Spyware driving me mad!

I have run Ad-aware and SpyBot, both are telling me that there were a lot of things found, but that they have been removed and my system "immunized", however i am still getting the "spyware" pop ups, the hijacked home page and search engine and a system that is running significantly slower than usual. HELP PLEASE!!!!

Try the following. Someone else had a similar problem. You
need to try several things.
Patiently go through them.
Erin wrote:
> I am having problems with about:blank. A pop-up comes up
> that says I am infected with spyware. I run ad-aware,
> spybot, CWShredder and think I get rid of it, then it
> comes back. I am also now getting alot of junk email
> which one had a virus my norton picked up on and
> destroyed. How do I get rid of this and keep from
> reinfecting my system?

Immunize your system with SpywareBlaster and Spybot Search
and Destroy's
immunize feature as well.

If you don't wish to follow all of the advice immediately,
just want to
get rid of your current dilemma, then you are welcome to
scroll down to
the section titled "SPYWARE/ADWARE/POPUPS", where your
problem as
stated should be resolved by the applications and
suggestions found in
that section. If this helps solve your problem then I
again HIGHLY
suggest you follow the rest of the advice below (matter of
fact, I
suggest it either way.)

Suggestions on what you can do to secure/clean your PC.
I'm going to try
and be general, I will assume a "Windows" operating system
is what is
being secured here.


SPYWARE/ADWARE/POPUPS
---------------------

There are annoyances out there you can get without
trying. Your normal web surfing, maybe a wrong click on a
web page, maybe
just a momentary lack of judgment by installing some
software packages
without doing the research.. And all of a sudden your
screen starts filling
up with advertisements or your Internet seems much slower
or your home page
won't stay what you set it and goes someplace unfamiliar
to you. This is
spyware. There are a whole SLEW of software packages out
there to get rid
of this crud and help prevent reinfection. Some of the
products already
mentioned might even have branched out into this arena.
However, there are
a few applications that seem to be the best at what they
do, which is
eradicating and immunizing your system from this crap.
Strangely, the best
products I have found in this category ARE generally
free. That is a trend
I like. I make donations to some of them, they deserve it!

Two side-notes: Never think one of these can do the whole
job.
Try the first 5 before coming back and saying "That did
not work!"
Also, you can always visit:
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
For more updated information.

Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
http://www.safer-networking.net/

Lavasoft AdAware (Free and up)
http://www.lavasoft.de

CWSShredder (Free!)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

Hijack This! (Free)
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/
( Tutorial:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/htlogtutorial.html )

SpywareBlaster (Free!)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/

IE-SPYAD (Free!)
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm

ToolbarCop (Free!)
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/toolbarcop.htm

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/index.html

Browser Security Tests
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/

The Cleaner (49.95 and up)
http://www.moosoft.com/

That will clean up your machine of the spyware, given that
you download and
install several of them, update them regularly and scan
with them when you
update. Some (like SpywareBlaster and SpyBot Search and
Destroy) have
immunization features that will help you prevent your PC
from being
infected. Use these features!

Unfortunately, although that will lessen your popups on
the Internet/while
you are online, it won't eliminate them. I have looked at
a lot of options,
seen a lot of them used in production with people who seem
to attract popups
like a plague, and I only have one suggestion that end up
serving double
duty (search engine and popup stopper in one):

The Google Toolbar (Free!)
http://toolbar.google.com/

Yeah - it adds a bar to your Internet Explorer - but its a
useful one. You
can search from there anytime with one of the best search
engines on the
planet (IMO.) And the fact it stops most popups - wow -
BONUS! If you
don't like that suggestion, then I am just going to say
you go to
www.google.com and search for other options.

One more suggestion, although I will suggest this in a way
later, is to
disable your Windows Messenger service. This service is
not used frequently
(if at all) by the normal home user and in cooperation
with a good firewall,
is generally unnecessary. Microsoft has instructions on
how to do this for
Windows XP here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/.../howto/communic
ate/stopspam.asp


UPDATES and PATCHES
-------------------

This one is the most obvious. There is no perfect product
and any company
worth their salt will try to meet/exceed the needs of
their customers and
fix any problems they find along the way. I am not going
to say Microsoft
is the best company in the world about this but they do
have an option
available for you to use to keep your machine updated and
patched from
the problems and vulnerabilities (as well as product
improvements in some
cases) - and it's free to you.

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get
the critical ones as
you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see
when selecting the
updates and if you have trouble over the next few days, go
into your control
panel (Add/Remove Programs), match up the latest numbers
you downloaded
recently (since you started noticing an issue) and
uninstall them. If there
was more than one (usually is), install them back one by
one - with a few
hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process
is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as
you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is MUCH
better than the
alternatives. (SASSER/BLASTER were SO preventable with
just this step!)

Windows is not the only product you likely have on your
PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates
as well. New
versions of almost everything come out all the time - some
are free, some
are pay - some you can only download if you are
registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their
support and
download sections.

You also have hardware on your machine that requires
drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that
allows you to see on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs
sound output and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest
downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always (IMO)
get the
manufacturers hardware driver over any Microsoft offers.
On the Windows
Update site I mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting
their hardware
drivers - no matter how tempting.

Have I mentioned that Microsoft has some stuff to help
secure your computer
available to the end-user for free? This seems as good of
a time as any.
They have a CD you can order (it's free) that contain all
of the Windows
patches through October 2003 and some trial products as
well that they
released in February 2004. Yeah - it's a little behind
now, but it's better
than nothing (and used in coordination with the
information in this post,
well worth the purchase price..)

Order the Windows Security Update CD
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp

They also have a bunch of suggestions, some similar to
these, on how to
better protect your Windows system:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/


FIREWALL
--------

Let's say you are up-to-date on the OS (operating system)
and you have
Windows XP.. You should at least turn on the built in
firewall. That will
do a lot to "hide" you from the random bad things flying
around the
Internet. Things like Sasser/Blaster enjoy just sitting
out there in
Cyberspace looking for an unprotected Windows Operating
System and jumping
on it, doing great damage in the process and then using
that Unprotected OS
to continue its dirty work of infecting others. If you
have the Windows XP
ICF turned on - default configuration - then they cannot
see you! Think of
it as Internet Stealth Mode at this point. It has other
advantages, like
actually locking the doors you didn't even (likely) know
you had. Doing
this is simple, the instructions you need to use your
built in Windows XP
firewall can be found here:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320855

If you read through that and look through the pages that
are linked from it
at the bottom of that page - I think you should have a
firm grasp on the
basics of the Windows XP Firewall as it is today. One
thing to note RIGHT
NOW - if you have AOL, you cannot use this nice firewall
that came with
your system. Thank AOL, not Microsoft. You HAVE to
configure another
one.. So we continue with our session on Firewalls...

But let's say you DON'T have Windows XP - you have some
other OS like
Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT, 2000. Well, you don't have
the nifty built in
firewall. My suggestion - upgrade. My next suggestion -
look through your
options. There are lots of free and pay firewalls out
there for home users.
Yes - you will have to decide on your own which to get.
Yes, you will have
to learn (oh no!) to use these firewalls and configure
them so they don't
interfere with what you want to do while continuing to
provide the security
you desire. It's just like anything else you want to
protect - you have to
do something to protect it. Here are some suggested
applications. A lot of
people tout "ZoneAlarm" as being the best alternative to
just using the
Windows XP ICF, but truthfully - any of these alternatives
are much better
than the Windows XP ICF at what they do - because that is
ALL they do.

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conte...y/products/znal
m/freeDownload.jsp

Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/download/

Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm

Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall (~$25 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/

BlackICE PC Protection ($39.95 and up)
http://blackice.iss.net/

Tiny Personal Firewall (~$49.00 and up)
http://www.tinysoftware.com/

That list is not complete, but they are good firewall
options, every one of
them. Visit the web pages, read up, ask around if you
like - make a
decision and go with some firewall, any firewall. Also,
maintain it.
Sometimes new holes are discovered in even the best of
these products and
patches are released from the company to remedy this
problem. However, if
you don't get the patches (check the manufacturer web page
on occasion),
then you may never know you have the problem and/or are
being used through
this weakness. Also, don't stack these things. Running
more than one
firewall will not make you safer - it would likely (in
fact) negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewalls you
ran together.


ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
------------------

That's not all. That's one facet of a secure PC, but
firewalls don't do
everything. I saw one person posting on a newsgroup
that "they had
never had a virus and they never run any anti-virus
software." Yep - I used
to believe that way too - viruses were something everyone
else seemed to
get, were they just stupid? And for the average joe-user
who is careful,
uses their one-three family computers carefully, never
opening unknown
attachments, always visiting the same family safe web
sites, never
installing anything that did not come with their computer -
maybe, just
maybe they will never witness a virus. I, however, am a
Network Systems
Administrator. I see that AntiVirus software is an
absolute necessity given
how most people see their computer as a toy/tool and not
something
they should have to maintain and upkeep. After all, they
were invented to
make life easier, right - not add another task to your
day. You
can be as careful as you want - will the next person be as
careful? Will
someone send you unknowingly the email that erases all the
pictures of your
child/childhood? Possibly - why take the chance? ALWAYS
RUN ANTIVIRUS
SOFTWARE and KEEP IT UP TO DATE! Antivirus software comes
in so many
flavors, it's like walking into a Jelly Belly store -
which one tastes like
what?! Well, here are a few choices for you. Some of
these are free (isn't
that nice?) and some are not. Is one better than the
other - MAYBE.

Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$11 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/products.html

Panda Antivirus Titanium (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasoftware.com/
(Free Online Scanner:
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/)

AVG 6.0 Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://www.grisoft.com/

McAfee VirusScan (~$11 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/

AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/

avast! 4 (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/

Trend Micro (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.trendmicro.com/
(Free Online Scanner:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hou.../start_corp.asp)

RAV AntiVirus Online Virus Scan (Free!)
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/

Did I mention you have to not only install this software,
but also keep it
updated? You do. Some of them (most) have automatic
services to help you
do this - I mean, it's not your job to keep up with the
half-dozen or more
new threats that come out daily, is it? Be sure to keep
whichever one you
choose up to date!


SPAM EMAIL/JUNK MAIL
--------------------

This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get 50
emails in one
sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What can
you do? Well,
although there are services out there to help you, some
email
servers/services that actually do lower your spam with
features built into
their servers - I still like the methods that let you be
the end-decision
maker on what is spam and what isn't. If these things
worked perfectly, we
wouldn't need people and then there would be no spam
anyway - vicious
circle, eh? Anyway - I have two products to suggest to
you, look at them
and see if either of them suite your needs. Again, if
they don't, Google is
free and available for your perusal.

SpamBayes (Free!)
http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/

Spamihilator (Free!)
http://www.spamihilator.com/

As I said, those are not your only options, but are
reliable ones I have
seen function for hundreds+ people.


DISABLE (Set to Manual) UNUSED SERVICE/STARTUP APPS
---------------------------------------------------

I might get arguments on putting this one here, but it's
my spill. There are
lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by
default you don't
use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see
what all of the
services you might find on your computer are and set them
according to your
personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and
take heed and write
down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large
performance increase
or anything - especially on todays 2+ GHz machines,
however - I look at each
service you set to manual as one less service you have to
worry about
someone exploiting. A year ago, I would have thought the
Windows Messenger
service to be pretty safe, now I recommend (with addition
of a firewall)
that most home users disable it! Yeah - this is another
one you have to
work for, but your computer may speed up and/or be more
secure because you
took the time. And if you document what you do as you do
it, next time, it
goes MUCH faster! (or if you have to go back and re-enable
things..)

Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Task...es/tasklist.htm

Black Viper's Service List and Opinions (XP)
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/

There are also applications that AREN'T services that
startup when you start
up the computer/logon. One of the better description on
how to handle these
I have found here:

Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php


That's it. A small booklet on how to keep your computer
secure, clean of
scum and more user friendly. I am SURE I missed
something, almost as I am
sure you won't read all of it (anyone for that matter.)
However, I also
know that someone who followed all of the advice above
would also have less
problems with their PC, less problems with viruses, less
problems with spam,
fewer problems with spyware and better performance than
someone who didn't.

Hope it helps.

--
<- Shenan ->
--
The information is provided "as is", with no guarantees of
completeness, accuracy or timeliness, and without
warranties of any
kind, express or implied. In other words, read up before
you take any
advice - you are the one ultimately responsible for your
actions.


..


>-----Original Message-----
>I have run Ad-aware and SpyBot, both are telling me that
there were a lot of things found, but that they have been
removed and my system "immunized", however i am still
getting the "spyware" pop ups, the hijacked home page and
search engine and a system that is running significantly
slower than usual. HELP PLEASE!!!!
>.

>-----Original Message-----
>I have run Ad-aware and SpyBot, both are telling me that
there were a lot of things found, but that they have been
removed and my system "immunized", however i am still
getting the "spyware" pop ups, the hijacked home page and
search engine and a system that is running significantly
slower than usual. HELP PLEASE!!!!
>.
> Do the following to remove the spyware toolbar.
Remove it by manual way follow the solution below. If the
problem is not solve Delete anything begins with {9A9C9B68-
....

Mirar Toolbar.B

Overview
Mirar Toolbar.B is an Internet Explorer toolbar that has
been reported to stealth install. Mirar Toolbar.B is a
variant of Mirar Toolbar.

Classification
Adware

Files
NN_Bar31.dll

Vendor
www.getmirar.com (Site down 2003-11-21) whois

Variants
Mirar Toolbar.A Mirar Toolbar.B Mirar Toolbar.winnb40
Mirar Toolbar.winnb41 Mirar Toolbar.winnb42 Mirar
Toolbar.winnb51

Privacy policy
No privacy policy available

Detection
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner detects Mirar
Toolbar.B. Bazooka is freeware and detects spyware,
adware, foistware, trojan horses, viruses, worms, etc.
Read more »

Uninstall procedure
Mirar Toolbar.B does not offer an uninstaller.

Manual removal
Please follow the instructions below if you would like to
remove Mirar Toolbar.B manually. Please notice that you
must follow the instructions very carefully and delete
everything that is mentioned. In most cases the removal
will fail if one single item is not deleted. If Mirar
Toolbar.B remains on your system after stepping through
the removal instructions, please double-check by stepping
through them again.
1. Start the registry editor. This is done by
clicking Start then Run. (The Run dialog will appear.)
Type regedit and click OK. (The registry editor will
open.)
2. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Classes \
CLSID \ {8A0DCBDA-6E20-489C-9041-C1E8A0352E75}', if it
exists.
3. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft
\ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Browser Helper
Objects \ {8A0DCBDA-6E20-489C-9041-C1E8A0352E75}', if it
exists.
4. Browse to the key:
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet
Explorer \ Toolbar'
5. In the right pane, delete the value called
{179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}, if it exists.
6. Browse to the key:
'HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet
Explorer \ Toolbar \ WebBrowser'
7. In the right pane, delete the value called
{179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}', if it exists.
8. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Classes \
CLSID \ {179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}', if it
exists.
9. Exit the registry editor.
10. Restart your computer.
11. Start Windows Explorer and delete:
%SystemDir%\NN_Bar31.dll
Note: %SystemDir% is a variable (?). By default, this is
C:\Windows\System (Windows 95/98/Me), C:\WINNT\System32
(Windows NT/2000), or C:\Windows\System32 (Windows XP).
12. Start Microsoft Internet Explorer.
13. In Internet Explorer, click Tools -> Internet
Options.
14. Click the Programs tab -> Reset Web Settings.
Problems uninstalling? Click here.

Please support me
Thank you for using my site. Please help me to keep this
site and software up-to-date.

Related links


Bazooka - Free scan for spyware, adware, trojan horses,
keyloggers, etc. Detects more than 540 threats. Freeware!

The File Database - Search our database and find out if a
file is dangerous. Free!

Whois Web Service - Find the owner of a domain name. Free!

Kephyr Labs - Find out what is going on at Kephyr. Try
products in an early stage of development.


Mirar Spyware:

http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanne.../mirartoolbar.b
/index.phtml

Delete anything begins with {9A9C9B68-...

http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanne.../mirartoolbar.b
/index.phtml

>-----Original Message-----
>I have run Ad-aware and SpyBot, both are telling me that
there were a lot of things found, but that they have been
removed and my system "immunized", however i am still
getting the "spyware" pop ups, the hijacked home page and
search engine and a system that is running significantly
slower than usual. HELP PLEASE!!!!
>.
> Do the following to remove the spyware toolbar.
Remove it by manual way follow the solution below. If the
problem is not solve Delete anything begins with {9A9C9B68-
....

Mirar Toolbar.B

Overview
Mirar Toolbar.B is an Internet Explorer toolbar that has
been reported to stealth install. Mirar Toolbar.B is a
variant of Mirar Toolbar.

Classification
Adware

Files
NN_Bar31.dll

Vendor
www.getmirar.com (Site down 2003-11-21) whois

Variants
Mirar Toolbar.A Mirar Toolbar.B Mirar Toolbar.winnb40
Mirar Toolbar.winnb41 Mirar Toolbar.winnb42 Mirar
Toolbar.winnb51

Privacy policy
No privacy policy available

Detection
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner detects Mirar
Toolbar.B. Bazooka is freeware and detects spyware,
adware, foistware, trojan horses, viruses, worms, etc.
Read more »

Uninstall procedure
Mirar Toolbar.B does not offer an uninstaller.

Manual removal
Please follow the instructions below if you would like to
remove Mirar Toolbar.B manually. Please notice that you
must follow the instructions very carefully and delete
everything that is mentioned. In most cases the removal
will fail if one single item is not deleted. If Mirar
Toolbar.B remains on your system after stepping through
the removal instructions, please double-check by stepping
through them again.
1. Start the registry editor. This is done by
clicking Start then Run. (The Run dialog will appear.)
Type regedit and click OK. (The registry editor will
open.)
2. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Classes \
CLSID \ {8A0DCBDA-6E20-489C-9041-C1E8A0352E75}', if it
exists.
3. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft
\ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Browser Helper
Objects \ {8A0DCBDA-6E20-489C-9041-C1E8A0352E75}', if it
exists.
4. Browse to the key:
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet
Explorer \ Toolbar'
5. In the right pane, delete the value called
{179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}, if it exists.
6. Browse to the key:
'HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet
Explorer \ Toolbar \ WebBrowser'
7. In the right pane, delete the value called
{179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}', if it exists.
8. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Classes \
CLSID \ {179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}', if it
exists.
9. Exit the registry editor.
10. Restart your computer.
11. Start Windows Explorer and delete:
%SystemDir%\NN_Bar31.dll
Note: %SystemDir% is a variable (?). By default, this is
C:\Windows\System (Windows 95/98/Me), C:\WINNT\System32
(Windows NT/2000), or C:\Windows\System32 (Windows XP).
12. Start Microsoft Internet Explorer.
13. In Internet Explorer, click Tools -> Internet
Options.
14. Click the Programs tab -> Reset Web Settings.
Problems uninstalling? Click here.

Please support me
Thank you for using my site. Please help me to keep this
site and software up-to-date.

Related links


Bazooka - Free scan for spyware, adware, trojan horses,
keyloggers, etc. Detects more than 540 threats. Freeware!

The File Database - Search our database and find out if a
file is dangerous. Free!

Whois Web Service - Find the owner of a domain name. Free!

Kephyr Labs - Find out what is going on at Kephyr. Try
products in an early stage of development.


Mirar Spyware:

http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanne.../mirartoolbar.b
/index.phtml

Delete anything begins with {9A9C9B68-...

http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanne.../mirartoolbar.b
/index.phtml

>-----Original Message-----
>I have run Ad-aware and SpyBot, both are telling me that
there were a lot of things found, but that they have been
removed and my system "immunized", however i am still
getting the "spyware" pop ups, the hijacked home page and
search engine and a system that is running significantly
slower than usual. HELP PLEASE!!!!
>.
> Do the following to remove the spyware toolbar.
Remove it by manual way follow the solution below. If the
problem is not solve Delete anything begins with {9A9C9B68-
....

Mirar Toolbar.B

Overview
Mirar Toolbar.B is an Internet Explorer toolbar that has
been reported to stealth install. Mirar Toolbar.B is a
variant of Mirar Toolbar.

Classification
Adware

Files
NN_Bar31.dll

Vendor
www.getmirar.com (Site down 2003-11-21) whois

Variants
Mirar Toolbar.A Mirar Toolbar.B Mirar Toolbar.winnb40
Mirar Toolbar.winnb41 Mirar Toolbar.winnb42 Mirar
Toolbar.winnb51

Privacy policy
No privacy policy available

Detection
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner detects Mirar
Toolbar.B. Bazooka is freeware and detects spyware,
adware, foistware, trojan horses, viruses, worms, etc.
Read more »

Uninstall procedure
Mirar Toolbar.B does not offer an uninstaller.

Manual removal
Please follow the instructions below if you would like to
remove Mirar Toolbar.B manually. Please notice that you
must follow the instructions very carefully and delete
everything that is mentioned. In most cases the removal
will fail if one single item is not deleted. If Mirar
Toolbar.B remains on your system after stepping through
the removal instructions, please double-check by stepping
through them again.
1. Start the registry editor. This is done by
clicking Start then Run. (The Run dialog will appear.)
Type regedit and click OK. (The registry editor will
open.)
2. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Classes \
CLSID \ {8A0DCBDA-6E20-489C-9041-C1E8A0352E75}', if it
exists.
3. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft
\ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Browser Helper
Objects \ {8A0DCBDA-6E20-489C-9041-C1E8A0352E75}', if it
exists.
4. Browse to the key:
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet
Explorer \ Toolbar'
5. In the right pane, delete the value called
{179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}, if it exists.
6. Browse to the key:
'HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet
Explorer \ Toolbar \ WebBrowser'
7. In the right pane, delete the value called
{179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}', if it exists.
8. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Classes \
CLSID \ {179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}', if it
exists.
9. Exit the registry editor.
10. Restart your computer.
11. Start Windows Explorer and delete:
%SystemDir%\NN_Bar31.dll
Note: %SystemDir% is a variable (?). By default, this is
C:\Windows\System (Windows 95/98/Me), C:\WINNT\System32
(Windows NT/2000), or C:\Windows\System32 (Windows XP).
12. Start Microsoft Internet Explorer.
13. In Internet Explorer, click Tools -> Internet
Options.
14. Click the Programs tab -> Reset Web Settings.
Problems uninstalling? Click here.

Please support me
Thank you for using my site. Please help me to keep this
site and software up-to-date.

Related links


Bazooka - Free scan for spyware, adware, trojan horses,
keyloggers, etc. Detects more than 540 threats. Freeware!

The File Database - Search our database and find out if a
file is dangerous. Free!

Whois Web Service - Find the owner of a domain name. Free!

Kephyr Labs - Find out what is going on at Kephyr. Try
products in an early stage of development.


Mirar Spyware:

http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanne.../mirartoolbar.b
/index.phtml

Delete anything begins with {9A9C9B68-...

http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanne.../mirartoolbar.b
/index.phtml

>-----Original Message-----
>I have run Ad-aware and SpyBot, both are telling me that
there were a lot of things found, but that they have been
removed and my system "immunized", however i am still
getting the "spyware" pop ups, the hijacked home page and
search engine and a system that is running significantly
slower than usual. HELP PLEASE!!!!
>.
> Do the following to remove the spyware toolbar.
Remove it by manual way follow the solution below. If the
problem is not solve Delete anything begins with {9A9C9B68-
....

Mirar Toolbar.B

Overview
Mirar Toolbar.B is an Internet Explorer toolbar that has
been reported to stealth install. Mirar Toolbar.B is a
variant of Mirar Toolbar.

Classification
Adware

Files
NN_Bar31.dll

Vendor
www.getmirar.com (Site down 2003-11-21) whois

Variants
Mirar Toolbar.A Mirar Toolbar.B Mirar Toolbar.winnb40
Mirar Toolbar.winnb41 Mirar Toolbar.winnb42 Mirar
Toolbar.winnb51

Privacy policy
No privacy policy available

Detection
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner detects Mirar
Toolbar.B. Bazooka is freeware and detects spyware,
adware, foistware, trojan horses, viruses, worms, etc.
Read more »

Uninstall procedure
Mirar Toolbar.B does not offer an uninstaller.

Manual removal
Please follow the instructions below if you would like to
remove Mirar Toolbar.B manually. Please notice that you
must follow the instructions very carefully and delete
everything that is mentioned. In most cases the removal
will fail if one single item is not deleted. If Mirar
Toolbar.B remains on your system after stepping through
the removal instructions, please double-check by stepping
through them again.
1. Start the registry editor. This is done by
clicking Start then Run. (The Run dialog will appear.)
Type regedit and click OK. (The registry editor will
open.)
2. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Classes \
CLSID \ {8A0DCBDA-6E20-489C-9041-C1E8A0352E75}', if it
exists.
3. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft
\ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Browser Helper
Objects \ {8A0DCBDA-6E20-489C-9041-C1E8A0352E75}', if it
exists.
4. Browse to the key:
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet
Explorer \ Toolbar'
5. In the right pane, delete the value called
{179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}, if it exists.
6. Browse to the key:
'HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet
Explorer \ Toolbar \ WebBrowser'
7. In the right pane, delete the value called
{179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}', if it exists.
8. Delete 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Classes \
CLSID \ {179E4B4A-76C3-4F65-BCED-C9FA1A28D2EF}', if it
exists.
9. Exit the registry editor.
10. Restart your computer.
11. Start Windows Explorer and delete:
%SystemDir%\NN_Bar31.dll
Note: %SystemDir% is a variable (?). By default, this is
C:\Windows\System (Windows 95/98/Me), C:\WINNT\System32
(Windows NT/2000), or C:\Windows\System32 (Windows XP).
12. Start Microsoft Internet Explorer.
13. In Internet Explorer, click Tools -> Internet
Options.
14. Click the Programs tab -> Reset Web Settings.
Problems uninstalling? Click here.

Please support me
Thank you for using my site. Please help me to keep this
site and software up-to-date.

Related links


Bazooka - Free scan for spyware, adware, trojan horses,
keyloggers, etc. Detects more than 540 threats. Freeware!

The File Database - Search our database and find out if a
file is dangerous. Free!

Whois Web Service - Find the owner of a domain name. Free!

Kephyr Labs - Find out what is going on at Kephyr. Try
products in an early stage of development.


Mirar Spyware:

http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanne.../mirartoolbar.b
/index.phtml

Delete anything begins with {9A9C9B68-...

http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanne.../mirartoolbar.b
/index.phtml

"Helly" wrote:

> I have run Ad-aware and SpyBot, both are telling me that there were a lot of things found, but that they have been removed and my system "immunized", however i am still getting the "spyware" pop ups, the hijacked home page and search engine and a system that is running significantly slower than usual. HELP PLEASE!!!!

Before you do any removals of anything, you need to do two things:

1. Download the latest Windows Critical Update. Microsoft has updated the java plugins (javapps) so java CANNOT write to the harddrive. Big change.

2. Right now...click on Tools->Internet Options->Privacy->Advanced.
First-Party Cookies = enable
Thrid-Party Cookies = disable
Always allow session cookies = checkmark

This will disable adware/spyware from working....NOW clean your system.

Lloyd

Victor:
I love your dissertation!! It is a great help to me and
I'm sure to others also. Thanks for all the extra efort.
Please keep up the great work!!
Ray
>-----Original Message-----
>Try the following. Someone else had a similar problem.
You
>need to try several things.
>Patiently go through them.
>Erin wrote:
>> I am having problems with about:blank. A pop-up comes
up
>> that says I am infected with spyware. I run ad-aware,
>> spybot, CWShredder and think I get rid of it, then it
>> comes back. I am also now getting alot of junk email
>> which one had a virus my norton picked up on and
>> destroyed. How do I get rid of this and keep from
>> reinfecting my system?
>
>Immunize your system with SpywareBlaster and Spybot
Search
>and Destroy's
>immunize feature as well.
>
>If you don't wish to follow all of the advice
immediately,
>just want to
>get rid of your current dilemma, then you are welcome to
>scroll down to
>the section titled "SPYWARE/ADWARE/POPUPS", where your
>problem as
>stated should be resolved by the applications and
>suggestions found in
>that section. If this helps solve your problem then I
>again HIGHLY
>suggest you follow the rest of the advice below (matter
of
>fact, I
>suggest it either way.)
>
>Suggestions on what you can do to secure/clean your PC.
>I'm going to try
>and be general, I will assume a "Windows" operating
system
>is what is
>being secured here.
>
>
>SPYWARE/ADWARE/POPUPS
>---------------------
>
>There are annoyances out there you can get without
>trying. Your normal web surfing, maybe a wrong click on
a
>web page, maybe
>just a momentary lack of judgment by installing some
>software packages
>without doing the research.. And all of a sudden your
>screen starts filling
>up with advertisements or your Internet seems much
slower
>or your home page
>won't stay what you set it and goes someplace unfamiliar
>to you. This is
>spyware. There are a whole SLEW of software packages
out
>there to get rid
>of this crud and help prevent reinfection. Some of the
>products already
>mentioned might even have branched out into this arena.
>However, there are
>a few applications that seem to be the best at what they
>do, which is
>eradicating and immunizing your system from this crap.
>Strangely, the best
>products I have found in this category ARE generally
>free. That is a trend
>I like. I make donations to some of them, they deserve
it!
>
>Two side-notes: Never think one of these can do the
whole
>job.
>Try the first 5 before coming back and saying "That did
>not work!"
>Also, you can always visit:
> http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
>For more updated information.
>
> Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
> http://www.safer-networking.net/
>
> Lavasoft AdAware (Free and up)
> http://www.lavasoft.de
>
> CWSShredder (Free!)
> http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
>
> Hijack This! (Free)
> http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/
> ( Tutorial:
>http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/htlogtutorial.html )
>
> SpywareBlaster (Free!)
> http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/
>
> IE-SPYAD (Free!)
> http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm
>
> ToolbarCop (Free!)
> http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/toolbarcop.htm
>
> Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
> http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/index.html
>
> Browser Security Tests
> http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/
>
> The Cleaner (49.95 and up)
> http://www.moosoft.com/
>
>That will clean up your machine of the spyware, given
that
>you download and
>install several of them, update them regularly and scan
>with them when you
>update. Some (like SpywareBlaster and SpyBot Search and
>Destroy) have
>immunization features that will help you prevent your PC
>from being
>infected. Use these features!
>
>Unfortunately, although that will lessen your popups on
>the Internet/while
>you are online, it won't eliminate them. I have looked
at
>a lot of options,
>seen a lot of them used in production with people who
seem
>to attract popups
>like a plague, and I only have one suggestion that end
up
>serving double
>duty (search engine and popup stopper in one):
>
> The Google Toolbar (Free!)
> http://toolbar.google.com/
>
>Yeah - it adds a bar to your Internet Explorer - but its
a
>useful one. You
>can search from there anytime with one of the best
search
>engines on the
>planet (IMO.) And the fact it stops most popups - wow -
>BONUS! If you
>don't like that suggestion, then I am just going to say
>you go to
>www.google.com and search for other options.
>
>One more suggestion, although I will suggest this in a
way
>later, is to
>disable your Windows Messenger service. This service is
>not used frequently
>(if at all) by the normal home user and in cooperation
>with a good firewall,
>is generally unnecessary. Microsoft has instructions on
>how to do this for
>Windows XP here:
>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...ng/howto/commun
ic
>ate/stopspam.asp
>
>
>UPDATES and PATCHES
>-------------------
>
>This one is the most obvious. There is no perfect
product
>and any company
>worth their salt will try to meet/exceed the needs of
>their customers and
>fix any problems they find along the way. I am not
going
>to say Microsoft
>is the best company in the world about this but they do
>have an option
>available for you to use to keep your machine updated
and
>patched from
>the problems and vulnerabilities (as well as product
>improvements in some
>cases) - and it's free to you.
>
> Windows Update
> http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
>
>Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get
>the critical ones as
>you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you
see
>when selecting the
>updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go
>into your control
>panel (Add/Remove Programs), match up the latest numbers
>you downloaded
>recently (since you started noticing an issue) and
>uninstall them. If there
>was more than one (usually is), install them back one by
>one - with a few
>hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
>Yes - the process
>is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
>mentioned - but as
>you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is MUCH
>better than the
>alternatives. (SASSER/BLASTER were SO preventable with
>just this step!)
>
>Windows is not the only product you likely have on your
>PC. The
>manufacturers of the other products usually have updates
>as well. New
>versions of almost everything come out all the time -
some
>are free, some
>are pay - some you can only download if you are
>registered - but it is best
>to check. Just go to their web pages and look under
their
>support and
>download sections.
>
>You also have hardware on your machine that requires
>drivers to interface
>with the operating system. You have a video card that
>allows you to see on
>your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your
PCs
>sound output and
>so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the
latest
>downloadable
>drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always
(IMO)
>get the
>manufacturers hardware driver over any Microsoft
offers.
>On the Windows
>Update site I mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting
>their hardware
>drivers - no matter how tempting.
>
>Have I mentioned that Microsoft has some stuff to help
>secure your computer
>available to the end-user for free? This seems as good
of
>a time as any.
>They have a CD you can order (it's free) that contain
all
>of the Windows
>patches through October 2003 and some trial products as
>well that they
>released in February 2004. Yeah - it's a little behind
>now, but it's better
>than nothing (and used in coordination with the
>information in this post,
>well worth the purchase price..)
>
> Order the Windows Security Update CD
> http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp
>
>They also have a bunch of suggestions, some similar to
>these, on how to
>better protect your Windows system:
>
> Protect your PC
> http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
>
>
>FIREWALL
>--------
>
>Let's say you are up-to-date on the OS (operating
system)
>and you have
>Windows XP.. You should at least turn on the built in
>firewall. That will
>do a lot to "hide" you from the random bad things flying
>around the
>Internet. Things like Sasser/Blaster enjoy just sitting
>out there in
>Cyberspace looking for an unprotected Windows Operating
>System and jumping
>on it, doing great damage in the process and then using
>that Unprotected OS
>to continue its dirty work of infecting others. If you
>have the Windows XP
>ICF turned on - default configuration - then they cannot
>see you! Think of
>it as Internet Stealth Mode at this point. It has other
>advantages, like
>actually locking the doors you didn't even (likely) know
>you had. Doing
>this is simple, the instructions you need to use your
>built in Windows XP
>firewall can be found here:
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320855
>
>If you read through that and look through the pages that
>are linked from it
>at the bottom of that page - I think you should have a
>firm grasp on the
>basics of the Windows XP Firewall as it is today. One
>thing to note RIGHT
>NOW - if you have AOL, you cannot use this nice firewall
>that came with
>your system. Thank AOL, not Microsoft. You HAVE to
>configure another
>one.. So we continue with our session on Firewalls...
>
>But let's say you DON'T have Windows XP - you have some
>other OS like
>Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT, 2000. Well, you don't
have
>the nifty built in
>firewall. My suggestion - upgrade. My next suggestion -

>look through your
>options. There are lots of free and pay firewalls out
>there for home users.
>Yes - you will have to decide on your own which to get.
>Yes, you will have
>to learn (oh no!) to use these firewalls and configure
>them so they don't
>interfere with what you want to do while continuing to
>provide the security
>you desire. It's just like anything else you want to
>protect - you have to
>do something to protect it. Here are some suggested
>applications. A lot of
>people tout "ZoneAlarm" as being the best alternative to
>just using the
>Windows XP ICF, but truthfully - any of these
alternatives
>are much better
>than the Windows XP ICF at what they do - because that
is
>ALL they do.
>
> ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
>http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conte...any/products/zn
al
>m/freeDownload.jsp
>
> Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
> http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html
>
> Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
> http://www.agnitum.com/download/
>
> Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
> http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm
>
> Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall (~$25 and up)
> http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/
>
> BlackICE PC Protection ($39.95 and up)
> http://blackice.iss.net/
>
> Tiny Personal Firewall (~$49.00 and up)
> http://www.tinysoftware.com/
>
>That list is not complete, but they are good firewall
>options, every one of
>them. Visit the web pages, read up, ask around if you
>like - make a
>decision and go with some firewall, any firewall. Also,
>maintain it.
>Sometimes new holes are discovered in even the best of
>these products and
>patches are released from the company to remedy this
>problem. However, if
>you don't get the patches (check the manufacturer web
page
>on occasion),
>then you may never know you have the problem and/or are
>being used through
>this weakness. Also, don't stack these things. Running
>more than one
>firewall will not make you safer - it would likely (in
>fact) negate some
>protection you gleamed from one or the other firewalls
you
>ran together.
>
>
>ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
>------------------
>
>That's not all. That's one facet of a secure PC, but
>firewalls don't do
>everything. I saw one person posting on a newsgroup
>that "they had
>never had a virus and they never run any anti-virus
>software." Yep - I used
>to believe that way too - viruses were something
everyone
>else seemed to
>get, were they just stupid? And for the average joe-
user
>who is careful,
>uses their one-three family computers carefully, never
>opening unknown
>attachments, always visiting the same family safe web
>sites, never
>installing anything that did not come with their
computer -
> maybe, just
>maybe they will never witness a virus. I, however, am a
>Network Systems
>Administrator. I see that AntiVirus software is an
>absolute necessity given
>how most people see their computer as a toy/tool and not
>something
>they should have to maintain and upkeep. After all,
they
>were invented to
>make life easier, right - not add another task to your
>day. You
>can be as careful as you want - will the next person be
as
>careful? Will
>someone send you unknowingly the email that erases all
the
>pictures of your
>child/childhood? Possibly - why take the chance?
ALWAYS
>RUN ANTIVIRUS
>SOFTWARE and KEEP IT UP TO DATE! Antivirus software
comes
>in so many
>flavors, it's like walking into a Jelly Belly store -
>which one tastes like
>what?! Well, here are a few choices for you. Some of
>these are free (isn't
>that nice?) and some are not. Is one better than the
>other - MAYBE.
>
> Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$11 and up)
> http://www.symantec.com/
>
> Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$49.95 and up)
> http://www.kaspersky.com/products.html
>
> Panda Antivirus Titanium (~$39.95 and up)
> http://www.pandasoftware.com/
> (Free Online Scanner:
>http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/)
>
> AVG 6.0 Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
> http://www.grisoft.com/
>
> McAfee VirusScan (~$11 and up)
> http://www.mcafee.com/
>
> AntiVir (Free and up)
> http://www.free-av.com/
>
> avast! 4 (Free and up)
> http://www.avast.com/
>
> Trend Micro (~$49.95 and up)
> http://www.trendmicro.com/
> (Free Online Scanner:
>
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hou.../start_corp.asp)
>
> RAV AntiVirus Online Virus Scan (Free!)
> http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/
>
>Did I mention you have to not only install this
software,
>but also keep it
>updated? You do. Some of them (most) have automatic
>services to help you
>do this - I mean, it's not your job to keep up with the
>half-dozen or more
>new threats that come out daily, is it? Be sure to keep
>whichever one you
>choose up to date!
>
>
>SPAM EMAIL/JUNK MAIL
>--------------------
>
>This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get
50
>emails in one
>sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What
can
>you do? Well,
>although there are services out there to help you, some
>email
>servers/services that actually do lower your spam with
>features built into
>their servers - I still like the methods that let you be
>the end-decision
>maker on what is spam and what isn't. If these things
>worked perfectly, we
>wouldn't need people and then there would be no spam
>anyway - vicious
>circle, eh? Anyway - I have two products to suggest to
>you, look at them
>and see if either of them suite your needs. Again, if
>they don't, Google is
>free and available for your perusal.
>
> SpamBayes (Free!)
> http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/
>
> Spamihilator (Free!)
> http://www.spamihilator.com/
>
>As I said, those are not your only options, but are
>reliable ones I have
>seen function for hundreds+ people.
>
>
>DISABLE (Set to Manual) UNUSED SERVICE/STARTUP APPS
>---------------------------------------------------
>
>I might get arguments on putting this one here, but it's
>my spill. There are
>lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on
by
>default you don't
>use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to
see
>what all of the
>services you might find on your computer are and set
them
>according to your
>personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and
>take heed and write
>down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large
>performance increase
>or anything - especially on todays 2+ GHz machines,
>however - I look at each
>service you set to manual as one less service you have
to
>worry about
>someone exploiting. A year ago, I would have thought
the
>Windows Messenger
>service to be pretty safe, now I recommend (with
addition
>of a firewall)
>that most home users disable it! Yeah - this is another
>one you have to
>work for, but your computer may speed up and/or be more
>secure because you
>took the time. And if you document what you do as you
do
>it, next time, it
>goes MUCH faster! (or if you have to go back and re-
enable
>things..)
>
> Task List Programs
>
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Task...es/tasklist.htm
>
> Black Viper's Service List and Opinions (XP)
> http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm
>
> Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
> http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/
>
>There are also applications that AREN'T services that
>startup when you start
>up the computer/logon. One of the better description on
>how to handle these
>I have found here:
>
> Startups
> http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php
>
>
>That's it. A small booklet on how to keep your computer
>secure, clean of
>scum and more user friendly. I am SURE I missed
>something, almost as I am
>sure you won't read all of it (anyone for that matter.)
>However, I also
>know that someone who followed all of the advice above
>would also have less
>problems with their PC, less problems with viruses, less
>problems with spam,
>fewer problems with spyware and better performance than
>someone who didn't.
>
>Hope it helps.
>
>--
><- Shenan ->
>--
>The information is provided "as is", with no guarantees
of
>completeness, accuracy or timeliness, and without
>warranties of any
>kind, express or implied. In other words, read up
before
>you take any
>advice - you are the one ultimately responsible for your
>actions.
>
>
>..
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>I have run Ad-aware and SpyBot, both are telling me
that
>there were a lot of things found, but that they have
been
>removed and my system "immunized", however i am still
>getting the "spyware" pop ups, the hijacked home page
and
>search engine and a system that is running significantly
>slower than usual. HELP PLEASE!!!!
>>.
>
>.
>