My computer is being taken over.
 

Ok, I installed a program the other day that had nothing in its EULA about all the spyware it had. the fucker actually changed my start pages in the registry and did some other stuff. anyway, I've managed to clean most of it out except for one thing. Whenever I encounter a situation where you would normally get a 404 type message, I am getting a page called Internet Optimizer that is trying to sell me stuff. (ex: http://www.internet-optimizer.com/He...s=wsi9&rid=r01 )
I hate it, and want it dead. Can somebody tell me what I need to do to track it down, kill it, and then track its owners down and kill them?

Try Ad Aware

The only way to completly rid yourself of spy ware is to take a sledgehammer to your tower.

Use Ad Aware, http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Ad Aware kicks ass...I run it monthly.

Another vote for Ad Aware here - it is one of the best programmes around. When I first ran it I had 50+ spyware programmes it got rid of.

ONE MORE vote for AD-AWARE. I use it all the time, and I just rescently used it on my friends computer, who got so many pop-ups you just wanted to pick up the computer and throw it against the wall. I ran it and it found 246!!! bad entries. Here is a link to the download page. Just click HERE

Also if that doesn't work you could try searching your entire registry using the find command. Not sure if it would work, but open regedit, and then click on the top of the tree, and then goto the menu and goto find... Then type something like optimize, or something like what is in that url you don't want, and maybe you will get a hit. Then you can remove that entry, and keep searching till you find them all. Just BE CAREFUL, messing with the registry can be very bad if you make the wrong deletions, etc. Unless you are sure, just back up your registry before you start. Hope this helps get rid of that POS ad. Good Luck.

G_Lock

Ad Aware is an excellent product. If it doesn't do the trick, check out: Hijack This! The site has a simple utility which does not require an install. It shows all the registry and other hacks on your PC and gives you the opportunity to delete them. If you are very savvy you can remove them yourself. If not, read the web site carefully as it provides a way for you to post a list of the hacks your PC generated on the web site's forum and someone will tell you exactly which hacks are benign and which ones need to be removed.
Good luck

Spybot: Search & Destroy is also good. I use both it and ad aware on a regular basis.

ad aware owns

also something that i use altho it has yet to find anything more for peace of mind is lockdown corp swat it found here

https://onesecond-128.bit-encryption...tdownload.html

it is freeware and they also do def updates for it as well.

I run AdAware and SpyBot in tandem. Together, they pretty much keep my machine spyware free.

Thanks for the reccomendations. I had run AdAware and Spybot, but it looks like I was due for an update. d/led installed ran, and now I'm clean again.

One more vote for AdAware.

I'll also mention that using a browser other than IE can circumvent most spyware, since that's the browser most spyware builds itself into.

I too use both adaware and spybot. i find that they each have there own strengths. i saw the link for adaware and thought i'd provide a link for spybot.
http://security.kolla.de/

Me too. These programs work well together.

I recommend Ad-Aware +Spybot for actual cleaning along with Zonealarm for securing your ports all day long.

I've had Zonealarm for about 3 months on this computer with 3,000 some intrusions attempted, and 200 some of those rated as high risk, all squashed flat.

i had the problem with optimizer at the bottom of the web site it takes you to it has an un-install button(i think). if i remember i read on a web site that for stuff that auto downloads without user consent it has to have an un-install feature somewhere hidden.

now to my new problem incrediblefind.com like optimizer only links to sirsearch.com. i have not found the uninstall thing on this one but i am just starting to look. I have ad-aware and just downloaded spybot. if anyone has any other ideas than doing a registry raid please let me know.

i never had problems removing the internet optimizer from customer computers...usually there is something fishy in add/remove programs