Removing entries from Add/Remove Programs list.

Plado · #1 08-10-2003, 11:07 AM

Is it possible to get access to the Add/Remove programs list and delete an entry that stares at me and won't go away despite my having uninstalled some offending entry?

I picked up a Browser Hijacker which impertinently stuffed a thing on my IE6 toolbar as xxxtoolbar and though I "Purged" it from my system using the Hijack this software, the xxxtoolbar reference remains there in the listings of Add Remove programs. Clicking remove doesn't kill it off. I have also purged the thing from the registr thanks to bits of software that do that. But it won't get rid of that one for good in the list. Any tips how I can get there much appreciated?

curtybob · #2 08-10-2003, 02:15 PM

do you use RegCleaner? In this utility is a way to take it off. Open it, and go to the uninstall tab. check the box next to it, and click on either uninstall or remove selected. Probably in you case, click remove selected.

Plado · #3 08-10-2003, 03:15 PM

Thank you Forest G. Well no I haven't got that application any more. I was told not to use any type of Registry cleaner with XP as it is reputed to clean itself! I didn't believe that tosh so I got a thing called RegScrub which is very good at finding dead ends and false registry settings but I think perhaps I'd better download me a copy of the Reg Cleaner you mention and see if that can do it.
Thanks for your tip. I'll try it. PROBLEM NOT RESOLVED (not yet anyway) I'll get back to you.

Plado · #4 08-10-2003, 03:37 PM

Yeah yeah yeah. It worked. Thanks a million.
The Reg Cleaner worked a treat. Removed the offending entry and while I was there got rid of about 60 entries in the registry that were for files that are no longer available.

So I've done some cleaning at the same time.
Thanks for your tip. I vote that one an unconditional
PROBLEM RESOLVED.

beeboy · #5 08-10-2003, 03:43 PM

On the subject of regcleaners, I found this one mentioned favourably. Its free. Now that jv 16 powertools are pricey.
http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm

loveblueVW · #6 09-20-2003, 01:19 PM

I have the exact same problem. I used Reg Cleaner and it still redirects to search-it now.com, shows XXX toolbar in the list, and brings up Adult Links Daily in the start menu when I restart my computer. These are all part of the same bug. Please help me. I don't know what else to do.

loveblueVW · #7 09-20-2003, 01:51 PM

Ok, I kept messing with it and everything is gone now except if I right-click on my IE toolbar, Adult Links and ISTbar come up in the drop-down list even though the toolbars themselves no longer exist. What can I do about that? Thanks.

Plado · #8 09-20-2003, 02:02 PM

Regarding the drop down list I'm not sure but I would have thought you could delete any entry from the Links or Favorites drop down list simply by going to the folder that contains them and deleting the entry.

Favorites are in C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Favorites folder and surely you can kick the wrong shortcut link in the teeth there. But as I say I'm not sure I've never removed one from there.

Plado

Plado · #9 09-20-2003, 02:12 PM

loveblueVW I think you need to use the free download program called HiJackthis.exe available I think at
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/hijackthis.zip

This may be the way to get rid of something that has hijacked your system.
Don't despair I got rid of mine but I did have to use things like HiJack this and then clean up the registry and then see if it had gone. It did go eventually but it took a bit of cleaning up.

I think I emptied out the cache and the cookies and looked for examples of the name of the thing that is still cropping up (the one you can't get rid of) in the registry. I opened the registry under RegEdit and searched for instances of the xxx and the other annoying hijacked applications and settings and having backed up the registry before I did it, I just deleted the xxx and the references to sex and so forth that I knew had got into the registry from visitng a site where the Internet Explorer flooded me with pop-up java windows and opened thousands of windows I had to zap almost like space invaders.

HiJack this got rid of a lot of them and then my manual one finished them off for ever. They've never come back and I have never visited a Serial number finding site again. Serves me right but that was the only way to teach me a lesson.

Plado

leven · #10 09-20-2003, 08:12 PM

Hi,

"if I right-click on my IE toolbar, Adult Links and ISTbar come up in the drop-down list "

If you mean the Address Bar the way to clear that is
In IE ... Tools/Internet Options and click "Clear History"

This will clear all your IE History, so if you need some of the History items, better not do it.

Elaine

pcfanatic2 · #11 09-27-2003, 02:18 PM

Hi there is a lot of this stuff about now,have you tried system tools,disk cleanup,downloaded program files.I find the offenders are listed in here and can be easily removed.Some will go from aad/remove and I have had cases where I have had to "prove" I was removing them and not a piece of removal software.pcfanatic2.

curtybob · #12 09-27-2003, 07:35 PM

and I noticed on a few of them that they start a process at startup so that they are harder for the novice to get rid of. You know... on someone elses machine, of course.