Ramblings of an old Doc

 

Even using the best practices, you can get hit with adware and toolbars (wait one while I duck out to Listerine my fingers).

The usual source? Deceptive installers and deceptive download portals. They’ll get you every time. They’ll switch home pages and search engines. They really come pretty close to malware, imo.

Anyway, you might get asked to help someone with multiple toolbars and adware crap on his box.

There are good programs for that: Adware Cleaner, PC Decrapifier and Toolbar Cleaner are good examples.

The program's batch file will search all installed software programs for strings such as "toolbar", "coupon" or "registry". All programs that match these strings are displayed afterwards in the program interface, and uninstalled one by one by the program. Its search parameters are loose…so it’ll choose both good and bad items. You make the choices of what to keep and what to remove. That’s a good thing since it will not tell you what’s good or bad.

If you wish to edit the batch file, you can tighten up the ‘false positives’.

Also, the latest version displays a list of all software that matches its search queries and a prompt that asks you whether you want to continue with the uninstallation of all programs. If you select yes, the program commences and will remove ALL the listed programs.. If you select no, you are asked to confirm the removal of each application individually. I’d suggest going with that option, if I were you.

The software is tiny: 7K.

While we’re at it, here are a few helpful links from gHacks:

1. How to remove the Babylon Toolbar: http://www.ghacks.net/2011/08/17/how-to-uninstall-the-babylon-toolbar-completely/

2. How to remove the Ask Toolbar: http://www.ghacks.net/2011/03/04/ask-toolbar-removal-how-to-uninstall/

3. How to remove the AVG Security Toolbar: http://www.ghacks.net/2012/09/07/how-to-uninstall-the-avg-security-toolbar/

4. Adware Cleaner: http://general-changelog-team.fr/en/

5. PC Decrapifier: http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/

6. Toolbar Cleaner: http://toolbarcleaner.com/

Source:

http://www.ghacks.net/2013/08/29/crap-killer-probably-smallest-toolbar-adware-uninstaller-windows/?_m=3n%2e0038%2e989%2ehj0ao01hy5%2e10ov


Comments (Page 1)
2 Pages1 2 
on Aug 31, 2013

The only one I ever had a problem with was the Ask toolbar. That one I took out with Revo before I found the ASC Uninstaller. It lasted not long at all. Ask was instant history.

on Sep 01, 2013

Update:

If anyone's interested, this appeared on the gHacks site today regarding IOBits new uninstaller as part of Advanced System Care 7:

http://www.ghacks.net/2013/08/31/iobit-uninstaller-3-improves-removal-browser-toolbars-extensions-plugins/?_m=3n%2e0038%2e990%2ehj0ao01hy5%2e10pb

on Sep 01, 2013

Thanks for the helpful tips, as usual, Doc.

 

Question for you:what do you know about IOBit as a company? I sued to use Advanced System Care until I began to hear whispers about unethical practices and it's connection to China (I am not trying to impugn all Chinese software, but I do feel country of origin is important...even software from the US can be suspect).

I found this article-http://shanegowland.com/opinions/2012/iobit-is-a-sucky-company/ from a quick Google search. I respect your opinion. How do you feel about IOBit as a company and Chinese software as a whole (sorry for the potential thread derail)?

on Sep 01, 2013

I hadn't run into negatives before. Shane Gowland appears to have a thing with them, though. He himself appears to be an upright person (as much as I can tell) and a reputable software dev from Australia with University connections.

Chinese Co's. Hmmm...well, EaseUS is one and their software appears good. Of course one isn't necessarily the other. I don't think it unreasonable to have concerns about Chinese companies anymore than they have with respect to us and the NSA.

I can't tell you they're kosher...only that their software works as advertised.

If there's anything else I can help with, please ask away and never apologize for bringing something to my attention, flagyl. I appreciate your concerns. I've just never run into that problem myself.

on Sep 01, 2013

Cool Doc. I'll do a little bit more nosing around.

 

Thanks .

on Sep 02, 2013

And if you had any brains:

never get the toolbar in the first place.

And use FF or PM.

 

Honestly, after I started with FF in...gah...when was it...v0.13-ish, all my toolbar and spam issues went away.

on Sep 04, 2013

As always, excellent tools to add to my tool box!  Thanks for the links and tips.

on Sep 04, 2013

DrJBHL, another really terrible one is the "easylifeapp", it has all the characteristics of what you describe in your OP.

I have tried to remove this "malware" unsuccessfully.  It came on a download when I was looking for educational planetary orbital software on a false link.

I reset my threads in firefox yet cannot find a way to move it from being the primary page when I click on the "add new page" tab at the top of the browser.

on Sep 04, 2013

sareth01

DrJBHL, another really terrible one is the "easylifeapp", it has all the characteristics of what you describe in your OP.

I have tried to remove this "malware" unsuccessfully.  It came on a download when I was looking for educational planetary orbital software on a false link.

I reset my threads in firefox yet cannot find a way to move it from being the primary page when I click on the "add new page" tab at the top of the browser.

 

Hi Sareth,. I am not sure I completely understand your problem, but does this solution help you?

 

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/956794

on Sep 04, 2013

sareth01...

http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-search-easylifeapp-com-redirect.html

will tell you how to remove this malware (that's what it is, btw).

If that still leaves you with the problem, then do what's described in Step 2 and step 3 as well as For Firefox at this link: http://www.2-spyware.com/news/post504.html

The regular (and the crap killer) won't help because settings on your computer have been changed. You have to change them back.

So, first do all the scanning I suggested to make sure that easylife piece of (unmentionable) has been cleaned. THEN do the resetting as that original link (in this reply) suggests.

You can use a resetting app like this: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/tweaking_com_windows_repair.html

 

 

Please return to the thread and let us know if that helped you. 

 

 

on Sep 06, 2013

GayleTek

I heard a method to remove most malwares and viruses.

Step one is to uninstall or remove malwares in PC control panel and browser extension center

Step two is to enter into safe mode, eliminate suspicious files or exe on system32 you recently installed and fix registry issues.

Of course you need a strong pc knowledge by doing this, so i suggest you also run YAC virus removal from http://www.virus-delete.com/en/isafe-virus-removal-tool.html to take a full scan

 

 

to be honest i think a site name like "virus-delete.com", sounds rather like malware-honeypot aimed at the computer-illiterate.  

on Sep 06, 2013

^ Correct, moshi. That reply might well be undergoing the "Australian Solution".

on Sep 08, 2013

Hmm so after spending some time on this (i'll be honest, not a top priority for me), I updated potential holes in my security, did a scan with Mbam, cleaned with ccleaner, and it did nothing to the easy life bit.

then I went into about:config in firefox and was able to finally reset the right string to kill the easy life bug.

And another one bites the dust!

 

on Sep 08, 2013

Did it actually kill it, or did it just reset a string which was altered by the malware?

Glad in either case - just that the former would be better than the latter.

 

on Sep 09, 2013

I'm posative it is dead, no issues in 48 hours.

 

2 Pages1 2