Adware?

[preacher]

Hello Strangers,
I know...I know...been gone for awhile, personal & technical difficulties. Mostly straightened out though. Need a little input now though. I think I've picked up a roaming piece of adware called IEXPLORER.EXE (among other names) & wondered if anyone else has run into this. I've used spy-bot & ASquared to try removal but from what I've learned it's a type that detects removal & morphs to another location. Any ideas on how to remove? I just got back up & running & am trying not to have to re-do everything again. Thanks!!
Oh, I'm trying an experiment with a modified hostfile, don't know yet if it's helping.

 

[Don]

http://www.2-spyware.com/file-iexplorer-exe.html

See if you have CoolWebSearch installed; if so, uninstall it.

Do a file search for the file, and delete it.

On a more serious note, the article also mentions that iexplorer.exe could be attached to one of three different viruses. Update your antivirus program and run a full system scan.

Careful with this one: If you're familiar with Regedit (or a similar registry editor program), do a search for any keys with the iexplorer.exe (not to be confused with iexplore.exe). Delete them. More than likely, this arbitrary deleting in the registry will cause some program(s) to stop working. On the plus side, you'll know which program(s) loaded and were using it.

 

[JamieinNH]

Assuming you are running Windows, I would boot to safe mode and then run your scanners. I also like to run a couple of different ones to make sure I have gotten it. Some scanner programs are better that others.

To boot to safe mode, press F8 during the boot up process and that should give me a menu to pick Safe Mode.


Jamie

 

[preacher]

Thanks,
When I first got my ASquare updated it found the coolweb & removed it. According to my Nortons I'm clean on viruses. I'll try the regedit, just wasn't sure what would be safe to remove with the name being so tied in with explorer.
My hostfile worked partly, the windows pop up, but they can't display the intended web sites.

 

[exscentric]

IEXPLORER.EXE is the Microsoft internet explorer program. Start your browser, open task manager and see if it isn't there, then shut down explorer and see if it doesn't go away.

Cont. Alt. Delete keys to get task manager up and go to the processes tab.

 

[exscentric]

Just had a light bulb moment. If you are seeing iexplorer.exe in the adware finder it probably is just listing files in the explorer cache that are suspect.

Did you clear your browser cache? You might try that if you haven't and see if the results aren't better.

 

[Pete]

"iexplore" is Internet Explorer, "iexplorer" is a bug: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.lorsis.worm.html

 

[exscentric]

Ahh, right you are! Of course you knew that when you posted :laugh: Thanks for clearing up the fog I raised.

 

[Pete]

exscentric, wellllllllllllll........maybe they're BOTH bugs

From web:

Is Windows a Virus?

No, Windows is not a virus. Here's what viruses do:

• They replicate quickly - okay, Windows does that.

• Viruses use up valuable system resources, slowing down the system as they do so - okay, Windows does that.

• Viruses will, from time to time, trash your hard disk - okay, Windows does that too.

• Viruses are usually carried, unknown to the user, along with valuable programs and systems. Sigh... Windows does that, too.

• Viruses will occasionally make the user suspect their system is too slow (see 2) and the user will buy new hardware. Yup, that's with Windows, too.

Until now it seems Windows is a virus but there are fundamental differences:Viruses are well supported by their authors, are running on most systems, their program code is fast, compact and efficient and they tend to become more sophisticated as they mature.
So Windows is not a virus.


It's a bug.

 

[exscentric]

When you're right your're right! Been using firefox for several months cuz I got sooooooo tired of MS explorer's tricks or lack there of at times. :thumbs:

 

[Brian30755]

Here's a great help / resource I stumbled across: http://www.short-media.com/forum/ Look in their forum for the topic Spyware/Virus/Trojan help.

These guys have helped me several times, and it's totally free.

They get you to download a program called HijackThis, which creates a log of all this junk on your computer. You then post your log on their forum, and one of the resident "geeks" will look at it and tell you exactly what to do to fix your problem.

Like I said they've helped me on several occasions.

Also, here's a link to a great article from their site about Spyware/Adware etc. http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=132

 

[Dale-c]

I typically use SpyBot and Adaware.
I use both because as others hav said, sometimes you don't always get everything with one but I have had good sucess with using both.
I believe it is spybot that will reboot your system with only essential proccesses to do a scan and clean everything.

I use a Mac primarily so I only have to fix spyware for customers
but these methods have always worked well

 

[preacher]

Thanks for all the help folks. I've found a bunch of junk on my own, but still have the popups no matter what I do. Apparently this booger moves around faster than I can!! I've been using MSN Dialup which I like, but it uses explorer too so I guess I'll go find something that I can run FoxFire with. At least it ain't as buggy!!!

 

[Dale-c]

Try Fry's ISP. I have really liked it. I was supposed to get DSL but then it wasn't available, but with fry's I typically get 54k connections and there is nothing to download or install.
It had three months free and then $9.88 per month after that. They have nationwide access but you want to make sure they have local numbers in your area.

 

[JamieinNH]

No mater what your connection is <who it's through> you can still use FireFox or any other browser that you want. Just connect like always, minimize it, and then open FireFox and surf away!

I run FireFox mostly because it's faster loading and IMO easier to use. Plus it currently has less bugs in it. It's always a plus too to stop viruses that targets IE



Jamie

 

[Dale-c]

That is true Jamie. I did that when I had AOL.
BUt I would still get rid if the overpriced MSN