adware keeps re-installing itself

[Guest]

Adware.surfsidekick 3 keeps re-installing itself as soon as window boots. If
I try to delete the program using explorer (there is no uninstall feature), I
get the message "windows cannot delete this file because it is in use...".
This happens even when I boot in the safe mode. If I disable the entry in
msconfig, it automatically enables itself. I've also deleted all known
values for this adware from the registry using regedit but as soon as I go
back to the key I had previously deleted (even without exiting regedit) the
values are still there. MS Anti-spyware detects this adware and supposedly
deletes it but it immediately re-installs itself before the computer can
restart. Using msconfig, I disabled all items in the start up file and
unchecked the "load start-up items" button but after hitting "apply" and
closing msconfig then re-opening it, the "load start-up items button" is
checked but the only start-up items enabled are 2 ssk3.exe and 2 other items
made up of several letters which spell nothing.

Any ideas would certainly be appreciated.

 

[Guest]

Hi John:

http://www.surfsidekick.com/faq.htm#uninstall
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/adware.surfsidekick.html
If you have problems download Ewido and Ccleaner,

Download Ewido

http://www.ewido.net/en/download/

Install ewido.
During the installation, under "Additional Options"
uncheck "Install background guard" and "Install scan via
context menu".
Launch ewido
It will prompt you to update click the OK button and it
will go to the main screen
On the left side of the main screen click update
Click on Start and let it update.
DO NOT run a scan yet. You will do that later in safe
mode.

Download Ccleaner

http://www.ccleaner.com/ccdownload.asp


Reboot into safe mode (Reboot and tap F8 and choose safe
mode)

Open Add/Remove screen and remove SurfSideKick

Run Ewido and choose scanner then Complete System Scan
During the scan it will prompt you to clean files, click
remove for each

(When it finishes scanning it will give some options at
the bottom of the screen, choose save report and save it
to your desktop)

Run MSAS on a full scan and remove anything found

Run Ccleaner and press "Run cleaner"

Then Reboot back to normal mode

Let us know if you have any problems

Engel

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply, Engel. Unfortunately, this program does not show up in
the add/remove screen of the control panel so I cannot complete the first
step you suggest here or that Symantec suggests in their removal instructions
(which I have tried several times and even found some registry entries not
listed in their instructions.) Perhaps I should download the new version of
Surfside Kick and see if it then appears on the add/remove screen. What have
I got to lose? The killer with this adware is it completely renders your
computer useless while it opens IE windows faster than you can close them.
Some of these windows enable the installation of trojan horses on the
computer. Bad news. I'll keep you informed.

John Y

 

[Guest]

That did the trick, Engel. Thanks a lot. I did wind up re-installing
Surfsidekick then using the "remove software" to remove it first.
Unfortunately, the process of getting to the website resulted in picking up
several more trojan horses as well as several other adware/spyware signatures
so it took quite a while to get everything cleaned up. This was my
daughter's computer and has MSAS & Norton installed and active and I can't
understand how it became infected to begin with. I suppose just carelessly
clicking "OK" on these pop-unders did her in.

Thanks again.

John Y