just been caught by a rogue dialler

[tatt]

our line is barred to premium rate calls but even at normal rates it was annoying. I've now removed them from the settings list and downloaded the BT software that tells me if the modem is dialling a non approved number.

Do I have any come back against these people?

the BT software seems to tell me my modem is trying to dial a new number about 5 times an hour!
Can this be for real? The number actually dialled was for telewest.

Nasty spyware / virus, I presume... you need to update signatures and scan (and scan again).

A £20 phone call from my Windows computer was the last straw for me to decide never to touch this Operating System again. Apple Mac all the way now (no virii, no spyware, ultra-stable).

I have a firewall, use spyboy regularly and did a full virus scan recently. Going to do the full security checks today but I hate Telewest.

Can Macs run windows software? The kids wouldn't forgive me if their games didn't work.

Is Telewest your ISP, tatt ? Possibly a program (whether kosher of malware) is making a request for an Internet resource (checking mail, peer to peer file sharing, web browsing etc.) and triggerring a dial up event ?

You can get windows emulation software but it's expensive. Some games rin on both platforms but hardcore gamers prefer Windows. Maybe have one Windows box just for the kids games and a Mac mini for e-mail / web / digital photos and music etc. ?

PS - you might want to run more than one AV / spyware prog; sometimes one catches what the other doesn't IYSWIM.

Telewest are the ones who have managed to install themsleves on my machine. I haven't signed up to use them or set up a password for them, my isp is tesco. I deliberately didn't set up a second ISP so there couldn't be any mistake. Still fuming

It might say it's dialing Telewest but instead dialing some other number, is this possible ? Did someone install a free 'trial CD' ? Otherwise check your security settings as possibly a rather ActiveX object self-installed...

It actually said something else (tditech?) but the number it was dialling is Telewest according to the telecom regulator. No trial CDs installed although I did install a download accelerator a while back. I was told it would speed up net use. Recommendation came from a reliable source, programme had been used by many other people and I virus checked it before installing. However I'm going to remove it anyway.