Random sound files play
Recently, when changing tabs on Firefox, random sound files play. They sounded like PCH sound files so I contacted them. Their support team confirmed that this is a known bug and "would be fixed soon". I can find nothing on the web but few people would associate random Firefox sound files playing with a PCH infection anyway. I want to get rid of them now. Any solutions?
Windows 8.1, HP Pavilion laptop using Firefox.
All Replies (8)
You can check for recently installed suspicious or unknown extensions.
Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions (Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.
- Switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance
- Do NOT click the Reset button on the Safe Mode start window
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes
Do a malware check with several malware scanning programs on the Windows computer. Please scan with all programs because each program detects different malware. All these programs have free versions.
Make sure that you update each program to get the latest version of their databases before doing a scan.
- Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php - AdwCleaner:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/Removal-Tools/AdwCleaner.shtml - SuperAntispyware:
http://www.superantispyware.com/ - Microsoft Safety Scanner:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx - Windows Defender:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-defender - Spybot Search & Destroy:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html - Kasperky Free Security Scan:
http://www.kaspersky.com/security-scan
You can also do a check for a rootkit infection with TDSSKiller.
- Anti-rootkit utility TDSSKiller:
http://support.kaspersky.com/5350?el=88446
See also:
Step 1: "Click the menu button New Fx Menu , click help Help-29 and select Restart with Add-ons Disabled.... Firefox will start up with the Firefox Safe Mode dialog. " Sounds good. But no "Help" to select using those directions. Under Help, here top left, there is an option to disable Add Ons. Should I assume that was meant to say Safe Mode and has the intended effect? This is what makes working with computers so much fun.
Ah, found it under the ? icon.
Safe mode didn't fix the issue.
Already used Defender, Malwarebytes and Mocrosoft Safety with no effect. I'll try the others now.
cor-el said
You can check for recently installed suspicious or unknown extensions. Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions (Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.
- Switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance
- Do NOT click the Reset button on the Safe Mode start window
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes
Do a malware check with several malware scanning programs on the Windows computer. Please scan with all programs because each program detects different malware. All these programs have free versions.
Make sure that you update each program to get the latest version of their databases before doing a scan.
- Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php- AdwCleaner:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/Removal-Tools/AdwCleaner.shtml- SuperAntispyware:
http://www.superantispyware.com/- Microsoft Safety Scanner:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx- Windows Defender:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-defender- Spybot Search & Destroy:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html- Kasperky Free Security Scan:
http://www.kaspersky.com/security-scanYou can also do a check for a rootkit infection with TDSSKiller.
- Anti-rootkit utility TDSSKiller:
http://support.kaspersky.com/5350?el=88446See also:
Well, I used all 9 det4ctors. The sound file remains. I think it is just sloppy vendor code, not a virus.
Well, I used all 9 detectors. The sound file remains. I think it is just sloppy vendor code, not a virus.
PCH installed the file in FlashPlayer. Clearing Flash Cache killed the file and the problem. Here are the directions for doing that:
If you are using a Windows machine running Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari:
Click the "Start" button located in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. Windows 8 means a treasure hunt, or Cursor to top right corner, Settings, Control Panel Click on "Control Panel" (or depending on your system setup, "Settings" and then "Control Panel"). Click on "Flash Player" (or "System and Security" and then "Flash Player"). Click on the "Advanced" tab located along the top of the "Flash Player Settings Manager". Ensure the latest version of flash player is installed (click "check now" to verify which version you have installed). Click the "Delete All..." button located at the top of the "Advanced" section of the "Flash Player Settings Manager". Ensure that there is a checkmark beside the "Delete All Site Data And Settings" option. (IMPORTANT: leave the "Delete All Audio and Video License Files" option UNCHECKED). Next, click the "Delete Data" button located in the bottom right hand corner of this window. Close the "Flash Player Settings Manager". Close the "Control Panel". Restart your browser
If you are using Google Chrome please follow the below instructions:
Click on the following link to navigate to Adobe's online Flash Player Settings Manager. Click on the "Delete all sites" button. Restart your browser.
To clear the Flash Player cache on a Mac, please follow these steps:
Close your web browser. Click on the Apple logo in the upper, right-hand corner of your screen and choose "System Preferences" Click on the "Flash Player" icon near the bottom of the System Preferences window. Under the "Storage" tab, click on the "Delete All" button. On the next window, make sure the "Delete All Site Data and Settings" option is selected and unselect the "Delete All Audio and Video License Files" option. Click the "Delete Data" button. Close the System Preferences window.