1 or more scanners say i have : ShopAtHome select , Pstopper, VirtualBouncer

First, what did you do in the registry? You was not supposed to do ANYTHING but copy and paste everything in the quote box and double click to merge, NOTHING ELSE!!!!

Download the attached file and see if it works for you.

 

Im verr sorry, i completely misunderstood the directions you sent me and i went into the regedit area seeking those items out for deletions. I did make a few deletions, most were not there to delete. At this point would a Norton "go back" be an option youd prefer?

I wanted to answer your question,"what did i do", before proceeding forward with you newist direction(downloading atatched file) Do you still want me to proceed w/ the attatched file now?

 

Download the attached file, merge that into the registry and reboot. Never delete anything from the registry unless you are 100% sure you know what your doing because doing so can cause Windows to completely crash.

GoBack is not needed unless you have problems. If you use GoBack everything we have done will be useless because it will be like it never happened.

After you do the merge, reboot and let me know how things are.

 

Ok , i wound up with a zipped file on desktop , then i unzipped it, ----- it then asks, " are you sure you want to add the info in:
C :\documents and settings\administrator\desktop\fix\restore search settings.reg to the registry?

i havnt clicked yes or no to the prompt yet, So far is this what im supposed to be doing, if so i click yes ? will that merge it?

 

Extract the contents of the ZIP file to your desktop. There will be a registry file, double click this file and click YES or OK if it prompts.

 

ok , i get this Registry Editer prompt :

Cannot import C:\doccuments and seetings\administrator\desktop\fix\restore search settings.REG:
not all data was successfully written to registry. Some keys are open by the system or other process.

i closed all opened programs and retried againg 2 more times but i kept getting the same prompt, what to do next?

 

Reboot into Safe Mode and then try this...

Click Start > Run > type in regedit

Click on File, Import and point it to the registry file. See if this works.

 

while in safe m there is no run visable , the fonts are so large it doesnt appear on list , is there another way to access "Run "?

 

Press the "windows" key and R at the same time.

 

ok the registry values are restored successfully!

 

Good deal, are you having any further problems?

 

im just getting things like : Winpatrol prompts that my IE Search Page is being changed to http://www.microsoft.com/{sub_RFC1766}srchasst/srchasst.htm

it keeps changing back , but i know i have to tweek the helpers(like SpyBotsd) to be insync with one another.

Also i greatly desire to know exactly what that entry is /means , is it a hijack or a factory set default for ie search page?? ive wondered for over 2 yrs as ive seen it come and go when my ie search page isnt locked down like fort knox ?? Do you know?

also i have this and several other changes like that in Spybot's Browser page area, which i can give you those entries on next reply if you require?!, but plz let me know what the above entrie is all about?? t/y

 

You have too many programs protecting your homepage. There is too many program protecting too many things. You should have one program that does everything, like Spy Sweeper or if you want free ones Spyware Blaster & Spyware Guard. Nothing else should be used, this will prevent all of this confusion.

It's no hijack just one of the programs adding it back and keeping it there.

 

ok il will address this issue as suggested. But what are these several entries that keep trying to be the start page, homepage,search assistants, ect. Are they microsofts factory default settings , ment to fulfill those tasks - if you choose not to select alternatives for those tasks - then they are ment to do the job?
At any rate i wanted you to have a look at the several entries that seek to fulfill the above mentioned tasks; if you dont mind. :
Spybot - Search & Destroy browser pages report, 2/24/2006 8:49:08 AM

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Search Page
http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Search Bar
http://search.msn.com/spbasic.htm
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Start Page
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Search Page
http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Start Page
http://start.sprint.earthlink.net
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Default_Search_URL
http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search\SearchAssistant
http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchasst.htm
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search\CustomizeSearch
http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchcust.htm

 

ok , Assuming that the mentioned entries are just factory defaults and not baddies , i still desire to not use those defaults. So im in the stage of resetting them back to where i had them before our repairs took place. So like you said i need to kill the redundant programs that are protecting them. So the following steps i will take:

--Ive deleted the Startpage Guard & Spyware Guard (yesterday)

--Let my Spysweeper emerge as my master lockdown for my start page , homepage , search assts. ,ect. (it hasnt swayed from what its locked down even while we did our work, so il give it its due).

-- i value Spybot's program and do not wish to delete it and i know its not your intention either, but i see no way to disable it from protecting these areas . Therefore there exists a redundancy we are trying to not have (and i cant find a way to dissable that facit of SpyBot(tea timmer is disabled) . Do you know how, any ides short of uninstalling Spybot?

Now having said all that , in the past once i had all these Start & home pages and srch assts , ect , set as i desired , Spybot and Spysweeper (As well as startpage guard & spyware guard) worked in lock step and together kept the Fort locked down TIGHT and never swayed, worked very well together. I was able to keep the (now assumed) default entries at bay and out of sight. This all means that i should be able to get SpyBot SD & Spysweeper to smoothly work in Total lockstep again . Ive tried a bit to get my original settings back to where i had them before our work , replacing the default(presently assuming) entries that newly are in controle. no luck yet but not finnished trying what i know to do.

il post any luck i might have in fixing these undesired
settings.

Do you see any holes in my thinking/reasoning about all the above mentioned ?
Meanwhile ive come to accept the one entrie showing up in Spybot's Browser pages area , the : (http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ )
[just a price for using Microsoft's new Defender , il get over that] , just seems weirdly persistant especially since i deleted the Defender program. Well thats Microsoft for ya, all about controle, lol. thanks again , Eric

 

With Spy Sweeper you do not need anything else but a firewall and antivirus. SS will protect you from everything but WORMS and such, your AV will handle this part.

 

Ok i got ya , ive deleted Spybot as well now. Aiming to definatly Not disrespect your very educated and professional opinion on Spyware protection, but all ive heard from Industry leaders in reguards to having just one anti spyware program ,a stand alone, is that its better to have a multi prong appproach of having atleast 2 or 3 anti spyware programs protecting you. As you well know , one program will not catch them all as each anti spyware co. has a differant data bases. i Totally agree w/ you on the fact that i had an over redundancy of protecters, like StartGuard, Start page guard ,ect. and per your advice i deleted them.

I like spy Sweeper, i think its the best anti spyware out there. As youve pointed out it has a whole host of lock downs and shields----it just great , --but it hasnt found or removed or Blocked anything in almost a yr. . On the other hand my Spybot sd has found and removed a few baddys , Adaware se got a few , Spyware dr. a couple , Ewedo found a couple , dont laugh --but even Xoftspy found 3 verified baddys including removal of CWS but didnt remove 2 of the others it found, and spython(System Mechanic) found atleast four -removed 2. That was all in about a yrs time, even 2 key loggers were removed by this redundancy as well, which is my worst fear of spywares , to have my identity stolen.(ive been hacked w/ comp. fried. I was a Phisher victom- they almost owned me but fixed it quickly. And a hacker wrote and exicuted a virus w/ my name on it in RED in Caps. , lol, - a cool $150 reformatting solved that one! But all that was during my 1st yr surfing , and thats why im all about I-net security . I know spyware had nothing to do w/ the victomization i went through. Lack of prudency with a full measure of ignorance did.
Im just saying that in my opinion and the industry leaders ive herd from agree on the idea that there is no "one stand alone" anti spyware program you can count on to handle the Zillion baddys that are out there. Heck , even w/ all those spyware programs mentioned above , spyware still penitrated my defence wall -i had to call apon your help at this Awesome forum to acchieve a clean system/bill of health.

So i agree on not having multi spyware helper programs like SG and Sart page Guard, ect. locking down the same things redundantly , when a good anti spyware program like Spy Sweeper can do all the locking down in that respect, thats settled. But i cant find the logic in not having a multi prong defence that would include atleast 2 or 3 anti spyware progs., im sorry ,with all due respect , i just dont see it.

I honestly feel if id used S.S.( or any one anti spyware program)as a stand alone this past year,--- there would be this guy(though not as handsome as I , j/k) sitting on the beach of some paradise resort , ironicly w/ a name JUST like mine, ordering up exotic drinks barely able to contain his laughter as the waiter-boy is fetching drinks. Thinking to himself , "Devel , i love Key loggers and the original Eric--who ever he is , Devel- I just love him, t/y , ahhhh... t/y...

This is just my opinion, thanks a ton for your patience and your unrelenting help ,the schooling and being one of God's helpers, a giver instead of being a taker. Il save the many accalodes ,your've heard em all before , prob at the point of nausaum. Just thanks a ton.

 

Are you thropugh with all instructions?

 

i meant are you through , Eric

 

For removal of malware this is correct because each program will detect and remove different infections howver for protection running more than one can cause conflicts between the programs.

Yes, IMO it's the best there is for protection, detecting and removal of most malware infections.

At one point this program was listed as rogue for false positives so I wouldn't say I trusted this one.

 

If your not having any further problems then yes we are done.

You should see this article on How to Protect yourself from malware!

 

Yes im aware of its past histery, and you are correct.But it no longer exists on the rougue spyware lists anymore. it was delisted as it changed its business model nearly a year ago as did several other companies , you can check it out on :
www.spywarewarrior.com ( im sure youve been there)
But it is not the best , and doesnt even do real time protection. It just had a data-base that handled a varrient of CWS, Seems like a lot of AS companies advertise the removing of CWS ,(yea right theres well over 300 varrients ) you should be so lucky to have the 1 or 2 or 10 varrients that they will cover though ,thats the problem, lol. So i was using a trial version and bam it picked it up and removed it( i know this wasnt a false positive trick either because other programs picked it up and none removed it, So it was almost worth the money i paid for to get that bugger off my back as it had been there for a long while . I know their data base is small too.

a point: you cant use extra A.S. programs to remove traces if you dont have extra programs though right?

Also most ,that come w/ real time protection have an option to disable the real time protection if for example your worried about 2 or more A.S. programs conflicting w/ one another and not getting along. As well as some A.S. progs dont even have real time protection

But respectfully again i dissagree w/ your perspective on A.s progs conflicting , again ALL the industry leaders ive read from( Eric Howles , Kim Komando , PC Magazine ,pc magazine even that rougue site mentioned above and others)say the exact opposite, that in most all cases they play well enough together and unless scanning they use little to no resources, but you know all that.
Hey, we have differing oppinions, thats all

 

IMO , who is that , never heard of em?

 

That's why when you come to for help we have you download, install and run them. Then after your clean we have you uninstall them as they are updated on a regular basis.

Running more than one antispyware program can and will cause conflicts with one another especially if they have guards or shields running. Every AV & AS program has similiar but different detection rules meaning different infections will be detected with each program, however with every program one infection can have 3 different names.

 

IMO means "In My Opinion"

 

Duuuuhh ,lol , i get it now : in my opinion, that one flew right by me , haha.

 

BTW , have you ever heard of the Kim Komando show? (weekend talk show )

 

Nah I havn't?

 

i agree with you on the conflict issue when it comes to redundant guards/shields especially(in that case you pick n choose which program's shields you want to do the job)

 

The main reason I say they will conflict is one program may detect anothers backups and things like that.

 

Can i suggest to you to check out Kim Komando.com, then search on her site for times and listings on her talk show, shes got the #1 weekend radeo talk show in USA. She covers computer know how and internet protection. Shes awesome, and cool to listen to , i swear youd like it and on her site you can sing up for her news letters of the day, site of the day , pc news of day , and tip of the day and never will she sell ,trade your info or inet addy . I realize youve got a killer engineering dagree, and stand to learn less than the avg guy, but youll learn something on the the cutting edge ea. wk. .I know your cutting edge too buddy ,thats why you fixed my puter ,lol
id love to find out if youd give her a try and a listen?!

 

I cant argue that point ,ha
in the case that they detect one another's back ups ,what happens as a result of that?

 

If I get some free time I may, but with my schedule I don't have much time to spare. If I'm not working im working here and if I'm not doing computers I'm fishing or at the fire station.

 

They just conflict with each other, coming up with 20 detections and of those 19 are backups from another program. Unless it's something like guards or shield you won't see any major problems just the common things like the detections.

 

cool , i got that

 

you forgot hunting ,lol. Besides i know what you guys do at the Station ,haa (when theres no fires) , its all about the ball games , poker and THE MEALS !! right? rolleyes: you got a lil time for sweet Kim K,lol

 

Hunting has been out for a few weeks now, this will start back up in Dec.

 

And lastly , i got rid of Microsoft's update site beeing my Start page on my IE browser and have finally got all my search , start pages ect set the way i had them !! Had to delete all the redundant progs like you said after fighting it for a few minutes

 

i know you gotta hate that ,haa. now all you can hunt is a fire

 

btw , i forgot to tell you that puter is smoother and loading web pages FASTER! Especially IE browser, though i try to mainly use FireFox

 

We don't have to hunt them, we get enough calls for them.

 

Glad things are running better.

 

haaa, my town is so small the firemen have to start a fire when no ones looking just to get some fire dousing action !

 

LOL!!! We get at least calls per day one of which will be the bad one. Around every 3 months we will have what we call the "big one". Our last major fire was a 4 alarm fire at a shopping center, this was about 6 months ago.

 

wow all that fire fighting can get in the way of drinking beer ,lol i just dont know how you do it!

 

LOL! I don't drink, the only thing I drink is Dr. Pepper

 

hmmmmmmm a hunter ,firman from the south and dont drink , haaaa , never heard of that one.guess someones gotta be sober to drive the fire truck!

I dont know if you got that post about my kids comp having Sodbot worm , but do you work on worms too? if so do you want to work w/ me on it in next wk or 2?(its at a deathly crawl right now)

 

Yep!

Nah I didn't, if you will start a new thread for this problem.

 

Cool , il start a new trhead in next few days for the Sodbot worm