[Help] Unknown programs, can't uninstall

[2000AD]

There's 4 or 5 programs which appear to be some sort of adware/spyware which i can't get rid of.



I've circled them in Red. When i try to uninstall i get the thing that's circled in blue, a box with a load of ??? in it.

One of them also appears to have taken over Internet Explorer (Which i don't use)




I can't uninstall them directly, SPybot S&D hasn't brought them up, neither has hijack this and when i try to manually delete them i get a window saying access is denied make sure it's not write protected or in use.

Does anyone know how i can get rid of these as they are really annoying.

[Argosh]

Does anyone know how i can get rid of these as they are really annoying.

Have you visited this thread? Try to manually delete in safe mode.

[Azrael]

Did you do a virus scan, cause those look like viruses to me. Mysterious files with odd names(like that incomprehensable string of letters) that are undeleteable are the earmarks of viruses.

Go here and do a free scan. If you've got them, you'll have to spring for anti-virus software to get rid of them, unfortunately.

EDIT: and make sure to do a full scan. It will take hours, but at least you'll make certain just whats on your comp, where it is and what it does.

edit:added link

[Sharp-kun]

Did you do a virus scan, cause those look like viruses to me. Mysterious files with odd names(like that incomprehensable string of letters) that are undeleteable are the earmarks of viruses.

I'd actually guess that their asian programs, and he doesn't have support for the characters.

[Edi]

Did you do a virus scan, cause those look like viruses to me. Mysterious files with odd names(like that incomprehensable string of letters) that are undeleteable are the earmarks of viruses.

I'd actually guess that their asian programs, and he doesn't have support for the characters.

The not being able to uninstall or deleyte folders marks them as something other than benign.

As for paying for AV software, not necessary. AntiVir is a perfectly good free antivirus program and, unlike all other free AV programs I know of, also has on-access scanning of files.

Combine that with the following:
Crap Cleaner
Spybot S&D
Ad-Aware SE
NGenFix ( http://www.norman.com and follow the link that says "free virus removal tool")
Windows Defender
Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool
optionally things like vcleaner.exe (available from http://www.grisoft.com)

You should obviously run all of those in safe mode and reboot back to safe mode every time the programs require reboot after scanning and removing things. You should also use the BitDefender online scanner afterward before you run the Trend Micro one.

And if that doesn't fix, you're just going to have to nuke the site from orbit. Even if it does, you might still be faced with that possibility, because some malware simply sits so deeply rooted that removing it will fuck Windows up permanently. That usually happens only when the computer in question is infected with several hundred different things, and so far this doesn't look like it.

This here thread at Major Geeks is also a great resource and following the links in it will allow you access to specialized instructions for removing all sorts of shit if you can identify the bugger you have.

Edi

[Azrael]

Well, shit. I wish I would've known all that a week ago when an activeX contol launched me into the adware/malware universe and I had to download norton to come to my rescue.

Is it just me, or have virus makers shifted their focus away from just being assholes to trying to profit from their virus writting? Most of the major virii today install some form of adware/malware on your computer, making programs like norton just really expensive, more powerful versions of spybot and Ad-Aware.

*shrugs* any methods' fine so long as you get your computer cleaned out, 2000AD.

[phongn]

Is it just me, or have virus makers shifted their focus away from just being assholes to trying to profit from their virus writting? Most of the major virii today install some form of adware/malware on your computer, making programs like norton just really expensive, more powerful versions of spybot and Ad-Aware.

The term is "viruses," thank you very much. And yes, most malware writers have shifted to focus on profit.

[Batman]

While I very much suggest following all the advice given the wrecked program entries, the goofy uninstall dialog boxes AND the undeletable directories may simply be signs of a fucked-up registry.
I have had numerous accounts of uninstall not working thanks to the link to the uninstaller no longer working (ocasionally thanks to me having deleted the folder manually already-BAD idea, folks), when I reinstall BG2 these days ALL of the install dialogue boxes come up completely void of text, and there's a game directory I can't delete no matter how hard I try. And there's nothing in it.
2000, what does trying to manually delete mean in this context? Did you actually try to delete the program folders, or to manually uninstall them via System Control/Software?
If it was the program folders, have you tried it from the command prompt?
IF you feel savvy enough to do this (or know someone whom you trust to do so) you can try to remove them from the registry manually and THEN delete the folders in question (remember to back up the registry first).
From your pic WRT IE I can't see anything wrong excepting the launch bar entry, may I assume it exhibits the same problems as the rest?

[Edi]

Crap Cleaner is fairly good at fixing registry issues and it also has an uninstall dialog similar to the Control Panel Add/Remove Programs function, only better. That's a good program to try.

Edi

[2000AD]

2000, what does trying to manually delete mean in this context? Did you actually try to delete the program folders, or to manually uninstall them via System Control/Software?

By manually delete i mean I tried to delete the folder. I've also tried using add/remove program, that brings up the wacky box in the first pic.

I tried to delete in safe mode and i got the same message (disc is full, write protected or in use) so i'm going to go through the big list of programs thatg have been posted, hopefully they're user friendly.

The weird things don't appear to be malicious, i haven't noticed any slow down or anyting, and when i clicked on one when it first appeared it took me to some asian site. They are annoying though, and i'm getting tired of having to Ctrl-Alt-Del every time i start up to close them down.

[Sriad]

Is it just me, or have virus makers shifted their focus away from just being assholes to trying to profit from their virus writting? Most of the major virii today install some form of adware/malware on your computer, making programs like norton just really expensive, more powerful versions of spybot and Ad-Aware.

The term is "viruses," thank you very much. And yes, most malware writers have shifted to focus on profit.

Any time you're in doubt as to how best to pluralize a word, take the pluralization process and double it.

Viruseses - borderline acceptable in an annoying 5 year old way.
Viriii- Vi-rai-ai-ai? Are you some sort of terrorist?

Does Crap Cleaner do some of the leg(brain)work for you in regestry cleaning? I nuke things with Hijack This! from time to time, but it makes me nervous.

[Rin]

Just out of curiosity: Did you try typing that number series to that box and hitting those buttons? Would be really wierd to have type-this-number-to-uninstall style confirmation instead of just yes/no, thou.

--Rin

[Edi]

2000AD, if it gives you adverts that take you to some site, it's malware. Infections don't nevessarily show up as immediate slowdowns, but will get worse only after a while.

As for the removal procedures, just follow the instructions and you should be fine. Deviate from them at your own risk.

Does Crap Cleaner do some of the leg(brain)work for you in regestry cleaning? I nuke things with Hijack This! from time to time, but it makes me nervous.

Yes, it does a lot of the work for you. It recognizes invalid file associations and other shit left over from programs you've uninstalled, invalid shortcuts, missig file references and so forth and fixes them without any need to poke around the Registry Editor. Hijack This! is one of those powerful tools you should be nervous about using. It's like a precision nuclear scalpel: it can take things out very accurately, but once you use it on something, that something ain't coming back. Remove the wrong thing with it and you'll still end up nuking the entire site from orbit.

CrapCleaner also asks whether or not it should create a backup of the things it removes, so if it removes something important, just restore the registry from the backup, run Issues again and this time fix everything but the thing that got fucked up.

Edi

[2000AD]

Just out of curiosity: Did you try typing that number series to that box and hitting those buttons? Would be really wierd to have type-this-number-to-uninstall style confirmation instead of just yes/no, thou.

--Rin

Tried that when they first popped up, didn't do anything, infact one button brought up a new set of numbers.