Tech: Enc Ace Meta- how to remove?

Subject: Tech: Adware: how to remove?
From: Noreen
Date: 08 Jun 04 - 10:10 AM

After one of my children managed to inadvertently install a new unremovable browser bar which made ie crash whenever I tried to change back to my homepage settings, I did a sweep with Ad-Aware 6.0 (I already had Spybot which picked up nothing new).

I removed a load of unwanted adware, diallers and other junk (including eventually a file called Enc Ace Meta which kept putting itself back exactly where I'd deleted it from) and now ie is working fine, with no unwanted browser bar.

However, Norton tells me that I still have two threats, which cannot be deleted. One of them (Adware.Topsearch) came with Kazaa, which I have deleted (though it still shows on the 'Add/Remove programs' list and won't be removed, which is what Norton suggest.

The other is Adware.Lop. I did as Norton suggests and went to the lop.com site- this removed the browser bar but it occurs to me that they're not going to let me off that easily- their tactics don't appear exactly ethical...

I am stumped.

Anyone any ideas? Apart from keeping the kids away from the computer?

:0/

Subject: RE: Tech: Enc Ace Meta- how to remove?
From: Noreen
Date: 08 Jun 04 - 10:13 AM

BTW- I think (fingers crossed) I've got rid of Enc Ace Meta, between starting this thread and finishing my posting- so sorry for the misleading title.

Subject: RE: Tech: Enc Ace Meta- how to remove?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 08 Jun 04 - 02:07 PM

Noreen –

I'd suggest a visit to SpywareInfo.com to see if you think they can help. Be sure to read the FAQ completely. They require that you run AdAware or Spybot – Spybot recommended, which you've done – then run Hijack This! and post the HT! log file for comment. They have links for getting Hijack This! if you don't have it.

I haven't used the service, but I've looked at several of their threads and they appear to be very knowledgeable. They're in better position to help than we can do with random guesses here.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Enc Ace Meta- how to remove?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jun 04 - 02:41 PM

Noreen,

My kids don't use my computer any more. I just couldn't risk the stuff they might accidentally download, and I make a point of trying to keep them up to date on what they should and shouldn't be doing with the computer. We saved up, had a garage sale, etc., and bought them a Dell last fall. It's faster than mine and more up to date, but it's theirs and they have a vested interest in using it right. They really like having their own computer--and they don't take it for granted.

Meanwhile, I still do all of the computer maintenance around here and I regularly run updates on their computer as well as mine. Often as not, I'll run an update on mine then tell the child who is logged on at the time to run the update on theirs. This way they get to practice on their own. It may seem an expensive way to teach that lesson, but the price of a computer is worth it so that I can continue to telecommute from home.

The only thing I would add to what John has recommended is to get a good remote (USB or firewire) hard drive and a copy of Norton's Ghost. Make regular full backups of the computer and if you have to, restore the image. A trick I have figured out that (knock on wood) has worked for me so far: I divided my C drive (80 gig) into C:, D:, and E: and on the D: drive I have installed all of my productivity software. My Documents also operates from the D: drive. The operating system, the browsers, that sort of thing, are on the C: drive. Assuming that mal-wear by default installs itself on the C: drive, in the past when I had something go wrong that I couldn't fix, I restored the C: drive and that wrote over whatever the problem was. I didn't lose my email or productivity files created during the time since the last backup because they were on a drive that was never affected. If something bigger comes along and trashes the whole thing, then I'd lose some of my work if I restored the whole computer. It's worth the investment if you use your computer for more than simple household stuff and games for the kids.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Enc Ace Meta- how to remove?
From: Noreen
Date: 09 Jun 04 - 07:55 AM

Thanks very much, John and SRS. I appreciate the time you spent replying. Children will be talked to again.

I'll investigate that link, John.

(Notice the Google ads below this for Spyware and Adware cleaners?) :0)

Subject: RE: Tech: Enc Ace Meta- how to remove?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Jun 04 - 08:38 AM

Those hard drives have come way down in price. I bought this probably close to a year ago and with rebates, this Western Digital 120 gig drive was about $1 a gig. They're probably much less now. It isn't plugged in all of the time, only when I need it, keeping it from getting whatever might affect the rest of the computer if I do ever get some global bug.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Enc Ace Meta- how to remove?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 09 Jun 04 - 09:39 PM

Stilly -

I use one of the Western Digital 120 GB external USB drives as an "instant packup" on the rare occasions when I need to take the laptop somewhere. It's a fast copy of everything I might need just by copying all my documents across, doesn't fill up the laptop's small drive, and is a quick plug-in when I need some info I'd usually have forgotten to take along if I had to sort stuff to fit the laptop. (As long as I remember to take a USB cable along.)

Between my rare trips its a place to store the "excess" that "I'm gonna put on CD someday."

Very useful for all kinds of things.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Enc Ace Meta- how to remove?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 12:15 AM

My laptop is so old that I'd have to use one of the old serial or PCMCI (or whatever that acronym is) slots. No USB, firewire, etc. And it isn't worth it to adapt it. Not a lot of RAM either. 40 meg is all. It sounds like we have the same type of external drive. It's very handy.

SRS