If you want to clean your system of the existing adware and then protect against future infection, I recommend the following.
*Install and run "Hijack this" at http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/ -- Despite the odd name, it does something extremely useful: it outputs a log so that you can analyze exactly what parts of your browser are affected. This page http://hjt.wizardsofwebsites.com/ has some useful info on how to interpret and fix whatever the log shows.
*Install Adaware, as Emmett suggested and let it scan and clean your system.
*Install another spyware program like SpyGuard and let it scan and clean your system. Different programs have different adware libraries, so multiple scans by different programs frequently turn up things the first ones missed.
*Then install a program like Spyware Blaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html , which prevents new spyware from being installed and warns you when you go to a page that tries.
Like viruses, adware is constantly "improved", so make sure to keep your scanning software up to date and scan periodically.
It took me 6 hours of research and a lot of trial and error to FINALLY get the "smarter" search bar off my browser. My work IT dept was entirely useless as far as helping me -- in the end, I showed them what I'd learned so they could pass it along within their team. Feh!
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timeasmymeasure
I had to deal with this a couple months ago
Date: 2004-01-28 07:10 am (UTC)*Install and run "Hijack this" at http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/ -- Despite the odd name, it does something extremely useful: it outputs a log so that you can analyze exactly what parts of your browser are affected. This page http://hjt.wizardsofwebsites.com/ has some useful info on how to interpret and fix whatever the log shows.
*Install Adaware, as Emmett suggested and let it scan and clean your system.
*Install another spyware program like SpyGuard and let it scan and clean your system. Different programs have different adware libraries, so multiple scans by different programs frequently turn up things the first ones missed.
*Then install a program like Spyware Blaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html , which prevents new spyware from being installed and warns you when you go to a page that tries.
Like viruses, adware is constantly "improved", so make sure to keep your scanning software up to date and scan periodically.
It took me 6 hours of research and a lot of trial and error to FINALLY get the "smarter" search bar off my browser. My work IT dept was entirely useless as far as helping me -- in the end, I showed them what I'd learned so they could pass it along within their team. Feh!
Good luck!