Random words in posts being underlined and turned into links... is it my computer or is it MN?

[edam]

Weird. Just clicked on MN and went onto that thread where a dh is being mean and not wanting to give away an old telly. Only a few words in the middle of posts were turned into links - not words that made sense or that the posters had made into links, random stuff. When I hovered over them, it was one site trying to flog something, and probably another but I didn't want to investigate.

Is it an MN problem or is something dodgy happening to my computer?

ooh, maybe it's just that thread, none of the words in my post has turned into a fake link...

It was this thread and words like 'broken dishwasher' and 'make a deal'.

Off out now but will be checking later...

This is happening to someone else as well, there's another thread in Site Stuff but I can't link as on phone

It's a virus. Scan your computer.

Yes tee is right. It's a virus called text-enhance. Most good av should get rid of it no problem.
If you've no antivirus on your computer, download Avast! and run a full scan.

Thanks - just checked and somehow our anti-virus software was turned off. Have run the check and turned it back on.

Darn. Run our own anti-virus stuff which says everything is fine, and Avast, which says security is fine but some programmes need updating (the laptop's own systems disagree and say we don't need any updates). Avast's software updater just keeps going, never finishing. And the underlining and links to 'enter this stupid competition to win an iPad' are still there!

edam I posted this on another thread on here about the same thing. When I had Text Enhance on my computer nothing showed up when I ran my security/malware thing so I googled 'how to remove text enhance' and quite a few hits came up.

I went on a couple and the advice was pretty similar. You are given a set of instructions and have to remove them manually. It's quite easy and got rid of the problem completely for me.

Edam, you can't run two antivirus programmes at once. They will conflict.
Check in your add / remove programmes list for software you didn't install, but be careful what you remove. Google it first if you aren't sure.

Thanks guys, have deleted some stuff that I googled and top hits were 'remove xxxxxx'. Hope that sorts it. Finally!

Right, top tip, what finally worked for me was installing Spyhunter.

[thumbs up]

Glad to hear it's all sorted edam.