Unwanted Web Pop Up - A Little Robot Image

A web page is now frequently popping up on my computer screen with these words:

"Google  404. That's an error. The requested URL./advanced was not found on this server. That's all we know"

and there's also a cartoonish image of a robot with a wrench in its right hand, and the robot seems to have some parts of itself strewn around where its legs should be.

Can someone please tell me where this nuisance might have come from and how to get rid of it?

As a start, I suggest you run a program called Antimalwarebytes. Its free and does a good job.  Available here:
https://www.malwarebytes.org/lp/sem/?sfc=sem-gs_b_us_en&gclid=COD83ueG_scCFdgHgQod6YgE6Q

I would also suggest a program named AdBlock Plus.

The error you reported doesn't sound like a typical Google response.
What version of Windows are you using?

I'm using Windows 7. I've scanned using Antimalwarebytes and Avast Antivirus.

I installed Adblock Plus, but that seems to be a preventative, not a program that can attack something already on my computer.

No one A/V program gets everything.  Do you have others to try?  For instance, Super spy ware blaster, Junk removal tool, etc.
Seems pretty clear you picked up something, the trick is to find some A/V program to find it.

Hoosier,

I'm sorry for the delay in chiming in. What internet browser are you using?

In a related poast he said IE and was having trouble with Chrome.

Thanks. I'm thinking if it's a malicious page causing the problem, then maybe the WOT extension may resolve the problem. I also recommend installing the free version of SpywareBlaster.

Two very good ideas!

Although I asked to be notified of replies on this topic, I have received no notifications, hence my late reply.

I have SpywareBlaster installed. I have scanned using Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Avast Antivirus.

I don't know what "WOT extension" means.

Usually when this persistent little robot devil shows up and I X him off, whatever web site I am then on gets Xd off too.

Thanks for suggestions. Are there more I might try?

Sorry for the delay in getting back with you. It's been a long workday. Regardless...

"WOT" is Web of Trust. In Firefox, the extension is an Add-on. I don't know if they are also called Add-ons in Chrome, but look for a similar namesake. Bill can probably offer better guidance here. WOT actively blocks malicious websites from accessing your browser using 3 colors: Green is considered safe; yellow advises caution; and red warns of a malicious site and blocks it in its tracks. You have to manually override red sites. WOT is very effective and I would never surf the web without it.

You may also try the trial version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium, which offers real time protection. That alone may resolve the problem.

In Chrome, AD Block Plus is the same.  It places a small icon in the upper right corner of the browser window and works very well.  Google ABTrust for Chrome, same for WOT.

 Both are worth a try.

I thought that WOT and AD Block Plus are meant to intercept new programs or apps one is trying to install and then warn regarding them (but won't remove anything already installed).

In any case I have installed WOT and ADD Block Plus---and the little robot page is still appearing.

Web of Trust -WOT- is a user based rating system that evaluates web sites for safety and the potential for bad or malicious content.  When you hit such a site, WOT provides a warning that people think the site is not safe and I have found it to be trust worthy.  Ad Block  Plus prevents unwanted ads from appearing on your monitor.  Scuzzy's thought was that maybe your 'robot' is coming from a nasty web site and would and either of the programs mentioned would at least provide a warning.  In this case it appears to be something else but you have added an additional layer of safety by having them on your machine,
I will go back and re-read the threat and give it some more thought.  Maybe there is something we've missed.

More research seems to indicate two ways to solve this 'red robot' error.  The first is a system restore to an earlier time before the error appeared. 
The second is a 'super' uninstaller published by a company named 'Seven Servos limited' which entails downloading something called TechUtilites uninstaller, about which there have been many complaints.  I've never heard of Seven Servos and an very leary about this download. 

As compromise you might try Revo Uninstaller which is itself a 'super' uninstaller but my limited experience with it suggests it is most frequently used with a known program that will not completely  uninstall.  But, it might work.  The other option we might try is the Junkware Removal Tool that I successfully have used a couple of times to get rid of 'junk.'

The other recommendation is the program scuzzy recommended, the free version of SpywareBlaster, a well thought of malware/spyware cleaner.

Failing all else, a System Restore might be your best choice.

SpyWareBlaster I already have.

Is there any way I can share the image on my screen on this forum?

To be honest, the only way I know is lengthy.  With the image on your screen, press the button on the keyboard named Print Screen, commonly called a screen shot.  Paste the image into a program like Irfan or maybe paintshop and save it as a .jpeg or some similar video format.  Upload it to a picture host like photobucket and then link it in a  poast you are composing.  Photobucket will provide you code to copy and paste in the poast you are composing. The code looks like:  [IMG xxxxxxIMG] 

You cannot paste the screen shot directly.

For some reason I cannot reach photobucket.com at present. Will try again later.

My "Robot Page" is described and defined here:    http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/02/googles-new-404-fail-robot-says-thats-an-error-thats-all-we-know/


Unfortunately I haven't found any way to keep it from appearing every time a use a google search (which is what it is now doing)

I offered you a solution - a system restore- if all else fails.  Not that hard but needs to be dated before this happened.

This may be premature, but I believe I have made my "Little Fractured Robot" page disappear------though I can't understand why what I did should have produced that result.

In searching the Internet I found that Google, in a playful mood, apparently created that web page to replace their old undecorated "Google 404 - That's an Error" page.

In the past I have sometimes caused "Google Advanced Search" to behave erratically by clicking some keys too quickly. For some reason (I don't know why) this led me to delete the shortcut I always use to go to "Google Advanced Search" and instead I went directly to that web page. I haven't seen the Google 404 page since.

Can someone explain this to stupefied me?

That's interesting, sound like your shortcut was at fault, maybe a bad or wrong character in the path.  Just as an experiment you might try to create another shortcut to Google Advanced Search to see if you can reproduce the error.

I've been using my newly created shortcut and so far no problem.  Thanks again for replies.