Programs you should remove before you ask for help here!

General Topics
1

Go to add/Remove programs and check and see if you have any of the following programs.
Remove them if present. These programs are known to be packaged with or are adware/spyware/malware:

* Alexa Toolbar http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=418
* Bargain Buddy http://www.spy-bot.net/BargainBuddy.asp
* Bonzi Buddy http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=512
* Comet Cursor http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=428
* Date Manager http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=741
* Download Accelerator Plus (Free version) 
   removal instructions: http://articles.networktechs.com/429-p1.php
* Hotbar http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=481
* Huntbar http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=426
* Kazaa http://www.pchell.com/support/kazaa.shtml
* Memory Meter http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=520
* My Search Bar http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=490
* New.Net or NewDotNet http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=417
* SearchSquire http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=584
* SideFind or IS Technologies SideFind http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/library/sidefind/index.phtml
* Smiley Central http://www.pchell.com/support/smileycentral.shtml
* Weatherbug http://www.pchell.com/support/weatherbug.shtml
* WebHancer or WEBHANCER AGENT http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=26
* WebSearch Toolbar http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/library/websearchtoolbar/index.phtml
* WildTangent http://support.wildgames.com/uninstall.html
* Winad http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-winad.html
* Windows Adtools or Wind Updates http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=1068
* Windows SyncroAd or SyncroAd http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=979

polonus

Some specific removal tools: http://www.smokey-services.eu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=2026

2

Damien,
It’s amazing how many of these programs I run into while restoring some of my
local senior’s systems. ;D

3

Why Weatherbug? I’ve had this installed on my system without a hint of complaint from any AV or blocker. It does tend to pop up a donation reminder once every month, but it’s easily closed.
I find it to be a very useful program.

4

Hi Grizebear,

Mentioned here are certain unwanted programs, be it spyware, adware, grayware, riskware or nagware.
It is always upon the user himself what he thinks is acceptable. For instance a program like IntelliTamper is flagged by a-squared, and not be any of the other anti-spyware programs neither by avast. I like it because I like to pre-scan a website, for what it has…The list I gave here is just a handful of a wide range of unwanted programs, and yes some come ready installed with your computer as an OEM arrangement.
From a certain point of view Flash and Adobe could also be seen as an Internet malady, as they endanger the privacy of the user (Super Cookies) and can redirect to malware without the user can do a thing about it, this hole has been there since 2007 while other minor ones have been patched.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/spywaresucks/archive/2008/02/05/1497180.aspx
http://www.security.nl/artikel/17768/1/Malware_verspreid_via_banners_op_MySpace_en_Excite.html
http://msmvps.com/blogs/spywaresucks/archive/2008/10/21/1651456.aspx
and for SWF banner redirects: http://blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2008/10/31/swf-for-malware-deployment.aspx

polonus