Home Search Assistant

Windows XP Security >> Home Search Assistant Only Answer if you KNOW how to fix the Home Searh Assistant/Seach
Extender/Shopping Wizard hijack. PLEASE HELP, I have triede 5 or 6 different
programs, none of which have worked.

Windows XP341

Windows XP Security >> Home Search Assistant rpicheme07 wrote:

> Only Answer if you KNOW how to fix the Home Searh Assistant/Seach
> Extender/Shopping Wizard hijack. PLEASE HELP, I have triede 5 or 6
> different programs, none of which have worked.

Since you didn't specify what you did, here are general malware removal
steps which will remove this malware. Make sure you use updated tools
and perform all scans in Safe Mode. In addition, check the "5 or 6
different programs" you used against the list of known rogue
antispyware programs in MVP Eric Howes' list (last link).

1) Scan in Safe Mode with current version (not earlier than 2003)
antivirus using updated definitions.

Before you remove malware, get LSPFix (or WinSockFix for XP which you
can get from MajorGeeks) - see links below.

2) Remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-aware. These
programs are free, so use them both since they complement each other.
There is a new version of CWShredder from Intermute. I would not
install the other Intermute programs, however. Alternately, there are
CoolWebSearch malware removal steps at SilentRunners.

Be sure to update these programs before running, and it is a good idea
to do virus/spyware scans in Safe Mode. Make sure you are able to see
all hidden files and extensions (View tab in Folder Options).

If the malware remains even after you used Ad-aware and Spybot, you can
scan with HijackThis. HijackThis is an excellent tool to discover and
disable hijackers, but it requires expert skill. See below for
HijackThis links, including sites where you can post your HJT logs. A
combination of HijackThis and About:Buster works well in removing the
About:Blank homepage hijacker. Again, this is an expert tool and
novices should get help with it.

3) If you are running Windows ME or XP, you should disable/enable System
Restore because malware will be in the Restore Points. With ME, you
must disable System Restore completely. With XP, you can delete all but
the most recent (presumably clean) System Restore point from the More
Options section of Disk Cleanup (Run>cleanmgr).

4) Make sure you've visited Windows Update and applied all security
patches. Do not install driver updates from Windows Update.

5) Run a firewall.

Links to help with malware:

Software/Methods:
http://www.safer-networking.org - Spybot Search & Destroy
http://www.lavasoftusa.com - Ad-aware
http://www.majorgeeks.com - good download site
http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_cwsremoval.html. - SilentRunners
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm - Repair Winsock 2 settings after
removing spyware

HijackThis:
http://www.aumha.org/a/hjttutor.htm - HijackThis tutorial by Jim
Eshelman
http://forum.aumha.org/
http://spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5 - Spyware Warrior HijackThis
forum
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/

General:
http://forum.aumha.org/ - look under "Security" for various forums
http://rgharper.mvps.org/cleanit.htm
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm - The Parasite Fight
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Malke
--
MS MVP - Windows Shell/User
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"

Windows XP Security >> Home Search Assistant Home Search Assistant / CWS_NS3 Removal / BackDoor-BDD Guide
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/tutorial85.html

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:EMail@HideDomain.com,
rpicheme07 <EMail@HideDomain.com> hunted and pecked:
> Only Answer if you KNOW how to fix the Home Searh Assistant/Seach
> Extender/Shopping Wizard hijack. PLEASE HELP, I have triede 5 or 6
> different programs, none of which have worked.