Getting Rid of Unwanted Search Engines and Toolboxes

[Exasperated]

Every time I useuse my Internet Explorer, a new kind of search engine or toolbox automatically pops up.  I don't know how they got there.  Does anyone know how to get rid of them?

[.]

Try Adaware by Lavasoft, which is freeware and can be downloaded from various places in Cyberspace. Sounds like you have adware running on your system.

[P]

There is a definately a good permanent solution. Download a new browser.
IE is slow and have very limited features.

I did get a lot spywares when my gf was using IE for sometime.. now only once in a while with firefox.

With for example Mozilla Firefox (I'm using that while writing this), you can block all the pop up windows, which you do not request (by clicking a button). You can also have different tabs, which means you can have multiple pages open with only one window.

Firefox is also much lighter for you PC and therefore it will run faster and with less memory.

Best of this.. it's free.. and it's quite a popular. Well IE has the biggers share.

Come and join the GNU generation and you will repeat the mantra afterwards    

And as suggested ad-ware is good program to clean spy-wares.

-P

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Do it today!

[This message has been edited by BoardManager (edited 16-06-2004).]

[Adware Spyware Spamware]

Most of that stuff comes from programs that load themselves onto your computer when you  browse certain websites or when you load some free programs (e.g. kazaa has a couple kinds of adware embedded in it.)    Get Ad-aware, keep the definitions up to date, and run it regularly.   It will help keep your machine clean of this annoying crud.

[VtV]

Careful, these is some shareware with names similar to adaware that actual generate more pop ups and make the problem worse!

[truckerboi]

I use SpyBot Search & Destroy, along with Lavasoft's AdAware. They catch different things. The good thing about SpyBot is that it has an immunise function - protects your computer agst a library of wellknown hijackers.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Popup Stopper which is freeware also works fine for me as well as using a modified HOSTS file which can be obtained here

Also, when configuring installed freeware programs like REAL Player and such do not just click okay/okay/okay, etc. read the pages as often they will download other programs that you inadvertently gave them permission for (like Yahoo toolbar, etc.)

I use the modified HOST file along with updating it periodically and also use SpywareBlaster in conjunction with Adaware. If you update all monthly your PC will crank up faster and run faster when using your brower as it checks the host file first.

sms

[This message has been edited by sundaymorningstaple (edited 16-06-2004).]