OIN (OuterInfoNetwork)

[pip_finn]

The folks at OuterInfo.com have been very generous with their resources, and decided that their popups would benefit my surfing experience.

A program named OIN shows up in the Add/Remove programs. However, when you try to remove it, it takes you to this ww.outerinfo.com/questionnaire.php
page, and then you have to download and install their "uninstaller", www.outerinfo.com/howto.html.

Does this process of downloading their "uninstaller" work, or does it simply give them a doorway to heap more generosity on your surfing experience? What's at good way of getting rid of the OIN program?

Thanks!

ps I've run S&D and AdWare, but they don't pick up OIN, probably as it is installed as a legitimate program.

[chaslang]

Not sure if it works or not. It could. What else did you install lately? Sounds like this came with some other program from Clickspring. See: http://www.outerinfo.com/privacy.html

It does say:

How Do I Stop the Display Of OIN Ads?
The only authorized means to uninstall the OIN client is to use the Add/Remove Programs facility in the Microsoft Windows Control Panel.

[pip_finn]

Chas,

Haven't installed anything lately, and I'm the only one that uses the laptop. It has to have come as malware.

The company looks legitimate, but so did Virtual Bouncer. There's no way you can uninstall it (brute force deleting?) without using their uninstaller?

Thanks.

[chaslang]

Well since you believe it to have come with malware, let's work thru our full clean up procedure (which is required before looking at a HijackThis log that I want to see after running the cleaning steps).

Please follow the steps below:

- Run ALL the steps in this Sticky thread READ ME FIRST BEFORE ASKING FOR SUPPORT: Basic Spyware, Trojan And Virus Removal

Make sure you check version numbers and get all updates.

- Very Important: Make sure you tell us the results from running the tutorial...was anything found? Were you unable to complete any of the scans?...Were you unable to download any of the tools?...Did you do the on-line scans as suggested? etc.


After doing ALL of the above you still have a problem make sure you have booted to normal mode and run the steps below:

- Download HijackThis 1.99.1

- Unzip the hijackthis.exe file to a folder you create named C:\Program Files\HJT

- Do NOT run Hijack This from the Desktop, a temp folder, or a sub-folder of C:\Documents and Settings, or choose to run it directly from the downloaded ZIP file.

- Before running HijackThis: You must close each of the following:your web browser, e-mail client, instant messenger, and programs like notepad, wordpad, MS Word etc. And any other unnecessary running programs.

- Run HijackThis and save your log file.

- Post your log as an ATTACHMENT to your next message. (Do NOT copy/paste the log into your post).

- Then run HijackThis again, click Open the Misc Tools section,
Click Open Uninstall Manager
Click "Save List" (generates uninstall_list.txt)
Click Save, copy and paste the results in your next post.

For the heck of it you could also try selecting the program in HijackThis uninstall list and click the Delete this entry button. Let me know if that works.