XP dials up with the modem all by itself, randomly

[HansSvetty]

It just started this. All of a sudden, I'm in the kitchen or something, and I hear my computer dialing the internet! It has a 3com PCI modem of top quality. Never happened before.

This can even happen after a boot up, before I even touch the keyboard.

I went to IE6 options and checked "never dial a connection"

No dice.

Hopefully it's not posessed or something...

hans

 

[SemperFi]

Do you have msn messinger or what ever it's called installed. If you do check your settings, you can set it up so it won't dial out.

Outlook express also has settings for autodial to check mail.

Another program I have seen do this is internet connect sharing where this is the host computer. Even though the other computer wasn't running a browser, mail, or any other net related program it would dial out. I ended up using a different program to share the connection. That is until I got cable.

Semper fi

 

[HansSvetty]

Thanks. I did have Messenger disabled, and Outlook Express is set to "Never dial". I've never been part of a network.

hans

 

[SemperFi]

Well I don't know what else it could be. The only thing I can think of is to go one step further and remove messenger if you don't use it. I had mine disabled for a while then I removed it. It fixed some things that I thought would not be related.

Anyhow if you want to remove messenger goto tweakxp do a search for messenger and you will find the instructions to remove it.

Sorry I couldn't be more help

Semper Fi

 

[HansSvetty]

Worth a try, thanks!

hans

 

[NetworkDad]

Make sure you have automatic updates turned off...

Also, install something like zonealarm - The first time anything attempts to access the internet, it will pop up with a window noting which application is asking for rights to access the network.

 

[HansSvetty]

Auto updates were off. Zone Alarm sounds like a great idea, thanks.

hans

 

[Kartajan]

One way you could troubleshoot the problem- (i.e. find out what is dialing) is to go into "my connections" and set up your dialup connection to ask permission before dialing. The window that will pop up whenever a connection is attempted should show what program is requesting a connection.

(Of course, ZA does that also. Whatever works 4 you..)

 

[HansSvetty]

A good plan as well. I'm learning a new bag of tricks here, thanks .

hans

 

[c0rv1d43]

You might also give Ad-Aware and / or SpyBot Search & Destroy a shot. When this happens is it your dial-up ISP account that's being accessed, or is it some other number? A friend reported these symptoms to me, and I found 8 porn dialers installed on his system!!! Oh yeah, and his keyboard was STICKY! Eeeee-yuck! (He claims it was his kids that probably were surfing the porn, and that they were eating peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches while using the computer. I hope it's true.)

- Collin