Need a lil bit of tech help here...

[Estrosiath]

Hello!
Apparently, while surfing the web, I contracted some kind of spyware/adware that is impervious to all my sweeps. I've tried many different programs, but have been unsuccessful in removing it so far. What it does is it adds a few random pop-ups ( surprise there ), but it also does something more annoying. It changes your starting page to a stupid search-engine, and makes it impossible for you to change the page. Also, it greatly slows the time my computer takes to load web-pages, because it adds links on a few words that take me to the search-engine with the key word in it ( ie : tax, traveling, sex... all these words present on webpages become linked ).
I was wondering if anyone could help me out of this one - short of formatting c, that is.
Edit : Forgot to add that the search engine also replaces the 404 Error page.
Please help - this thing is really irritating

Thanks a lot.

[Arborealus]

Have you run Adaware? If not install and run it first http://www.lavasoft.de/
See if that can't identify and remove the offending software.

If that doesnt work:

A) Did it identify the offending software? If so what is it called?

B) What Operating System are you running?

C) Do a ctrl-alt-del and from the task manager gimme a list of running applications and processes.

Maybe we can sort out what software is causing the problem...

[Ashur]

It changes your starting page to a stupid search-engine, and makes it impossible for you to change the page.

I ran into a similar problem when cleaning up a laptop my stepfather bought from his company (he wouldn't let me format it because of some specific network software he didn't have installation files for). Someone had installed AOL and then deleted it by just whacking the AOL directory, but it was almost like a virus throughout the system.

I tried installing the newest version of AOL and then running the uninstall, but apparently they changed the way they integrated with the system from version to version and the home page remained locked (as well as some other bullshit). I ended up comparing registries on a PC w/o AOL and looking in Microsoft IE entries and figuring out which ones needed changed/deleted. Try at your own risk.

[Arborealus]

It changes your starting page to a stupid search-engine, and makes it impossible for you to change the page.

I ran into a similar problem when cleaning up a laptop my stepfather bought from his company (he wouldn't let me format it because of some specific network software he didn't have installation files for). Someone had installed AOL and then deleted it by just whacking the AOL directory, but it was almost like a virus throughout the system.

I tried installing the newest version of AOL and then running the uninstall, but apparently they changed the way they integrated with the system from version to version and the home page remained locked (as well as some other bullshit). I ended up comparing registries on a PC w/o AOL and looking in Microsoft IE entries and figuring out which ones needed changed/deleted. Try at your own risk.

AOL Software can hose the winsock.dll and wsock32.dll but you won't get a redirect of the browser from it...you will get connect no browse...

[Estrosiath]

Nm! Thanks a lot, I think I finally got rid of this. Arb, you're the man!

[Arborealus]

Cool..lot of those shagnasty little progs out their installing dlls to reroute folks..CW shredder seems to have gotten it for a lot of folks...Stole this instructions from somewhere if it crops back up on you...

Click on the link below to download CWshredder.
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip

Run the program and let it do it's thing. Make sure to click on "Fix" and not scan only.

Next:

Download Spybot http://www.sherrylynn.us/privacypolicy.htm

Make sure to follow the instructions for updates prior to running the scan.

Click on "Search For updates" After the search has completed, the available Updates will be listed. Choose which Updates you would like to Download. Click "Download updates." The Updates will self install. The screen will change and the program will come back and be ready to use.

Sometimes the default Download Location will produce an Error. If that happens, look in the right panel. There you will find a small arrow next to the name of the current Download site. Click on it for a list of alternate sites. One of those should be able to retrieve the files you have selected.

[Llaffer]

Hello!
Apparently, while surfing the web, I contracted some kind of spyware/adware that is impervious to all my sweeps. I've tried many different programs, but have been unsuccessful in removing it so far. What it does is it adds a few random pop-ups ( surprise there ), but it also does something more annoying. It changes your starting page to a stupid search-engine, and makes it impossible for you to change the page. Also, it greatly slows the time my computer takes to load web-pages, because it adds links on a few words that take me to the search-engine with the key word in it ( ie : tax, traveling, sex... all these words present on webpages become linked ).
I was wondering if anyone could help me out of this one - short of formatting c, that is.
Edit : Forgot to add that the search engine also replaces the 404 Error page.
Please help - this thing is really irritating

Thanks a lot.

I had that once after my dip shit brother-in-law installed crap on my machine.

I coudn't figure out how to remove it for the longest time.

Then I found a way:

fdisk

[Arborealus]

Hello!
Apparently, while surfing the web, I contracted some kind of spyware/adware that is impervious to all my sweeps. I've tried many different programs, but have been unsuccessful in removing it so far. What it does is it adds a few random pop-ups ( surprise there ), but it also does something more annoying. It changes your starting page to a stupid search-engine, and makes it impossible for you to change the page. Also, it greatly slows the time my computer takes to load web-pages, because it adds links on a few words that take me to the search-engine with the key word in it ( ie : tax, traveling, sex... all these words present on webpages become linked ).
I was wondering if anyone could help me out of this one - short of formatting c, that is.
Edit : Forgot to add that the search engine also replaces the 404 Error page.
Please help - this thing is really irritating

Thanks a lot.

I had that once after my dip shit brother-in-law installed crap on my machine.

I coudn't figure out how to remove it for the longest time.

Then I found a way:

fdisk

yeah a lot of shareware progs have that crap in em now including Kazaa, errrmmm Banzai buddy etc etc...

Fdisk is a bit extreme but it works admirably......

Usually you can just kill the exe and dll and correct the registry entries but reghacking is not for the faint of heart...and its a pita to find em all sometimes...