Computer help please

[masoth]

Can anyone explain a regular opening of my download manager 'offering' spacer.gif or .tif ? It is annoying and I don't want to install it with out more knowledge - searching with Google has not convinced me of anything.

Thanks, soth

[Malibu]

Try running an Ad-ware scan. It might be a promotion from some dodgy company like the ones that I get regularly or a spy-ware type thing.
Not sure if it is the problem, but it wouldn't hurt to do it anyway
I run Ad-Aware SE by Lavasoft in Sweden. There's probably better ones around, but this one seems to work OK (and it was cheap!... $0). Sorry, I don't have an address, but a search should come up with something

[jchappo]

Usually a small blank image file used to space elements in the html of a web page.

Try opening in Irfan or some other image display program. If the program accepts it, the screen will be blank, but you will know that it is a genuine image file.

If, on the other hand, the program says that it can't open it, then it may be something more sinister.

[Stuart]

www.lavasoft.com

Malibu is right about needing to run anti malware software regularly, and lavasoft's one does seem to be a good one. I've been using it for the last 6 years or so to good effect.

[masoth]

Thank you, all. I run plenty of defensive stuff and rarely have an infection problem.
My interest was what the spacer is and jchappo answered it.

Ta a bit,

soth

[Stuart]

Now if you'd asked "what is spacer.gif?", then you would have gotten a completely different answer to the question that you did ask

Can anyone explain a regular opening of my download manager 'offering' spacer.gif or .tif ?

which implies your download manager is behaving strangely, and that is a completely different issue.