OSX + AOL + Browser Issue

G

GreatestOne

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 15, 2005
Messages
488
I'm embarrassed to even post this but freakin people who wont give up on AOL on Macs....

1. This Mac has host of viruses and spyware, so cleaned them out with Avast and one of the Mac spyware cleaners.. he also had a bunch of toolbars installed on his main browser, FF

2. After the cleaning, FF and all other browsers took a lot longer to load AOL.com and AOL email page only. Every other site loads fine, like cnn, nytimes, yahoo, google, but some download links are slow.

3. I uninstalled all toolbars, no help... I reinstalled FF, no help.

Now in Safari it takes about 15 minutes for AOL to load up, and FF wont load AOL not matter what.

Any ideas? He cannot get off AOL, too many stuff on there like emails and bookmarks and well, he is just not ready... which I understand since I took over 3 years to get some people off AOL.

AOL loads fine on their PC on the same network in the other room.

P.S. I even got him on Thunderbird but he was in love with this other "Signature" toolbar add on thing he had with AOL mail. He insists on buying it again. I said I can make whatever sigs he wants in TB, but he says he wants to try to reinstall "Signature toolbar" again. Sigh.
 
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I would first check the hard drive using Disk Utility, and then perhaps use the manufacturer's diagnostics.

There still isn't one "in the wild" Mac OS X virus, so your whole post has me wondering at that point.

Is this guy on Dial-up or a Broadband connection?
 
timta2 said:
I would first check the hard drive using Disk Utility, and then perhaps use the manufacturer's diagnostics.

There still isn't one "in the wild" Mac OS X virus, so your whole post has me wondering at that point.

Is this guy on Dial-up or a Broadband connection?
Click to expand...

I'll run the Disk Utility later over Teamviewer... have only used Macs for graphic design at work and never did anything off the straight path to get any viruses or failures except for the occasional gray screen in the past.

He is on 50+mbps cable, wireless right off the new Comcast modem. Speedtests consistently produce this type of performance.

I dont understand your virus portion comment... if it matter I think some of the malware came from these toolbars he installed, including this suspect Signature toolbar from emailstationary.com that has come horrible reviews.

I am going to test out the "Stationary" Thunderbird addon and see if that will do exactly what the other crap did, then I wont have to deal with AOL.com anymore over there.
 
GreatestOne said:
I'll run the Disk Utility later over Teamviewer... have only used Macs for graphic design at work and never did anything off the straight path to get any viruses or failures except for the occasional gray screen in the past.

He is on 50+mbps cable, wireless right off the new Comcast modem. Speedtests consistently produce this type of performance.

I dont understand your virus portion comment... if it matter I think some of the malware came from these toolbars he installed, including this suspect Signature toolbar from emailstationary.com that has come horrible reviews.

I am going to test out the "Stationary" Thunderbird addon and see if that will do exactly what the other crap did, then I wont have to deal with AOL.com anymore over there.
Click to expand...

There is a fundamental difference between adware and viruses.
 
B00nie said:
So you can't say the machine is filled with viruses if it in reality has a couple of browser toolbars.
Click to expand...

I did a couple of virus scans, it had viruses, in the true sense of the work "virus"... therefore he was infected with viruses. He also had toolbars that promoted spyware. Sorry that wasnt crystal clear.

If you have anything useful to add, I am all ears.
 
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