Adware removal - help!!

[AK]

Hi

I hope you can help me. In the last couple of days my firewall has been
bombarded with requests to access the internet from what appear to be
adware. Examples are Bargain Buddy, Lycos sidesearch, Clear Search, nCase,
internet optimizer, and the list goes on. One even removed my google
toolbar and installed it's own search bar. I have a couple of questions:

1. How has this got onto my computer? My firewall has only picked them
up when they tried to access the internet. My virus checker is up to date
(norton).

2. How on earth can I get rid of them. I have installed "Spy Sweeper"
that picks them up and deletes them, but each time I boot up the computer
low and behold they are all back again creating havoc. Obviously spy
sweeper is not doing a very good job of getting rid of them. It's a free
program so that probably explains it, but before I fork out for a pukka one
I would like some advice as to which one?

3. Is there any other way (apart from getting some software) of removing
these little buggers??

Thanks friends

Angela

 

[Guest]

well, all i know is how to get rid of it. just go to
download.com and get spybot-search and destroy. here is
the link. http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-
Destroy/3000-8022-10122137.html?part=dl-
spybot&subj=dl&tag=but

you can also get adaware at download.com , but its the
free one and to use all of its functions you have to buy
it. but i use the free version and it still works fine
for me. here is the link. http://www.download.com/3000-
2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button

sorry if i couldnt help with the other questions.

"Kyory"

 

[todd]

Angela- Go to download.com and download the free version
of ad-aware 6.0 offered there. Install it and run it.
That should help. If this continues beyond that, you may
have to wipe your harddrive clean.

 

[KAS]

1) Firewall may not be configured quite correctly.

2) Try Ad Aware and Spybot together. They do a very good
job of cleaning your system.

3) You will need to make a list of the names of each item.
Look for folders using those same or similar names and
delete them. Then use regedit and go through the registry
looking for similar entries. For example, you said Bonzi
Buddy is one. Go to Start | Run. Type in regedit and hit
Enter. When the registry comes up do Ctrl-F (Find) and put
in Bonzi. Click Find Next and you will start the process
of looking for any instance of Bonzi. If an instance is
found delete that registry key. Hit F3 to continue.
Repeat as necessary until you are at the end of the registiry.

Do Ctrl-F again and look for the next piece of
malware/spyware. Keep deleting registry keys when found.
Close the registry once you are done searching. Reboot
your machine.

See if that helps and go from there.

 

[Guest]

There is a program called HijackThis, and download that program. After that, open your internet explorer, and in this program click Scan, select the ones that you want to remove and the ones you want to remove from your auto start, select Fix Checked. Close and again open your internet explorer. Hope it works

Be careful while using it.

Link : http://www.spychecker.com/program/hijackthis.html

Biju Abraham

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

Hi

I hope you can help me. In the last couple of days my firewall has
been bombarded with requests to access the internet from what appear
to be adware. Examples are Bargain Buddy, Lycos sidesearch, Clear
Search, nCase, internet optimizer, and the list goes on. One even
removed my google toolbar and installed it's own search bar. I have
a couple of questions:

1. How has this got onto my computer? My firewall has only picked
them up when they tried to access the internet. My virus checker is
up to date (norton).

2. How on earth can I get rid of them. I have installed "Spy
Sweeper" that picks them up and deletes them, but each time I boot up
the computer low and behold they are all back again creating havoc.
Obviously spy sweeper is not doing a very good job of getting rid of
them. It's a free program so that probably explains it, but before I
fork out for a pukka one I would like some advice as to which one?

3. Is there any other way (apart from getting some software) of
removing these little buggers??

Thanks friends

Angela

First eliminate any scumware.
See
Dealing with Unwanted Malware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Note that AdAware and SpyBot S & D will each catch some things the other
won't. Also, each needs to be updated with the program's update function
before every use, even when just downloaded. There's also a lot more to do
than just those two programs. CWShredder is also available here:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/cwshredder.zip
**Post your HijackThis log to
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/ or the Spyware forum at
http://forum.aumha.org/ for expert analysis, not here.**
Alternative download pages for Ad-Aware, Spybot, HijackThis and CWShredder
may be found on this page:
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm.

If nothing there helps, please post back to this thread.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

 

[AK]

First eliminate any scumware.
See
Dealing with Unwanted Malware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Note that AdAware and SpyBot S & D will each catch some things the other
won't. Also, each needs to be updated with the program's update function
before every use, even when just downloaded. There's also a lot more to do
than just those two programs. CWShredder is also available here:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/cwshredder.zip
**Post your HijackThis log to
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/ or the Spyware forum at
http://forum.aumha.org/ for expert analysis, not here.**
Alternative download pages for Ad-Aware, Spybot, HijackThis and CWShredder
may be found on this page:
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm.

If nothing there helps, please post back to this thread.

Hi Frank, thank you for all this. I downloaded all 3. I ran Spybot first
and it fixed 18 "things", I then ran Adaware and CW shredder and neither
found anything else. Hopefully I am all clear now, but I will certainly be
back if it isn't.

Cheers

Angela

 

[~~~Cindy~~~]

Hey,

I feel your pain! I work for an ISP so I deal with Spyware, Adware,
and Malware every day. It definatly gets quite anoying! I would do as
the other person suggested and download Ad-aware and Spybot Search And
Distroy. I'm not a big fan of SpySweeper myself. But I highly suggest
Ad-aware and Spybot. What one does not find the other will. If you are
running a program like Kazaa (not Kazaa light) this program causes
major spyware problems. They will swear up and down they don't have
spyware but trust me...they do.

If you can find another program to download music off of the net
that would be your best bet. But, if you choose to stay with Kazaa and
either of these programs (Ad-Aware or Spybot) finds any files that are
called Kazaa do not delete them.

If you don't have Kazaa then dis-regard my last paragraph. )

- Andrea

 

[AK]

Hey,

I feel your pain! I work for an ISP so I deal with Spyware, Adware,
and Malware every day. It definatly gets quite anoying! I would do as
the other person suggested and download Ad-aware and Spybot Search And
Distroy. I'm not a big fan of SpySweeper myself. But I highly suggest
Ad-aware and Spybot. What one does not find the other will. If you are
running a program like Kazaa (not Kazaa light) this program causes
major spyware problems. They will swear up and down they don't have
spyware but trust me...they do.

If you can find another program to download music off of the net
that would be your best bet. But, if you choose to stay with Kazaa and
either of these programs (Ad-Aware or Spybot) finds any files that are
called Kazaa do not delete them.

If you don't have Kazaa then dis-regard my last paragraph. )

I'm pretty boring old soul really, I don't download music or anything like
that!! Thanks for all the advice, I will be back if my problems continue.

Cheers

Angela