Anyone else getting loads of darned irritating .....

[cozietoesie]

...... highlighted/underlined links to free surveys - in every single page of Mumsnet? (And sometimes several per post.) It's driving me round the twist.

Gawd - the double red underlines are even hitting the odd poster's nickname. (Looks as if they have some huge list of key words which activate it.) This is madness.

I think this isn't MN but something in your own PC. I was getting it a while ago, and initially thought it was the website, I even had a whinge at poor old Tech about it. However I then found it was appearing in other forums, and then one of the children ran some sort of PC clean-up and they all disappeared again. I'm sorry I don't know which one or frankly quite what she did, but will be happy to lend you a tech savvy 14 year old. Will do almost anything for chips, coca cola and chocolate.

Ah right. I'll clean up and reboot - see if that helps.

Nope - put it through three separate boil washes and no joy. When your 14 year old gets back in from school, ask him what he did and let me know.

What's interesting is that i was only on MN plus one other site this morning before the problem occurred. I shall be looking very closely at both - and in view of MN's many current issues they're a prime suspect. (You know how 'excitable' I get if I think one of my computers is compromised. Murders in the street and gas explosions I could deal with with equanimity - a dodgy computer and I go to pieces.)

It's a virus, not MN. Run AdAware and your virus scanner.

Tee

I don't think it's a virus. (But I'll stand to be corrected of course.) I'll try the adaware yet again though. (Haven't used it since 2005.)

It's definitely not us, cozetoesie. Promise. Do please run a malware check.

I've run 5 (now) boil washes, Helen. But I believe you. Rest assured that when I find out what it is, I'll come back and say. (Tech can gnaw her fingernails in the meantime.)

What are you using to 'boil wash' cozie?

I'm pretty sure this is a virus, I've had it in the past and it was cleared using Norton.

This computer had full Norton, Tee. Had. It's now on Bitdefender following a boil wash with several recommended antis.(The ones downstairs are on Comodo and are unaffected. As they would be in any case because I've been careful about using them today.)

It's some sort of malware. I'm going to have a G&T and have a looooong go at it. I get very upset by computer infestations. HUGELY upset.

Why thank you Helen. From the MNHQ supply and all!

By the way, Helen, whatever it is is loading up some pretty appalling ads on the right hand middle section (two under Discussion of the Day if I recall.) I'm talking 'Tired of Masturbating - get yourself a Fuck Buddy' with action shot and another one to do with 'Single Mums want ' .... I can't remember the rest bit the picture was pretty graphic.

Just a heads up if you start to get roaring complaints because I doubt I'm the only person in the UK to be having a problem. If you see Tech at the Water Cooler, though, you might get her to check out the links on the right hand page ads. There's some vulnerability there.

adw cleaner,you need to search,delete and then restart,will clean up any nasties lurking.

Sorry - directly under Discussions of the day.

Thanks Chanatan. I have little hope but I'll try anything. I'll report back.

Try adblock,I use it in Firefox and never see any ads.

Mumble. I've never needed to use it before so i don't feel happy masking a problem.

Quite fun loading AVG. I haven't used it since - maybe - 2006?

Well - coming at it with a stout heart and on a fresh day it appears that something called Safemonitor is to blame. Which, as I recall, I got from MN.

It's now deleted, Helen, but I suggest that if Tech even looks a bit antsy when you beard her with the name at the Water Cooler, you should beat her with birch twigs.