Strange Adware Icons

[Johnny Schmitt]

Problem: I have a series of icons that have popped up on my desktop that I
can't get rid of. They are ones that are called,
"bingo",..."travel"..."website hosting",..."casino online",..."card
games",..."poker",...and "printer cartridges".

What I have tried (and everything I am listing is the latest versions with
the most recent updates to each): Ad-Aware SE Personal ----- Spybot Search
& Destroy ---- SBC Yahoo Anti-Spy ----- XBlock X-Cleaner ----- Norton
Internet Security 2004 (including running a complete system scan). I have
shut down System Restore and have run ChkDisk.

I am running WinXP Pro on a Pentium 4 computer.

What gets me is that I have seen these same icons in the past but after
running Spybot or Ad-Aware it would find a bunch of instances of
adware/spyware and remove them. NOW when I run these programs they don't
find any threats. If I try to drag the icons to the re-cycle bin they won't
move. If I right click on them to get a menu and "Properties", nothing
happens.

Can anyone help?

Thanks

Johnny

 

[Alias]

: Problem: I have a series of icons that have popped up on my desktop that
I
: can't get rid of. They are ones that are called,
: "bingo",..."travel"..."website hosting",..."casino online",..."card
: games",..."poker",...and "printer cartridges".
:
: What I have tried (and everything I am listing is the latest versions
with
: the most recent updates to each): Ad-Aware SE Personal ----- Spybot
Search
: & Destroy ---- SBC Yahoo Anti-Spy ----- XBlock X-Cleaner ----- Norton
: Internet Security 2004 (including running a complete system scan). I have
: shut down System Restore and have run ChkDisk.
:
: I am running WinXP Pro on a Pentium 4 computer.
:
: What gets me is that I have seen these same icons in the past but after
: running Spybot or Ad-Aware it would find a bunch of instances of
: adware/spyware and remove them. NOW when I run these programs they don't
: find any threats. If I try to drag the icons to the re-cycle bin they
won't
: move. If I right click on them to get a menu and "Properties", nothing
: happens.
:
: Can anyone help?
:
: Thanks
:
: Johnny

Run your anti malware programs in Safe Mode.
--
Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
:
:

 

[tim]

this is only a guess. this may be related to
CoolWebSearch, a malware with many variants. If so, go
to merijn.org. or google search spywareinfo. Merijn.org
has a link to CWShredder an application created by merijn
to remove CoolWebSearch and its variants. You may also
want to temporarily disable your System Restore during
removal and reactivate after reboot. Adaware has a help
forum that you can access at Lavasoftusa.com, which is
the source of Adaware. I hope this helps. Above all, do
the research and satisfy yourself on the safety and
security on the info offered here.

 

[Bronxtim]

Have you tried running the scans in safe mode? Type MSCONFIG in Start\Run and
choose safeboot under boot.ini. After running all of the scans in safe mode run
MSCONFIG to uncheck the safeboot option.

 

[Johnny Schmitt]

For those of you who have replied, THANK YOU!

I tried running the malware removal programs in safe mode as per your
suggestion. They still didn't find anything or fix the problem.

Tim, I took your advice and tried CWShredder, but it didn't find anything. I
downloaded and ran "SpySubtract" and it DID find 44 registry and 30 files
that neither Ad-Aware nor Spybot discovered, but after fixing/deleting those
entries I STILL have the adware icons. Also the icons that I want on the
desktop are moving to other spots after re-booting.

Any more ideas, I hope?

Johnny

 

[Alias]

Do you have MSN Messenger Plus plug in installed? If so, uninstall it.
--
Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.


: For those of you who have replied, THANK YOU!
:
: I tried running the malware removal programs in safe mode as per your
: suggestion. They still didn't find anything or fix the problem.
:
: Tim, I took your advice and tried CWShredder, but it didn't find anything.
I
: downloaded and ran "SpySubtract" and it DID find 44 registry and 30 files
: that neither Ad-Aware nor Spybot discovered, but after fixing/deleting
those
: entries I STILL have the adware icons. Also the icons that I want on the
: desktop are moving to other spots after re-booting.
:
: Any more ideas, I hope?
:
: Johnny
:
: : > Have you tried running the scans in safe mode? Type MSCONFIG in
Start\Run
: > and
: > choose safeboot under boot.ini. After running all of the scans in safe
: > mode run
: > MSCONFIG to uncheck the safeboot option.
:
:

 

[Johnny Schmitt]

Nope,

I don't use any type of "Messenger" program. I assume it would show up in
the add/remove programs section?

Johnny

 

[Alias]

Then it's not that.
--
Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
: Nope,
:
: I don't use any type of "Messenger" program. I assume it would show up in
: the add/remove programs section?
:
: Johnny
:
:
: : > Do you have MSN Messenger Plus plug in installed? If so, uninstall it.
: > --
: > Alias
: >
: > Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
: >
: >
: > : For those of you who have replied, THANK YOU!
: > :
: > : I tried running the malware removal programs in safe mode as per your
: > : suggestion. They still didn't find anything or fix the problem.
: > :
: > : Tim, I took your advice and tried CWShredder, but it didn't find
: > anything.
: > I
: > : downloaded and ran "SpySubtract" and it DID find 44 registry and 30
: > files
: > : that neither Ad-Aware nor Spybot discovered, but after fixing/deleting
: > those
: > : entries I STILL have the adware icons. Also the icons that I want on
the
: > : desktop are moving to other spots after re-booting.
: > :
: > : Any more ideas, I hope?
: > :
: > : Johnny
: > :
: > : : > : > Have you tried running the scans in safe mode? Type MSCONFIG in
: > Start\Run
: > : > and
: > : > choose safeboot under boot.ini. After running all of the scans in
safe
: > : > mode run
: > : > MSCONFIG to uncheck the safeboot option.
: > :
: > :
: >
: >
:
:

 

[Johnny Schmitt]

For those who have responded with good ideas to try,..THANK YOU!!

But I still have the problem. Those pesky icons are still on the desktop. In
addition to the things that I have already tried and have shared with you
(in my original post and another couple), I have down loaded and tried:
Peperfix, Stinger, and purchased "Scan Spyware" by PC Privacy Protection
Software. Scan Spyware found 73 instances of high risk threats that
"Ad-Aware" and "Spybot" didn't find, but even after cleaning those out. I
can't get rid of the problem.

Those aggravating icons can't be deleted, or moved, or right clicked on to
bring up a menu. Every time I go to Windows Explorer or re-boot, they
re-arrange themselves on the desktop AND re-arrange MY icons helter skelter.

Any more ideas, I hope?

Johnny

 

[Joyce]

I had the same problem. Downloaded HiJackThis and saved HiJackThis log.(
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm Unzip, double-click
"HijackThis.exe" and Press "Scan". When the scan is finished, the "Scan"
button will change into a "Save Log"
button. Click: "Save Log" (generates: "hijackthis.log") )

Then I went thru the log and noticed some entries that listed Search Bars
(google, etc), so deleted them and the icons were gone. Hopefully nevermore
to return. Hope this helps.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

For those who have responded with good ideas to try,..THANK YOU!!

But I still have the problem. Those pesky icons are still on the
desktop. In addition to the things that I have already tried and have
shared with you (in my original post and another couple), I have down
loaded and tried: Peperfix, Stinger, and purchased "Scan Spyware" by
PC Privacy Protection Software. Scan Spyware found 73 instances of
high risk threats that "Ad-Aware" and "Spybot" didn't find, but even
after cleaning those out. I can't get rid of the problem.

Those aggravating icons can't be deleted, or moved, or right clicked
on to bring up a menu. Every time I go to Windows Explorer or
re-boot, they re-arrange themselves on the desktop AND re-arrange MY
icons helter skelter.
Any more ideas, I hope?

If you have tried everything and are still experiencing spyware related
problems, go to the following website:

http://forum.aumha.org

Click Register to join the forums (free) and then go to the
"Parasites - Adware, Spyware & Other Scumware" forum and post a detailed
explanation of your problem for expert advice and guidance on how to clean
your system.

 

[Johnny Schmitt]

FIXED!!!

It was late at night, and I was very tired, but I thought, "Run the
anti-malware programs one more time just for the heck of it." So, I
disabled system restore, went into safe mode and started running the
programs one by one. After running 5 different programs they all had the
same result: no problems found. I ran "stinger" one more time and it found
just one threat. I was so tired I figured well that's not it so I didn't
even write it down or remember what it was, but IT FIXED IT!

Thanks for ALL the help and ideas.

Johnny

 

[Guest]

Well I hope you will be able to conger this back up because I'm working the
same exact problem.

I have successfully removed Xpservice but still have a series of malware
programs to cleanse. I have the same icons that you had.