Simplest solution

  • Thread starter Thread starter BUB 209
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BUB 209

I can't get rid of the adware identified by Norton as Adware.mainsearch
and am considering reformatting the hard drive, never going to questionable
websites or opening questionable email, or installing antivirus programs
that drag down the performance of the machine. Would a reformat
remove this type of adware permanently or would it pop up again? There
are programs and pieces of programs on the drive I've had trouble
getting rid of anyway, which makes a reformat seem sensible.
 
I can't get rid of the adware identified by Norton as Adware.mainsearch
and am considering reformatting the hard drive, never going to questionable
websites or opening questionable email, or installing antivirus programs
that drag down the performance of the machine. Would a reformat
remove this type of adware permanently or would it pop up again? There
are programs and pieces of programs on the drive I've had trouble
getting rid of anyway, which makes a reformat seem sensible.
Click to expand...

You've ran Ad-aware, SpyBot S&D and have Spyware Blaster? Norton is an
anti-virus program, these others are more suited for ad/malware.
 
I have the updated version of Spysweeper,
it worked for awhile but my about:blank
screen reverted again. The culprit .dll file
in SYSTEM32 won't delete or comes back
with another name.
 
BUB said:
*Thanks, I'll try anything almost.[vbcol=seagreen]
Might be CWS.aboutblank ...
Run the Shredder?
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip
Close all Browser Windows - running apps, unzip the exe click run
follow the prompts - to eliminate the possibility ;)[/vbcol] *
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

BUB 209, any luck getting rid of the .about:blank? i'm having th
exact same problems with this adware. any update would help greatly!
thanks


-
JW230
 
BUB 209, any luck getting rid of the .about:blank? i'm having the
exact same problems with this adware. any update would help greatly!
Click to expand...

Not yet. I'm pretty sure it came from
a website, a link to "Russian Gothic
Page", a site I was browsing that
has a lot of Eastern European
contemporary art.
It went right through Norton auto
protect and I got the alert right away
that said a virus was detected and what
was odd, that it couldn't be deleted.
Never got it upfront like that. The
"thing" isn't even classified as a virus
but as an "expanded threat" even though
the security risk is "low." Scary, isn't
it? It comes up as "Adware.mainsearch"
takes over the about:blank with a
search engine and an adware-killer popup,
and generates access-denied .dll files
in the SYSTEM32 folder. I've tried
Spybot and many others without
success.
My strategy was to format my big
HD in its removable bay and just
use a spare go-to-hell drive for the
internet. The format worked.
One other thing that concerns me
is that that the "thing" is blocking
downloads of Norton updates and
free downloads of spykiller programs,
because Ad-aware wouldn't download
on the infected computer but did on
my laptop.
I think they should cancel all
summer vacations an Norton and
turn on the coffee urn until they figure
out a better approach to this problem.



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