wwwcoolwebsearch

[chromate]

Anyone know how to get rid of this "about:blank" browser spyware / adware trash? I've tried loads of removers, some say they remove it, but then when I start IE again, it's back. Nothing seems to work. It's seriously annoying me. I can't seem to either get rid of it by manually editing the registry.

I'm thinking that the only way I might possibly stand a chance is to re-install IE. :mad:

[Emancipator]

spybot and adaware wouldnt do it?

[Westech]

First make sure that you've tried all of the "big three" spyware killers and fully updated them before scaning: AdAware, Spybot, and Spysweeper.

If that doesn't work, try finding the spyware through through add/remove programs in the Windows control panel. Surprisingly, I've found some listed there that adaware/spybot/spysweeper couldn't remove. After jumping through hoops to get them unistalled, they were gone. ("Are you sure?", "Are you really sure?", Do you realize you'll miss out on good deals if you remove our crap from your system?", "Would you like to take a survey about why you uninstalled our crap from your system?")

[r2d2]

Yep 1 or more of the big 3 Westech mentioned should sort it - just be careful to use this one: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/ not 'noadaware' which is something someone I know accidently installed when trying to remove adware, when it actually maliciously removes the adware fixing program AdAware!

[Mike]

I've just got rid of it (thankfully). I just downloaded AdAware and now it's gone.

Whenever I connected to the internet I just got this big splash popup covering the whole page. To get out of it I had to close all my internet browser windows, which was a pain at the best of times.

[Westech]

Everyone here should think about experiences like this when they're tempted to increase their earnings by putting adware installers on their sites.

[chromate]

I've tried SpyBot, which is the one I've been using up until now without problems. But that didn't solve it. I also thought I tried AdAware, but as r2d2 said, I ended up with noadaware. I've also tried HijackThis, CWShredder and SpySubtract.

I'll give AdAware and SpySweeper a try.

Mike, I think we have something different. Mine loads the default start page as some search thing. It also prevents me getting browser updates from Microsoft by instantly redirecting me back to the search page.

btw, Thanks for the tips this far!

[emke]

Try this program: http://www.giantcompany.com/(b3ab0k55oquwer45nhca0b45)/p_antispyware.aspx

I had some kind of spyware that no other program beside Giant Antispyware could remove. I just downloaded the free trial and when it removed the spyware, I deinstalled it.

[r2d2]

For the future though, prevention is better than cure (http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/)... :)

[chromate]

Yeah, I'm not sure what's worse to have on my system, adware or Internet Explorrrrrrr... no that's just silly! :) I do quite often use firefox anyway. But still use a selection of other browsers.

AdAware seems to have done the trick! WOHOO! Interestingly, it only worked with the browser window OPEN even though it advises you to close everything before scanning.

[ozgression]

I had this problem about 6 months ago. I just used CWShredder and it got rid of it in seconds. CWShredder didnt work for you?

[Cutter]

Heres a site about spyware removal (http://www.acidwizard.com/)

[Westech]

Have any of you seen the one that inserts its own results into the top few positions when you search on Google? Someone at work managed to get it on their machine. It was devious, but quite interesting. If you watched closely when you did a Google search, you could see the real results come up for about one second, and then in a flash, the top 3 results changed into spammy crap based on the keyword you searched.

[Chris]

I actually sprung for the pay version of SpySweeper I hated this crap so much -- although I never got this particular piece of crap (my wife did though, pain in the *** to remove).

[AndyH]

Wierd, I have never had a problem on my current computer with spyware or had a virus. I don't open any email attachments (if I customer sends a PayPal reciept I ask if they can send it in text only) and don't download shareware or anything for that matter...

[chromate]

Wierd, I have never had a problem on my current computer with spyware or had a virus. I don't open any email attachments (if I customer sends a PayPal reciept I ask if they can send it in text only) and don't download shareware or anything for that matter...

Neither do I. I have no idea how it got on my computer. The problem now is, it keeps coming back and I keep having to get rid of it with AdAware! Grr

ozgression, nope, CWShredder didn't work for me. This coolwwwsearch thing seems to take many forms though, so chances are we had something different.

[incka]

I think I've had it before. I had to reinstall windows to get rid of it. First I sent loads of angry emails to the company promising legal action if they didn't help, but never got a reply.

[MarkB]

So did you keep your promise?

[incka]

No. I'd would have to fly to the USA. But if I was earning $250k profit a year and lived in the USA, I certainly would take legal action.

[moonshield]

ah, http://www.safer-networking.org/minifiles.html download this.

[moonshield]

or just download this http://www.safer-networking.org/minifiles.html