sure you like the results. It could be more restricting (though safer). If you don't like it then you go through that lot again and change it back from 3 to whatever it was before, probably 0. It's much easier than it looks, just takes a lot of words to explain fully. Derek.W

.... more. One bit wasn't crystal clear. When I said 0x00000003(3), and so on, I meant "just the entry next to 1004". You probably sussed that but I'm just making sure - there are a whole stack of them that look similar. Derek.W

Hi Derek Thanks for the info on Internet Zones. I never knew about the hidden "My Computer" zone ! That's what great about Computing.net - learn something new when you least expect to ! Cheers Krystyna

You're welcome Krystyna. The only reason I knew anything about this is because I wanted an icon (.reg file) that set my IE Security back to my "safety settings" if I temporarilly lowered my guard. It meant I had to delve.... This .reg file is incorporated in my "clear up" batch file. As I said on another posting, nice to see you around these parts again. Derek.W

and still more.... This doesn't matter a fig to what I told you to do, but I got my technical wires twisted in terms of the "description" of 1004. It is actually for "Download Unsigned ActiveX Controls" NOT "Disable Active Scripting" which is 1400 Sorry about that bit of 1004 versus 1400 Dyslexia. Have just found this which might interst you: CLICK HERE Derek.W