New Tool Bars?!?

[Guest]

Recently two new tool bars showed up underneath my IE address bar, They are
"HotSearchBar.com Bar" and "iSearch Tool Bar" My default search engine also
changed from the original (the one with the dog at the bottom) to one called
"Playful Search". I must have done some update or add in when I wasn't paying
attention. Is there any wqay to get rid of these new additions permanently? I
tried disabling the Tool Bars in the View/Tool Bars menu by unchecking them
but they show back up when I re-open IE

Please Help! These are very annoying changes.

Thanks!

Mike

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

Download all of these utilities and scan the system.

Note: Spyware removers are rules-based and are updated very frequently as and when new malware is discovered. Therefore, update both of these tools before scanning, very important.

Lavasoft Ad-Aware - www.lavasoftusa.com
SpyBot S&D - http://www.safer-networking.org/
CWShredder : http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/CWShredder.exe

If that does not help, download HijackThis from http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/ Generate a log using HijackThis and visit any of these forums below to post your HijackThis log. The experts there will guide you how to remove the spyware from your system:

http://forums.aumha.org
http://forums.spywareinfo.com
http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/

Note down the Security tips from Mike Burgess, in his site below:

Dealing with Unwanted Spyware and Parasites:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Again, if you don't update the pattern files for the spyware removal tool you're using, the scan won't be effective at all.

Block AD/Spyware sites using HOSTS file [very effective method]
HOSTS file guide: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Download Toolbarcop from http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/toolbarcop.htm and run it.
1. From the Options menu, click "Increase Security level for Internet Zone (Internet Explorer)".
2. You can also remove the additional toolbars quickly using this tool.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

Windows 2000 Group Policy Registry Table:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/gp/gpref.asp

Recently two new tool bars showed up underneath my IE address bar, They are
"HotSearchBar.com Bar" and "iSearch Tool Bar" My default search engine also
changed from the original (the one with the dog at the bottom) to one called
"Playful Search". I must have done some update or add in when I wasn't paying
attention. Is there any wqay to get rid of these new additions permanently? I
tried disabling the Tool Bars in the View/Tool Bars menu by unchecking them
but they show back up when I re-open IE

Please Help! These are very annoying changes.

Thanks!

Mike