Mad-Mouse Cursor

[Baja_Buoy]

I had to write this in Word 2000 because, after maybe 10 minutes of trying to write my post, the mouse cursor would start moving (jumping) about clicking & opening random things, or log me out of Safer Networking, or erase what I had written but not yet posted, or the cursor would simply “go away” and maybe or maybe not come back…

This is Annoying, to be charitable. This Mad Mouse did pop up two windows with address bars that included “clickback” or “clickbank” but I was so annoyed that I killed them when I should have written their address information down before I killed them.

First I ran very recently updated BitDefender V10plus, and BitDefender found no virus. But BitDefender reacted very badly when I tried to update SpyBot S&D, which resulted in the computer crashing. I then uninstalled BitDefender V10plus because its firewall would not allow traffic when BitDefender was not running. [When I obtained BitDefender V10+ I did not note that it included a firewall and I already had ZoneAlarm.]

After several spectacular update SpyBot failures I wound up with SpyBot S&D V15 running! The results were:
Immunize: 20000 items disabled
System Check: System Clear.

I had previously run SpyBot S&D V14 which had removed 14 items.

So……. Any thoughts about this, or what info I might need to obtain to start sorting this out?

[tashi]

Hello.

I had to write this in Word 2000 because, after maybe 10 minutes of trying to write my post, the mouse cursor would start moving (jumping) about clicking & opening random things, or log me out of Safer Networking, or erase what I had written but not yet posted, or the cursor would simply “go away” and maybe or maybe not come back…

Is this an optical mouse on a reflective surface, cordless mouse?

[Baja_Buoy]

No- this is a garden-variety wired Logitech Mouse.

I believe I have "some kind" of walware but neither SpyBot 1.5.1.etc. (latest) nor BitDefender have found anything.

I do not download any of the numerious "offerings" one encounters, and I avoid all questionable sites. I cannot remember opening any spam befor trashing it but my memory might be faulty.

I use MSN HotMail.

Windows Me is rather old and I am starting to think about a new computer- maybe a Mac this time since customer support at all of the PC vendors has become so poor.... and a Mac does not cost so much more than a comparably equipped PC. This PC is a DELL but DELL's quality & customer support seem to have gone badly downhill since 2000.

[digideath]

I know I probably shouldn't post this and leave it to the experts but...

Should he not be checking for a trojan? The mad mouse effect like described can be caused by a hacker using a R.A.T. Some R.A.T's include the ability to take control of the mouse and execute programs etc... A classic yet old example would be back door orifice. This trojan alows for the control of mouse and programs. Even gives a display of the infected users desktop. I was "spoofed" by a friend with this trojan several years back, while using windows 98. He was able to take control of my mouse, cause my mouse to go insane ( reverse axi's ) open word pad and "ghost write" in wordpad while displaying on-screen, open specific web pages etc...

[tashi]

Hello.

Sorry I missed this, if you would like someone to take a look at the system, please follow the procedure in this link:
"BEFORE you POST"(READ this Procedure BEFORE Requesting Assistance)

Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum and a helper will assist you as soon as available.

WinME is unsupported by MS, and therefore cannot be updated or patched, so it is quite possible the machine has an infection.

Regards.

[MD in Philly]

One question.

Have things clicked off on their own by the cursor flying to the upper right hand corner? Or does it appear that the cursor clicks by itself on different places on the screen?

[Baja_Buoy]

Going to the upper right to log off the browser is one cute trick that recurs.... Perhaps not by closing the window with the "X", but hitting the "Sign Out" logoff. Changing text case and moving from a text input screen or random scrolling are other tricks. Opening folders while I am using- or not using- the PC also occurs.

I think Zone Alarm may prevent a lot of nonsense.

OK- I will start figuring out the procedure referenced by Tashi. Any other thoughts offered in the meantime are appreciated. The Trojan comment is interesting. The MadMouse does seem more agitated when I am on Safer Networking, if that tells us anything.