CWS browser hijack

Removal?

[caine]

Friend has given me his computer to have a look at, and i managed to find out that IE has a CWS hijack going on - all of the tools that i have tried to use to delete it are ineffective!

tried spybot and spy sweeper, but though the later can see it, and says that it is deleting it, there must be another file that is not being deleting which comes back with IE.

Also known as the about:blank search.exe

Any idea's? software or manual ways of deleting it?

[encyclo]

Try: [pestpatrol.com...] - there are instructions for manual removal further down the page - bear in mind it is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

You'd probably be much better-off backing up the My Documents folder, doing a format c: and reinstalling Windows from scratch (or install Linux!).

[caine]

> You'd probably be much better-off backing up the My Documents folder, doing a format c: and reinstalling Windows from scratch (or install Linux!).

Thats my attitude to it completely, but my mate wants to save his system for whatever reason, will give pestcontrol a try

[Woz]

Try looking for "Highjack This", I had a similar problem and this was the last resort.

Onya
Woz

[grelmar]

[computercops.biz...]

they'll give you a walk through, and help you get rid of anything else that might be on the machine.

[skippy]

try cwshredder. It is a stinger of sorts.

[loanuniverse]

You'd probably be much better-off backing up the My Documents folder, doing a format c: and reinstalling Windows from scratch (or install Linux!).

Funny things about backups... You think you have everything backed up and then you realize you don't. I format C: a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to keep my ftp client list of accounts and passwords.

[caine]

I had a good look at all the options and i have advised my friend to backup, delete everything and do a win95 format of the hard-disk, and rebuild different size partitions and load the system back up.

Also to stop downloading and using every-single vulnerable program known to man!

And to set up a bios / administrator / and user level passwords, so that he accesses his computer for maintainence as an admin, and uses his computers as a user, rather than give full rights to all users!

The Pest Patrol site is constantly changing the CWS info, so if you come across it - its a pretty descent place to start.