Removeing "search box" in toolbars

[Steve]

After visiting a few web sites, a "Search Box" appeared in
my upper toolbar on the Address Bar. Never downloaded any
type of search related programs. I searched windows
folders, etc for any recent upload and could not find
anything. How the heck can do i remove it. I can not even
find the link name of the search box field.
Thanks in advance for any help. Steve

 

[Chuck]

After visiting a few web sites, a "Search Box" appeared in
my upper toolbar on the Address Bar. Never downloaded any
type of search related programs. I searched windows
folders, etc for any recent upload and could not find
anything. How the heck can do i remove it. I can not even
find the link name of the search box field.
Thanks in advance for any help. Steve

Steve,

Start by downloading each of the following free tools:
AdAware <http://www.lavasoftusa.com/>
CWShredder <http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html>
CoolWWWSearch.SmartSearch (v1/v2) MiniRemoval
<http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4113.html>
HijackThis <http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155>
LSP-Fix and WinsockLSPFix <http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm>
Spybot S&D <http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download>
Stinger <http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=stinger>

Install and run Stinger.
<http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=stinger>

Create a separate folder for HijackThis, such as C:\HijackThis - copy the
downloaded file there. Spybot S&D has an install routine - run it. The other
downloaded programs can be copied into, and run from, any convenient folder.

Start by closing all Internet Explorer and Outlook windows, and running
CoolWebSearchSmartKillerMiniRemoval, then CWShredder. Have the latter fix all.

Next, run AdAware. First update it ("Check for updates now"), configure for
full scan (<http://www.lavahelp.com/howto/fullscan/>), then scan ("Start" - "Use
custom scanning options" - "Next"). When scanning finishes, select everything,
and hit Next again.

Next, run Spybot S&D. First update it ("Search for updates"), then run a scan
("Check for problems"). Trust Spybot, and delete everything ("Fix Problems")
that is displayed in Red.

Then, run HijackThis ("Scan"). Do NOT make any changes immediately. Save the
HJT Log.
<http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=227>

Finally, have your HJT log interpreted by experts at one or more of the
following security forums (and post it, or a link to your forum posts, here):
Aumha: <http://forum.aumha.org/index.php>
Net-Integration: <http://forums.net-integration.net/>
Spyware Info: <http://forums.spywareinfo.com/>
Spyware Warrior: <http://spywarewarrior.com/index.php>
Tom Coyote: <http://forums.tomcoyote.org/>
Wilders Security<http://www.wilderssecurity.com/>

If removal of any spyware affects your ability to access the internet (some
spyware builds itself into the network software, and its removal may damage your
network), run LSP-Fix and / or WinsockXPFIx.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Guest]

I recently used an anti-spyware program to remove a heap of parasites from my
computer, one of which redirected the "search from internet explorer address
bar" feature to something like incredifind.com (I normally have it using MSN,
with "display results and go to most likely site")

Good: searching from the address bar no longer redirects to incredifind.com

Bad: searching from the address bar turns the search query into
"http:///? " followed by the url-encoded search query (including the
keyword "Search" which is normaly deleted)

I've compared all relevent registry keys I could find with another computer
that does work, and they match. Any ideas?

 

[Chuck]

I recently used an anti-spyware program to remove a heap of parasites from my
computer, one of which redirected the "search from internet explorer address
bar" feature to something like incredifind.com (I normally have it using MSN,
with "display results and go to most likely site")

Good: searching from the address bar no longer redirects to incredifind.com

Bad: searching from the address bar turns the search query into
"http:///? " followed by the url-encoded search query (including the
keyword "Search" which is normaly deleted)

I've compared all relevent registry keys I could find with another computer
that does work, and they match. Any ideas?

Taneth,

Which anti-spyware product did you run? Some spyware is best handled by
multiple products - and they're all free, so you have nothing to lose but time.
HijackThis may be the key product here.

Start by downloading each of the following free tools:
AdAware <http://www.lavasoftusa.com/>
CWShredder <http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html>
HijackThis <http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155>
LSP-Fix and WinsockLSPFix <http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm>
Spybot S&D <http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download>

Create a separate folder for HijackThis, such as C:\HijackThis - copy the
downloaded file there. AdAware and Spybot S&D have install routines - run them.
The other downloaded programs can be copied into, and run from, any convenient
folder.

Start by closing all Internet Explorer and Outlook windows, and running
CWShredder. Have the latter fix all.

Next, run AdAware. First update it ("Check for updates now"), configure for
full scan (<http://www.lavahelp.com/howto/fullscan/>), then scan ("Start" - "Use
custom scanning options" - "Next"). When scanning finishes, select everything
identified a problems, and hit Next again.

Next, run Spybot S&D. First update it ("Search for updates"), then run a scan
("Check for problems"). Trust Spybot, and delete everything ("Fix Problems")
that is displayed in Red.

Then, run HijackThis ("Scan"). Do NOT make any changes immediately. Save the
HJT Log.
<http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=227>

Finally, have your HJT log interpreted by experts at one or more of the
following security forums (and post a link to your forum posts, here):
Aumha: <http://forum.aumha.org/index.php>
Net-Integration: <http://forums.net-integration.net/>
Spyware Info: <http://forums.spywareinfo.com/>
Spyware Warrior: <http://spywarewarrior.com/index.php>
Tom Coyote: <http://forums.tomcoyote.org/>

If removal of any spyware affects your ability to access the internet (some
spyware builds itself into the network software, and its removal may damage your
network), run LSP-Fix and / or WinsockXPFIx.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Guest]

Problem is, I'd already removed the spyware from the system. Only way I can
think of to get search from address bar back is to install the spyware again
and let a program fix it. Unless there's a simple registry key to be changed?