Argh!!! Spyware!

[AntiSonic]

I downloaded Kazaa today, then got Ad-Aware to clean out the spyware.

But there's still an icon that pops up in my taskbar and shows my connection status(dialing, connecting, checking password, connected, etc.) and just sits there. I can't close it. It has a purple megaphone, or rocket icon.

I deleted all the Cydoor, BDE, and KaZaA itself, but it remains. Anyone know what this thing is?

[Tenchi]

get kazaa lite... www.kazaalite.tk (http://www.kazaalite.tk) uninstall kazaa..ad aware ur computer to remove the spyware, install kazaa lite. there's also instructions for a hosts file trick on there so that u dont have to display pop up ads and such.

[AntiSonic]

I deleted all the files that Ad-Aware brought up but it's still there. :(

[michecon]

Originally posted by AntiSonic
I downloaded Kazaa today, then got Ad-Aware to clean out the spyware.

But there's still an icon that pops up in my taskbar and shows my connection status(dialing, connecting, checking password, connected, etc.) and just sits there. I can't close it. It has a purple megaphone, or rocket icon.

I deleted all the Cydoor, BDE, and KaZaA itself, but it remains. Anyone know what this thing is?

What exactly does a spyware do? I'm very interested in knowing. Sorry I can't help you AntiSonics. I use KaZaalite and don't have that problem.

[Sonny]

Originally posted by Tenchi
get kazaa lite... www.kazaalite.tk (http://www.kazaalite.tk) uninstall kazaa..ad aware ur computer to remove the spyware, install kazaa lite. there's also instructions for a hosts file trick on there so that u dont have to display pop up ads and such.

listen to him. Kazaa Lite is pretty good, or try Imesh, spyware free.

[courtside]

Do a search for a program called "SpyBot Search & Destroy". It's a free download and it goes way beyond programs like Ad-Aware and deletes everything right down to registry entries and unstable cookies.

It may render some programs useless, tho - so KaZaa lite is the way to go since it's not dependant on the spyware side of things to be there in order for the program to work.

I've had recent problems with things like WeatherCast and Search-Explorer that secretly install themselves on your computer and need an excorcism to be removed. These parasitic programs drive me up the friggin wall.

[Invisible Fan]

Originally posted by michecon
What exactly does a spyware do? I'm very interested in knowing. Sorry I can't help you AntiSonics. I use KaZaalite and don't have that problem.

It tracks your online browsing habits and extrapolates that data with the others who are being spied upon into what they hope is marketing gold.

They use statistical numbers and tendencies to devise a way to determine what kind of ad product will get the most clicks on a webpage. For example, if they find out that women in an age group like to buy books online when they read news related websites, they'll try to exploit it.