Shoutbox

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
ShawnZ, i did exactly what you said, but when i restarted PC the adware re-appeared. it took a few seconds after i logged in, then the icons appeared on desktop.

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Then, the spyware that has infected your PC is not from Msgplus! Try downloading Adware or Microsoft Anti-spyware beta and doing a scan to see what other spyware you have installed .

i havent tried the system restore yet, ill need to backup some game stuff first.

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Originally posted by Chestah
Then, the spyware that has infected your PC is not from Msgplus!

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well it came from Messenger Plus and its just not going away effectively.

ive tried numerous spyware removal programs none work.

its like this adware has evolved above Messenger Plus removal and spywareremoval programs.

You won't lose any game saves or anything by the way.

quote:

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
heres what happens. i install it, AND CHECK "I REFUSE TO INSTALL THE SPONSOR SOFTWARE" or whatever. all is good. i restart PC. i have 5 icons on desktop, internet explorer is infected with toolbars and popups.. what the hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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1) This means that the adware did NOT came from this Messenger Plus! installation.

There is no way at all that the sponsor is installed when you select "I refuse to give my support, don't install the sponsor". There is no bug in that, no hidden exception, no nothing.

The procedure in the code for that is extremely simple and very strait forward. It always has worked perfectly and you always will have the choice. This was so in every version (even in private alpha and beta versions!) and will always be so.

2) It also means that you don't give the complete picture (or the true picture) here in describing the problem! Icons do not come out of the blue and since they did not come from this installation they must come from somewhere else, from something you did before what you just described. If they appear after you reboot, it can only mean 2 things:

a) Something was already installed on your computer before you installed this Messenger Plus! version.

b) to add to point a: You have not correctly removed a previous sponsor installation.

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
i uninstall Messenger Plus and its spyware. its all gone, i reinstall... same crap happens either after someone else on my pc logs in or after i restart...

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If they reappear:
1) or you have not correctly uninstalled the sponsor.
2) or the adware was not installed by Plus!, (and thus isn't Plus!'s sponsor), yet it is very similar to the one which came with the Plus! installation. And thus the uninstall program of the sponsor thinks it removed the correct files (because they are very similar). But since it did not came from this specific sponsor, the installation is missing some files. Thus again, actually you haven't removed the adware correctly...

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
WHY DOES IT KEEP COMING BACK I DONT WANT IT I NEVER DID I NEVER CHOSE TO INSTALL IT YET IT PERSISTS TO INFECT MY PC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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If you indeed never ever (even by accident!) have choosen to install the sponsor, then it can not come from Messenger Plus!.

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
interesting.. ive reinstalled plus and uninstalled it many times.

usually when i uninstall it knows that the adware is uninstalled and asks me to enter that code to remove it. but this time (and a few times in past) it didnt.

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You can reinstall and uninstall all you want, if you don't start of from a normal clean machine or if you don't follow the correct uninstallment instructions, you can not jump to conclussions. The problem wil always be the same.

A common mistake (other than not following the instruction for closing every MSIE window), is to have dodgy anti-virus or anti-spyware programs running in the background which actually cripple the correct uninstallment procedure (and often without you noticing it). Some other security monitoring programs do the same.

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
maybe the adware has become independent of plus or something?

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In fact, the adware is always independant of Plus!. The sponsor is a totally seperate and different program.

The only "link" between Plus! and the adware sponsor is a line of code in the setup of Messenger Plus! to start the external installation program of the sponsor (it is indeed an external program, Plus! itself does not contain a single line of code for this). And a line of code to start the external uninstallation program of the sponsor.

eg:
Shell "sponsorinstall.exe"
Shell "sponsoruninstall.exe"

quote:

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
also does it have anything to do with me installing an older version of plus (i still selected NO to the sponsor software) then i used the help menu to update plus (selecting NO again to sponsor s.w.)

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nope, absolutely not (see first reply in this post).

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
another note: i have been using same version of plus for ages, then all of a sudden i noticed this spyware on PC. took me ages to find out it came from Messenger Plus. so then i uninstalled and reinstalled and got the problem i got now, which is same software keeps reappearing.

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This description is actually the best and closest to what your problem might be (instead of the first one you gave in your first post).

If you have always have used Plus! without any of these adware problems, it means only one thing: You never installed the sponsor which came bundled with the Messenger Plus! setup.

Then, all of a sudden, something appeared. This means you (or any other user of the computer for that matter) have done something which made it appear.

Since the sponsor of Plus! will never be installed automatically and behind your back (it can't be a bug either, as that is one of the first things which is very well tested in every version), it means it must have come from somewhere else. That is, IF you are 100% certain you didn't opt in (even by accident) for the installation of the sponsor.

It is perfectly possible that it simply came from surfing the web! Messenger Plus! is not the only program which includes adware provided by C2Media (aka lop). And if your security settings are not optimal, things do get installed (behind your back) when surfing some sites. I, personally, once came across such a site which indeed installed a C2Media adware thingie (luckally I had my settings so that it warned me before installing). So that could have well happened to you (or any other user of your PC).

Once this happened it is very hard, if not impossible, to proof that it came from Plus!. Saying that it came from Plus! because it appears to be uninstalling when you uninstall Plus! isn't proof for that because of what I said before:
the adware was not installed by Plus!, yet it is very similar to the one which came with the Plus! installation. And thus the uninstall program of the sponsor thinks it removed the correct files (because they are very similar). But since it did not came from this specific sponsor, the installation is missing some files. Thus again, actually you haven't removed the adware correctly...

Though, it isn't so hard to proof that it did not came from Plus!; simply the fact that you say that you never opt in for the sponsor of Plus! (even by accident) is that proof because the sponsor of Plus! will not be installed automatically all of a sudden just like that, under any circumstances.

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
what about stuff like software updates. for example:

my ATI driver i updated today.

would that be included in the removal, and will it rollback to whatever version was installed x weeks ago.

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most likely, yes...

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
does the restore actually remove stuff installed in x weeks, or go back to the status it was at, at x weeks?

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That actually depends on what programs you mean and all. Widnows' System Restore isn't a real backup so to speak, but rather a copy of registry, system files and stuff. Mostly Windows components (3rd party drivers included) will indeed be totally roll back. But 3rd party software will not nessecairly be put back, though the older files located in system or user directories will be. It's hard to explain though....

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
ive tried numerous spyware removal programs none work.

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Strange at it may seems, those cause often more damage than anything else.

Unfortunatly, especially in the case of C2Media adware. The reason for this is rather simple though. Anti-spyware tools often do not make the distinction between the various forms of adware that C2Media has. They call everything of that company spyware and treat every package the same. Yet the adware from C2Media is often updated and can come in many levels and forms. If the anti-spyware tools would follow the correct procedures instead of forcing everything, there wouldn't be a problem using those.

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
i install Messenger Plus and its sponsor software

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?? That means you DID indeed install the sponsor program?... I think you probably just said that wrong... But make sure you slow down and take your time going through the installation pages so that you are 100% sure that you're not accidently installing the bundled adware that comes with Messenger Plus!

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Originally posted by groessl35

quote:

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Originally posted by RenegadePuppy
i install Messenger Plus and its sponsor software

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?? That means you DID indeed install the sponsor program?... I think you probably just said that wrong... But make sure you slow down and take your time going through the installation pages so that you are 100% sure that you're not accidently installing the bundled adware that comes with Messenger Plus!

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no. whereever you took that quote from i think you may have taken it out of context. most like i installed Messenger Plus and its sponsor to simply have it removed again so when i remove it, im removing a version which hasnt been interfered with.


CookieRevised:

thanks for the input.

i beleived 100% that the spyware came from MsgPlus. (and who wouldnt when you install the sponsor from plus and its exactly the same product. also when the removal seems to remove it but does a dodgy job because it comes back). now i guess it has come from somewhere else

quote:

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A common mistake (other than not following the instruction for closing every MSIE window), is to have dodgy anti-virus or anti-spyware programs running in the background which actually cripple the correct uninstallment procedure (and often without you noticing it). Some other security monitoring programs do the same.

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safe mode would have prevented other anti-spyware programs running/interfering in the background? i didnt have any other windows open except for the add/remove programs one.

i really need to find the source of where Lop came from. i emailed C2 media and theyre not helping at all...

how can C2Media's software be legal when its spying on my usage. it installed itself (im pretty sure i had nothing to do with it - i could be wrong [not bloody likely] ). and its being a pain by hiding itself and not uninstalling. i know its not particularly malicious but still if C2Media dont tell me how to get rid of it i consider it a virus.

First of all, Cookie is right in assuming the adware doesn't come from Plus!, especially since you said the adware appeared randomly even though you had Plus! installed for some time. Second, it's adware, not spyware: it doesn't care what you're doing, it just displays some ads every so often. Third, have you tried C2Media's uninstallers? System Restore? Other things like that? Maybe even try manual removal?

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Originally posted by Chestah
Try downloading Adware

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AdAware se personal.

No offence here or anything, but are you listening to me, do a system restore to get rid of it easily, you will not lose files.

God damn, why won't people just listen.

It's likely that you installed it with Plus (by accepting the sponsor) and a problem has been stopping it from uninstalling successfully... apparently there will be an updated universal uninstaller tonight, I'll post again when it's available.
traxor: if he has installed it so long ago then System Restore will probably do more harm than good uninstalling other things; also Adaware won't do much good either.