How to remove CWS spyware

[Ioman]

You should be able to delete it using the CWS Shredder program.

Here is a description:

A small utility for removing CoolWebSearch (aka CoolWwwSearch, YouFindAll, White-Pages.ws and a dozen other names). Spybot S&D tends to forget essential parts of the hijack, so until it updates, you can just this to completely remove the hijack. Updated to remove the new variants once they come out.

More information on the CWS hijacker, including recent variants of it, can be found here.

Note: CoolWWWSearch.SmartKiller (v1 and v2) is a newer, real ugly variant of CoolWWWSearch. When running, it will close every browser window you use to visit a large list of anti-spyware-sites, and even will close Spybot-S&D and some other anti-spyware applications as well. Download CoolWWWSearch.SmartKiller (v1/v2) MiniRemoval which can disable this latest version.

You can download it here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html

[ECA]

fun part is thay are always changing this prog...

[llbbl]

Here is a list of programs that will get rid of this spyware. If you do a google search I am sure that you will be able to find a place to download them.

X-Cleaner
RegBlock
PestPatrol
Ad-Aware
Norton AntiVirus

[llbbl]

CWShredder or HijackThis closes immediately after opening?
There is a variant of the Coolwebsearch trojan spreading that closes several anti-spyware apps when you try to open them.
If this is happening to you, download PepiMK's CoolWWWSearch.SmartKiller removal tool first and run it. After it does its job, CWShredder and HijackThis will run properly (as well Spybot S&D, Ad-aware and several anti-spyware forums).


http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html


CWShredder: (zipped) A small utility for removing CoolWebSearch (aka CoolWwwSearch, YouFindAll, White-Pages.ws and a dozen other names). Spybot S&D and Ad-aware tend to forget essential parts of the hijack, so until they update, you can use this to completely remove the hijack. This program is updated to remove the new variants once they come out.
Read my article with documentation on Coolwebsearch

[pixelsoul]

Notice: cwshredder is having issues with some of the new variants of cool web search adwares. they anounced that they will not be updating the program for these because of the complexity of the removals and that cwshredder will not be able to do a complete removal. Looks like where going to be stuck with the manual instructions. :censored

[ECA]

ya, and Spybot has been having LOTS of problems with this, and 1 active X varient.

I cant kill the active X part...but its BLOCKED from working.

[nightowl]

I wonder if SpywareBlaster blocks it????

[ECA]

Blaster STOPs it from working(I think) but its still there and spybot cant erase it..

[ECA]

Ok, this info has to go someplace, can WE track it??
REF# or something, and Either STOP the person with Police, or COMPLAIN(I have better word) to companies USING this data to find him or take them to court.

We need a lawyer... And need away to track the data.. A bot in a bot..

[nightowl]

eh???

[ECA]

Its tracking software. And its avert sponsor..
It has to have a tracking number to the sponsors, or the data is sent to the OWNER of the Bot itself so that he can forward the Info.

Either way, its an invasion of privacy. And we can sue. IF we can find the person/company/group that installed it.
IF we cant find that, we go to the company/sites/groups they are PUSHING us to, and complain, and ASK for the REF# and the persons name/address/location...If they dont supply it, they get sued ALSO.

[morpheos]

Firstly you need some good spy software i used Webroot Spy Sweeper V3.2.

Then make all your shared folders read only.

Switch of sytem restore.

Reboot your pc in safe mode and run spy sweeper.

Start pc again in normal mode and run spy sweeper again

You can find how to do the sytem restore and safe boot using google, i did easily & im a beginner on a pc.

Ive tried everything else but this is the only way ive fixed this problem.

good luck

morpheos

[oompaloompa]

If you'd like a good place to start, look to a company called Intermix. This is the parent company of myspace whom News Corp purchased. The company specializes in browser hijacking, desktop ad popups, and any number of other shady advertising techniques. A good chunk of myspace revenue comes from Intermix. They are the source for the massive amount of free iphone/ipods, free ringtones, etc etc etc. I am deeply suspicious because one of my computer's only function is to run scripts all day. Just so happens, it is myspace that it runs on and the only site it has ever touched. It ended up getting seriously infected and when I looked, there were well over 1,000 popups on it. Friggin wow. Which, to sum it up, they are under tremendous pressure to make a big profit. Tie that into the fact that they can reach out and touch mega millions, and you have a lot of incentive to do just that.

Hope this helps. Cheers