Unwanted toolbar appearing on desktop

[Trish]

Can someone please tell me how to get rid of a toolbar
which has recently appeared on my desktop as soon as I
logon. All of the users on my computer are getting it
too. There must be somewhere it is telling the system to
start itself, but for the life of me I can't find where.

Or perhaps someone can identify it for me....it is
various shades of blue, with a green X in the LH corner,
a green Search button, white area for text entry and
buttons Home Links News Games Music. I think it is
associated somehow with the website www.wabu.com, because
this WAS causing a problem to me last night when it kept
insisting it be my home page in IE, despite my changing
it back each time.

I gave up on this one and have created a new user for
myself, but I would love to know how to fix this unwanted
infiltration of websites onto my system.

Thanks anyone who cares enough to reply.

 

[Mary Sauer]

It is spyware, get yourself some spyware software, Ad Aware, Spybot and others. These
programs will clean up this type of intrusion.

 

[Kelly]

Hi,

Suggestions:

Right click the Taskbar/Toolbars and uncheck the entry if listed.

If it isn't listed there:

Remove Added IE Toolbar Entries (Line 174)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Added info:

Home Page Lock and Unlock for Internet Explorer (Line 63)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

 

[Dean King]

Trish --- sorry that's *** BAD NEWS ***

That "tool-bar" you are describing .. is part of the
same AD-ware / SPY-ware * NIGHT-MARE*
that I've been fight since last friday afternoon ---
( * unfortunately with little progress * )
until earlier this evening .. someone reccomended
a *FREE* .. ( ad-ware killer ) program called
"AD-AWARE" downliad from "Lavasoft.com".
They have a "professional" version that is NOT free
But the ( non-pro ) "personal" version is FREE.
( and its very good )

download @ http://wwwlavasoft.com

I've fighting that same AD-ware STORM all week-end
I located and "killed" about 60 to 70 of the very agressive
components ... before I tried "AD-AWARE" .... which
found a total of 383 AD-ware pop-up generaters and
"data-mining" components .. ( meaning "snooping" )
I'm just now getting recovered from adverse effects
to my IE browser, Task bar, and StartUp Programs.

And "Kelly" .. one of the MS-gurus has a helpful
little utility .. for "Task-Bar repairs". It's not FREE..
but it's well woth the $5 price.

Good Luck ( with my sincerest sympathy ).
Dean.King

 

[Guest]

You have Spyware!
Spyware is a broad term for any type of software that
installs on you computer without your knowledge, and hides
in the background, conducting online activity that you
surely wouldn't appreciate. Most spyware applications
don't do anything particularly egregious; they may simply
send a list of recently visited web sites to an online
marketer. Others may be much more annoying, resetting your
home page URL, for example. Spyware has also been known to
steal a computer's processing cycles for a distributed
computing project, and the worst offenders will steal your
personal information and send it over the net to some scum-
bite. Spyware programs are sometimes hidden in file-
sharing applications that you voluntarily install, but
they can also be installed without your knowledge when you
visit a seedy website, or when you open an e-mail
attachment. Spyware isn't easy to get rid of once
installed, but Spybot search and destroy is free, and will
eradicate all of the spyware you have, of course that is
if you keep it updated like you would with anti-virus
software. Spybot, like many others, is anti-spyware. There
is a difference from anti-virus software and anti-spyware
software, I suggest you have both, and keep them updated
and scan you hard drive regularly like once a week.

You can get Spyware search and destroy at:
http://security.kolla.de

Additional Notes:
Ad-Aware performs many of the functions as Spybot search
and destroy, but the free version of Ad-Aware lacks some
of Spybot's important features. In order to block ActiveX
installers, one of the primary vectors of spyware
infestation, you have to upgrade to the plus version. So,
for the price (free), Spybot simply can't be beat.