Can't get rid of CWS Trojan every time I try to run any of my spyware it stops it 
immediatly.  What can I do? How do I shred when it will not allow me to do any of 
thing spy related?
HELP HELP HELP!
Many Thanks
Mickey

Tip: Run a free scan for common Windows errors ad

re: CWS won't quit Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 11:15 am Posted by mojo7819 (5744 messages posted) First, run an online virus scan. An online scanner is available at: Trend Micro or Panda or McAfee or Symantec Disable System Restore before scanning. Then, use the correct tools to clean up the spyware/adware/malware: Download, install, UPDATE, and run: Ad-Aware 6.0 Spybot Search & Destroy SpywareGuard Spyware Blaster (Make sure to use the update feature of these programs often.) Download UPDATE and run: CWShredder It is important to run ALL of these programs, as each do something different. Before running these, do the following: Delete temp internet files and history. Disable system Restore. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 11:25 am Posted by Ms. Eagle (33507 messages posted) You probably have a Smart Search variant, so you need to download and run the CoolWWWSearch.SmartKiller removal tool, then run the Shredder. The download's on this page: CoolWebSearch Chronicles Run the CWShredder.exe file. Close all browser windows and press FIX to scan and clean. Reboot and run the Shredder again. Keep it in a folder, so you have it. Check for Updates frequently using the update feature within the Shredder and replace the previous download. Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 6:09 pm Posted by Mickey (15 messages posted) Thanks Carol, THere must be some program in my computer that keeps letting CWS variants in. I update and run shredder. Yesterday in was CWS.Smartsearch, today it was CWS.msconfig. I run all my spyware hunters(Spybot,Spyhunter, Adaware, shredder, Hijackthis. I still get rerouted when I'm the net. Can't seem to find how or why they keep getting in. Any suggestions? On Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 11:25 am, Carol wrote: > > >You probably have a Smart Search variant, so you need to download and run the CoolWWWSearch.SmartKiller >removal tool, then run the Shredder. The download's on this page: > >CoolWebSearch Chronicles Run the CWShredder.exe file. Close all browser >windows and press FIX to scan and clean. Reboot and run the Shredder again. Keep >it in a folder, so you have it. Check for Updates frequently using the update >feature within the Shredder and replace the previous download. > Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 6:31 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33507 messages posted) Oh, boy......one big problem. SpyHunter is a fake, rip-off app, that only claims to be a removal program. IT is spyware and I believe downloads/installs more spyware junk. People mistakenly download a different one thinking it's legit. Do NOT.. EVER, download anything from Google's sponsored ads! Is that how you got it? Uninstall SpyHunter immediately, then run PepiMK's SpybotS&D. Hopefully this is the one you have installed: http://www.safer-networking.org Clear out your TIF, other temp files and ActiveX Controls. Go into Internet Options - General tab. Delete temporary internet files, and choose to delete all Offline content. In Settings, set the size of your TIF folder between 5 - 10 MB. Also, under General tab - choose Setting - View Objects. In the window that opens, choose View Details on the toolbar. If any of those ActiveX Controls are marked "unknown" or "damaged", remove them. Plus, remove any that you don't recognize. Any and all ActiveX Controls, can be safely removed. They'll be downloaded again as needed. To uninstall, right click and Remove. You may want to keep those by MS, Macromedia or Apple. Also, go to Start - Find - Files or folders - in the named box, type: *.tmp and choose Edit - select all - File - delete. Empty the contents of the C:\Windows\temp folder and C:\temp folder, if you have one. Empty Recycle bin. Disable system restore to clear out previous restore points. Then RE-enable it. Disabling System Restore I suggest using SpywareBlaster for prevention. Be sure to check for and download updates after installing it, and frequently thereafter. There's also SpywareGuard, if you want to use both. http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 7:21 pm Posted by Mickey (15 messages posted) Again, Carol, Thanks I followed your instructions. So far so good. I now have to enable my restore. Again many thanks. I was going crazy with this. Great sites too. I wasn't aware of these sites. Believe me, I'm going to use them often. All the best to you Mickey On Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 6:31 pm, Carol wrote: > > >Oh, boy......one big problem. SpyHunter is a fake, rip-off app, that only claims to be a removal program. IT is >spyware and I believe downloads/installs more spyware junk. People mistakenly download >a different one thinking it's legit. Do NOT.. EVER, download anything from Google's sponsored ads! Is that how >you got it?Uninstall SpyHunter immediately, then run PepiMK's SpybotS&D. Hopefully this is the >one you have installed: > >http://www.safer-networking.orgClear out your TIF, other temp files and ActiveX Controls. Go into Internet Options >- General tab. Delete temporary internet files, and choose to delete all Offline >content. In Settings, set the size of your TIF folder between 5 - 10 MB. Also, under >General tab - choose Setting - View Objects. In the window that opens, choose View >Details on the toolbar. If any of those ActiveX Controls are marked "unknown" or >"damaged", remove them. Plus, remove any that you don't recognize. Any and all ActiveX >Controls, can be safely removed. They'll be downloaded again as needed. To uninstall, >right click and Remove. You may want to keep those by MS, Macromedia or Apple. Also, go to Start - Find - Files or folders - in the named box, type: *.tmp and choose >Edit - select all - File - delete. Empty the contents of the C:\Windows\temp folder >and C:\temp folder, if you have one. Empty Recycle bin. Disable system restore to clear out previous restore points. Then RE-enable it. > >href="http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001012513122239"> >Disabling System RestoreI suggest using SpywareBlaster for prevention. Be sure to check for and download >updates after installing it, and frequently thereafter. There's also SpywareGuard, >if you want to use both. >http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html > Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 11:25 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33507 messages posted) You're very welcome. I'm glad you mentioned what you used, but I've started asking people...just to make sure! For additional info. on security and other suggestons, check this post on Spybot's support forums: So how did I get infected in the first place? Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Wednesday, May 5, 2004 at 9:15 am Posted by Mickey (15 messages posted) Hi again Carol, Your not going to believe this but when I started my computer this morning CWS.smartsearch was back. Yesterday it was CWS.Msconfig, the day before was CWS.smartsearch. I did find that from add/delete program file I can not completely delete Kazaa. I'm going crazy. Thanks Mickey On Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 11:25 am, Carol wrote: > > >You probably have a Smart Search variant, so you need to download and run the CoolWWWSearch.SmartKiller >removal tool, then run the Shredder. The download's on this page: > >CoolWebSearch Chronicles Run the CWShredder.exe file. Close all browser >windows and press FIX to scan and clean. Reboot and run the Shredder again. Keep >it in a folder, so you have it. Check for Updates frequently using the update >feature within the Shredder and replace the previous download. > Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Wednesday, May 5, 2004 at 3:15 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33507 messages posted) Mickey, I didn't know you had Kazaa installed. Merjin, the author of the CWShredder and HijackThis, created a small this small utillity that removes Kazaa and all the spyware installed with it. It's safe to use. KazaaBegone That's strange you have all those CWSearch variants on your system. After running KazaaBegone, run the Shredder again. Reboot and run it again. Have you ran Spybot S&D? Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Thursday, May 6, 2004 at 4:07 pm Posted by Mickey (7 messages posted) Hi Carol, Your not going to believe this but my computer got many FATAL ERRORS to the point that the corruption was sooo bad that I had to reformat my hard drive. AAHHHH!! I lost some data that was important. Im now going to remember to backup regularly. Needless to say I don't have any problems.............yet. I can tell you one thing, I sure am not going to download Kazaa. Thanks for all your help, again & again. Mickey On Wednesday, May 5, 2004 at 3:15 pm, Carol wrote: > > >Mickey, I didn't know you had Kazaa installed. Merjin, the author of the CWShredder and HijackThis, >created a small this small utillity that removes Kazaa and all the spyware installed >with it. It's safe to use. > >KazaaBegoneThat's strange you have all those CWSearch variants on your system. After running >KazaaBegone, run the Shredder again. Reboot and run it again. Have you ran Spybot >S&D? > Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Thursday, May 6, 2004 at 5:27 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33507 messages posted) You're welcome, Mickey I DO believe it. Invariably that's what people end up doing if Kazaa's installed. Don't think that other P2P apps are alright, either. You're still wide open to all sorts of things, including hackers. It's not worth it, and of course they're used for illegal purposes. We pay somehow! "I can tell you one thing, I sure am not going to download Kazaa. Good for you. That's an excellent idea. P.S. I'm sure you enabled XP's firewall, or you'd be hit with one of those worms already. :) Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: CWS won't quit Friday, May 7, 2004 at 5:49 pm Posted by Mickey (7 messages posted) You've got that right! I also bought and installed a router and have the XP firewall enabled. I hope others have read this and learn from my mistake. Thanks! Its been nice having your help. Mickey On Thursday, May 6, 2004 at 5:27 pm, Carol wrote: > > >You're welcome, MickeyI DO believe it. Invariably that's what people end up doing if Kazaa's installed. >Don't think that other P2P apps are alright, either. You're still wide open to all >sorts of things, including hackers. It's not worth it, and of course they're used >for illegal purposes. We pay somehow! "I can tell you one thing, I sure am not going to download Kazaa.Good for you. That's an excellent idea. P.S. I'm sure you enabled XP's firewall, or you'd be hit with one of those worms >already. :) > > > Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: AGAIN Won't let Shedder run Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 11:26 am Posted by Mickey (7 messages posted) Hello Carol, Once again even after reformating and losing all that data. CWS Tojan is back. I just ran shedder, no cws, I installed a antispyware program and now CWS is back and no matter what I try to do, (even tried mini) it will not let shedder start or any of my spyware. Don't know what to try next. I uninstalled the polluted program but still no luck. Do you have anymore suggestions or help? I can't believe I'm going through this.......again. It aggravates me because I paid for that program!! Thanks Mickey Mickey On Friday, May 7, 2004 at 5:49 pm, Mickey wrote: >You've got that right! I also bought and installed a router and have the XP firewall >enabled. I hope others have read this and learn from my mistake. Thanks! Its been >nice having your help. >Mickey > > > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: AGAIN Won't let Shedder run Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 12:09 pm Posted by Mickey (7 messages posted) Hi I think I found where this is hiding. I have a Spyagent program, when its on and running in the background, I get the CWS, if I shut it off, everything is OK. The problem is I paid for this program. I know... so don't run the program. Spyagent (Spyteck) says they DO NOT have this in there program. Well, how did it get there? I copied the program to cd, do you know of a way to determine if the scumware is on the cd? Thanks Mickey On Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 11:26 am, Mickey wrote: > >Hello Carol, >Once again even after reformating and losing all that data. CWS Tojan is back. >I just ran shedder, no cws, I installed a antispyware program and now CWS is back >and no matter what I try to do, (even tried mini) it will not let shedder start or >any of my spyware. Don't know what to try next. I uninstalled the polluted program >but still no luck. Do you have anymore suggestions or help? I can't believe I'm going >through this.......again. It aggravates me because I paid for that program!! >Thanks You have been a great help and a big sourse of all my information. >Mickey >Mickey > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] Tip: Use one of the [Reply or follow-up to this message] links above to add a message to this thread Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum