Close Firefox. Force close it if you need to.

Thanks for replying but that doesn't help. In fact when I first started it it said it would continue to download with the browser closed. I just didn't think it would take so long!

And now I'm concerned at what else it may be doing.

I've tried CCleaner, deleting all history, deleting all downloads from the list - which it doesn't appear on. So far nothing helps.

"In fact when I first started it it said it would continue to download with the browser closed."

So in other words, there is a background downloader running. You need to find that program and shut it down. Anything in CCleaner's Uninstall list that says Google Books or books43.com or "Book Downloader Malware"?

Your Firefox add-ons may need a good purge too, as you are currently sporting three PDF plug-ins. Or do you use all of them?

Thanks for the ideas.

I've looked but I don't see anything like that in CCleaner.

I googled how to disable background downloads but didn't find anything that worked.

Any other ideas?

I've disabled two of my PDF plug-ins now.

Thanks

When the download is going, the most straightforward way is to look into the running processes via Task Manager.

1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + ESC.
2. Select the Processes tab.
3. Note any names that stick out, and processes that actively use the CPU. Take a screenshot if you can, so you can remember them for uninstalling and can ask for advice if needed.

If you want to dig deeper into network connections, Speccy is perhaps the easiest option: http://www.piriform.com/speccy. Download, install, run, select the Network view from the list on the left. At the bottom you will find your current connections and you can click on the names to see more details - the list will be much shorter than the processes list, as not all processes use network connections.

Hi, if all else fails, restart your computer.

Phoxuponyou: I looked at the task manager. The odd ones were igfxsrvc.exe iumsvc.exe TpKnrres.exe

As I'm using a Lenovo Think laptop running Intel I think that accounts for most if not all of them. I also checked the established ones and they're all OK.

I then ran Speccy and found the following ones that I don't know about Lms.exe lsass.exe SDFSSvc.exe SDUpdSvc.exe None of these 4 appear when I put them in the Start search box.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Scribe: I tried that but it didn't help. Thanks

You may have corrupt sessionstore file(s).

Type about:support in the address bar and press enter.

Under the page logo on the left side you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To it’s right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Locate the sessionstore file(s). Then rename or delete them. Restart Firefox.

I tried this but it didn't help.

Thanks anyway.

FredMcD said

You may have corrupt sessionstore file(s).

Type about:support in the address bar and press enter.

Under the page logo on the left side you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To it’s right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Locate the sessionstore file(s). Then rename or delete them. Restart Firefox.

Right you are, the first batch are all Intel or Lenovo related.

The latter batch:

• Lms.exe - .NET stuff
• lsass.exe - Windows service
• SDFSSvc.exe - SpyBot Search & Destroy
• SDUpdSvc.exe - SpyBot again.

Just to make sure: where do you see the download in progress? Is it in Firefox's downloads? On the website? Is there a local file or folder the download goes to?

Edit: you said earlier it is not shown in Firefox's downloads. Is the download visible on the website only?

Phoxuponyou said >Right you are, the first batch are all Intel or Lenovo related.

>The latter batch: >* Lms.exe - .NET stuff >* lsass.exe - Windows service > SDFSSvc.exe - SpyBot Search & Destroy >* SDUpdSvc.exe - SpyBot again.

Thanks

>Edit: you said earlier it is not shown in Firefox's downloads. Is the >download visible on the website only?

As far as I know - where would I look to see if it's in any local files or folders? At that point it doesn't ask where to save it.

When I click on the partial download on the second page

http://example.com http://k2s.cc/file/3d5b295345ccb opens and

File: ee7283a4b53da78768447bde7bb572a6.pdf

Size: 53.8 MB is available to download.

Does this help?

Thanks

It just might be... I think the situation here is that the website is buffering a download for you, but data is not trasferred onto your machine, so there is nothing for you to stop, delete, uninstall or otherwise prevent. It is offering you the completed package, and that's when the download proper would start, were you to accept.

Have you downloaded the file it suggests at any point? Or just stopped at the offer?

I've downloaded it at various points.

Why?

Those downloads should then show in Firefox's downloads as completed, if you could open the file. If this is as I think it is, you have nothing to worry about as the "constant download" is on the website's side only and doesn't affect your machine.

Can you find those past PDFs you've downloaded and open one to see if it is a complete file?

I don't have them anymore but the ones I had were whole in that there were the right number of pages as per the number they said were in the download.

Is that what you meant?

They opened ok and didn't have viruses when I scanned them with AVG.

I found this, if it helps.

http://www.whois.com/whois/books43.com

Thanks

Yep, that's it all right - my conclusion in this case is that the website is simply buffering on its own and this won't affect your machine, as there is no trace of suspicious programs or connections or ongoing unwanted downloads in Firefox. The book43 way of expressing things is probably what caused the alarm; as the downloaded files opened OK, they were complete files and hence complete downloads. Your system and connection should be safe and unmolested (in that particular sense of the word).

No worries!

What a relief!!

Thank you to all who replied and especially to Phoxuponyou for all your efforts.

You're welcome - happy trails. :)