spyware remover other than...

[shadowdude]

Does anyone know of a free spyware remover other than spybot and ad-aware? I have some type of spyware thingy but the latest updates of ad-aware and spybot don't detect it.

 

[Kingshaggy]

try Bazooka or System Spyware Interrogator

 

[Comraddict]

HijackThis, but it is more program for pros

 

[Paalikles]

SpywareBlaster combined with SpywareGuard (see link to the first inside Spybot if you have that already, or try www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html The second program is from the same firm. )

 

[shadowdude]

SpywareBlaster combined with SpywareGuard (see link to the first inside Spybot if you have that already, or try www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html The second program is from the same firm. )

I have spywareblaster and spywareguard, unfortunately, they didn't stop it from being downloaded. I had to disable scripting to prevent the download<sigh>

 

[Nixnutz]

What kind of spyware thingy do you have on your machine????????

I'm a little surprised that the combination of the four programs you're running hasn't found it....unless it's Huntbar.

One other freebie to try is CWShredder. You should be able to download it from spywareinfo.com forums, Snapfiles.com or MajorGeeks.com.

 

[Jeratain]

Just in case, try a basic antivirus (ie: Norton).

Also, if you are worried about problems like this, install ZoneAlarm or some other type of firewall (WinXP has a built one you can enable).

 

[shadowdude]

What kind of spyware thingy do you have on your machine????????

I'm a little surprised that the combination of the four programs you're running hasn't found it....unless it's Huntbar.

One other freebie to try is CWShredder. You should be able to download it from spywareinfo.com forums, Snapfiles.com or MajorGeeks.com.

I have a variation of CWS. Its called CWS.GoogleMS.3, the only way that I can detect it is because it adds xxxtoolbar into my registry. I tried CWShredder but it doesn't even detect the infection.

Also, if you are worried about problems like this, install ZoneAlarm or some other type of firewall (WinXP has a built one you can enable).

I have a firewall installed, the one built into xp, this form of spyware executes itself via active scripting. I disabled scripting and that stopped it, but I had to renable it because turning it off interfered too much with my email.

Also, spyblaster is supposed to stop it, but every time it infects my PC it turns off protection by spyblaster.

 

[Paalikles]

ah - reinstall spyblaster into another directory perhaps? Those tricky h4x0rs (sorry for that language) always come up with something to mess up your protection

 

[shadowdude]

ah - reinstall spyblaster into another directory perhaps? Those tricky h4x0rs (sorry for that language) always come up with something to mess up your protection

I tried reinstalling to a different directory without success it still turns the protection off.
EDIT: anymore suggestions?

 

[shadowdude]

I searched for this spyware I was supposed to have and I found this post from a user on some other forum.

Why does PestPatrol 4.4.4.2.7 try to take xxxtoolbar.com out of the IE Restricted Sites List, (XP Registry: Hkey_Current_User\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\internet settings\zonemap\domains\...) via "CWS.GoogleMS.3" causing SpywareBlaster 3.1 to have to tell me that I'm no longer protected from it?...and then PP re-finds it again after I Re-"Enable All Protection" in SpywareBlaster's Restricted Sites list? It's like a toggle switch!

I've told the PestPatrol folks to please remove this "False Positive" and they said they would...(?)

Again, Why does PP like to keep issuing these "False Positives"?

I want PP to leave xxxtooolbar.com in my IE Restricted Sites List! and allow my computer to be safe from it...I don't want PP to keep removing my protection!

Its quite amazing actually, becuase this is the same thing that is happening to me. I go tohttp://www.pestscan.com/Scan.asp
and it tells me I have CWS.GoogleMS.3 because of xxxtoolbar in the registry, when I check spyblaster my protection for those sites keeps on getting turned off, I don't know what to do!!! Does that mean this is a false alarm or is it an actual threat?

 

[samildanach]

Spysweeper by webroot is pretty good if you are worried about Adaware or spybot missing stuff. Once you dl it you are allowed a one time update of its database, after that if you want to update it in the future you have to buy it.
I'm not sure about pest patrol.... it does seem to turn up false positives or go loopy over things that aren't important such as DAP or radiant.
The trouble with all of these products is that they are all so slow. I tried out a free scan by spy nuker ( I think it was called ) and that is blindingly fast even when compared to the adaware smart scan option and it is very good. Trouble is if you want it to get rid of the crap you have to buy it...

 

[shadowdude]

I have a theory. It appears that websites that are in the restricted zone for IE are listed in the registry under the key Hkey_Current_User\software\microsoft\windows\curre ntversion\internet settings\zonemap\domains\. When Pestpatrol detects xxxtoolbar in the registry above I removed it. then when I check spyblaster protection against xxxtoolbar.com was turned off. So it appears that this is nothing but a false alarm stirred up by the pestpatrol scanner.

 

[Nixnutz]

Just did a Google search on xxxtoolbar....go here http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=610 or here http://www.2-spyware.com/parasite-xxxtoolbar.html or here http://computercops.biz/postitle49991-0-0-.html or here http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=37652 pick your poison and use the information to do a manual search. After you remove anything you may find restart your computer...also, if you are using XP disable the System Restore function.

If you do have something on the machine and that doesn't remove it, you will probably have to download HiJackThis and check in at Wilders, Computer Cops or Spywareinfo forums. They offer help using HJT. Just make sure you follow the directions of a member and not a guest.

You do have something on your machine...it's not a major threat, but if you don't want it, your don't want it....(however, we know where you've been )

Seriously, none of the anti-anything programs are perfect and all at one time or another will give a false positive. I can't tell you how many times I've gone out on a call for a virus or adware/spyware alert and found nothing.

The programs mentioned in this thread are, for the most part, good, but they ain't perfect. Sometimes you have to get down and dirty and go looking.

By the way...Spyware Nuker is considered suspect by the anti-spyware community...check out the rogue list here http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewtopic.php?t=68.

 

[shadowdude]

Actually, my theory above was correct! I never had xxxtoolbar or CWSgooglems3for that matter.
The scanner just detected xxxtoolbar on my list of banned sites and came up with a false hit.

(however, we know where you've been )

Nope, you don't really know where I've been cuz it was a false hit Thanks for the websites though

 

[Nixnutz]

Just teasing...and glad you got it sorted out. I wasn't quite getting it at 3am.

I do want to reiterate what I said earlier....false positives are a fact of life for all anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-anything software. False positives don't make a bad product.

An example is using both Spybot S&D and AdAware6.0. If you run Spybot first and don't purge the Recovery folder, AdAware will show hits for anything left in that folder.

I battle with this stuff every day and the point is that when those false postives show up ya gotta do a little detective work. I hope the links will help in that effort. (I've got an long list if anyone is interested. Part of my list is posted here)

 

[samildanach]

By the way...Spyware Nuker is considered suspect by the anti-spyware community...check out the rogue list here http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewtopic.php?t=68.

Thanks I didn't know that Trek Blue had a rep. for installing adaware. I noticed when I uninstalled the trial of nuker 2004 that it left some stuff behind which I got rid of manually - which was straight forward enough. Hopefully it was straight forward and there isn't still stuff lurking somewhere.
From the page you gave it seems to say that they have cleaned up their act on 2004 compared to previous versions. 2004 does work and on the upside it is very fast but if its going to be installing junk it kind of defeats the purpose.

In the late spring or early summer of 2004, TrekBlue released a new version of SpywareNuker (version 2, also known as SpywareNuker 2004) which is not built on the codebase licensed from BPS (1). Testing with this new version (also released under the name pcOrion) indicates that it does detect and remove spyware and adware. Moreover it is not prone to inexcusable false positives, as its predecessor was. Thus, the new SpywareNuker 2004 is a significant improvement on the justly discredited original version of SpywareNuker.

Nonetheless, the new SpywareNuker 2004 cannot be recommended because of Blue Haven Media's continuing distribution of adware with its "freeware" software offerings (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). (No version of SpywareNuker, so far as we can tell, has itself installed adware or spyware.) At the time of this writing (July 2004), Blue Haven Media software was bundling the following adware/spyware applications: BargainBuddy, CommonName, WhenU/Save, WhenU/WeatherCast, n-case/180Solutions, ShopNav, IGetNet, Sidestep, WurldMedia/ebates, MySearch/MyWay, and Gigatech SuperBar.

From the report it appears nuker is clean, but there is clearly some conflict here. People can't be pushing this crap and expect consumers to buy their spy removal software. Its a bit like firemen who go a round lighting fires to keep themselves in a job.
Thanks for the heads up Nixnutz - I won't be buying nuker.

 

[gonzo_for_civ]

Another heads up should be the fact that it's not going to remove anything unless you pay. With the number of programs that will work for free you shouldn't have to pay! If you liked the results so much you decided to pay for a version with more features that's another story...