Is there a panic button somewhere? Just in case. Thanks for the heads up Doc. Just got finished repairing a laptop for the Admin at the dayroom I go to. She had both McAffee and Norton security scans installed along with, get this, MalwareBytes, Ad-Aware and AVG. The only ones I let her keep was Ad-Aware and MalwareBytes. I got rid of the rest and installed MSE plus EMET for her. She is one happy camper right now. Found over 200 malwares that AVG had missed plus three trojans. Two Varundu and one Agent. All the rest came from MyWebSearch. I think anyone who has MyWebSearch get rid of it pronto.

While many bemoan the number of patches and fixes, I remember the days when you were sent CDs or even diskettes with the patches and fixes on them - about twice a year!  Hauling a suitcase full of diskettes around from site to site was a real b-witch!

But of course the vulnerabilities were not as easy to exploit since the servers had very limited access if any to the Internet.  (but those fifth and sixth graders knew how to exploit them!!!)

 Next week should prove interesting. Boot and reboot.

I remember! LOL!

All search/tool bars are malware/viral. Every one of them phone home and report your internet activity. Why anyone would intentionally install one baffles me.

Agreed 113.75%!

Toolbars are for tools.

Go easy, guys...

It usually happens for one of two reasons:

1. The person didn't notice it during the installation process (or it was hidden during that process/software won't work unless installed).

2. The person didn't know abput toolbars and innocently thought it might be helpful.

We live and learn. 

https://www.stardock.ourtoolbar.com/

Doc...the key word is "intentionally"

They come attached to a lot of programs and they normally default to be installed...you just have to be careful when you install said software.

Most developers get paid to allow them to be attached to an installer, which I can understand if it's freeware.

What erks me is I've seen them attached to installers of programs I've purchaced. When I see this I normally won't purchace from that developer again.

this was about 2 years ago

My sister has... Note the HAS over 3000 MyWebSearch on her PC I cleaned it all for her when I was up there and the next day she was Jeff you broke

my Computer. No I didn't she was yes you did this and this on and on Don't work.. I said well yes they don't they are all Spyware and stuff...

but I want those programs.. to make it short she had me put it all back...I tried to explain to her that she did not want them.. a few weeks later she takes it to geek squad or some where she was Pissed after wards cause they just reformatted and charged her big $$$ for what I did for free.. 2 to 3 wks later she calls me to tell me her pc is running so slow and she don't know why.. I told her it's all the spycrap you have you keep going back to the same site and you will always have a slow pc un-till you listen to me sorry sis but I can't help you cause you just keep going back to them....

she really needs to step way from a pc  oh to add to the above her IE toolbar was a good 6 inches wow like 12 lines

about 3 months ago she spilled coffee on her Key broad  I said I have 3 I can send you one she says is it a dell I have a dell no.. her well then it wont work

I told her a Key broad is a Key broad she said no Norm gave me one and it was not the right plug I said plug it into the USB to shorten it she bought a dell Key broad.. I have had a pc since 2001 she has had one a lot long... it's funny and not... then she tells me Norm's Key broad did not work on his pc.. well then it is broken

I wish my sister would learn

When she gets frustrated enough she will. Patience dude. Learning sometimes comes slow.

Some are sneaky as hell, CG. I ran into a piece of software I posted on and pulled the post because of the toolbar issue...and have run into others which install a toolbar without even asking! Another wouldn't function w/o the bar and switching your search engine!

I also agree that anyone intentionally installing one (usually happens out of naivete/ignorance) is making a bad choice, but I wouldn't (and you didn't) characterize them as tools.

I learned that the hard way. My very first experience was with MyWebSearch. I didn't understand what was going on until I downloaded and installed AVG the first time. Why it missed so many now I guess is because its looking the wrong way. Fortunately there are some that keep their eyes open. That and paying attention to what comes with your download like reading the EULA.

Just a little bump and reminder - did get a bunch of updates today.