Ad Ware- Spy Ware Removal

[Kay B]

I received a email (I did not open it) with a friend request at EA. It put a AD-Ware on my computer and only affects EA. I have reported the member to both EA and Ning.
My problem is removing the problem which is called SIMBAR.
I need help! Please !

[Tina]

I'm sorry I can't be much help-- but I can send you somewhere to get great help

http://www.majorgeeks.com/

The members here are great at knowing what to do for just about anything!!

[Kay B]

Thanks Tina. I try there for help. I had forgotten about that site. ;)

[Praxeas]

This is not a virus or trojan. It is a direct-marketing adware application. This application generates extra pop-up ads while using Internet Explorer.
This kind of application generally comes bundled with another program, which usually discloses the fact that it is ad-supported. Users agree to have the Adware installed in the license agreement, although they may not realise at first that this file was packaged with the product they installed.



Do you have a spyware program? If not dl spybot S&D for free and Ad aware for free, update them. Boot into safe mode and run spybot and see if that removes it. If not then we have more work. It's possible to remove them.




BTW are you getting popups? It might be as simple as uninstalling this or going into add ons and disabling it. Or using Hijackthis to remove it

[Praxeas]

I received a email (I did not open it) with a friend request at EA. It put a AD-Ware on my computer and only affects EA. I have reported the member to both EA and Ning.
My problem is removing the problem which is called SIMBAR.
I need help! Please !
BTW unopened emails can't put ad-ware on your PC

Ad ware comes from installing a program or going to a website and getting a popup and clicking on it.

[Kay B]

Thanks Praxeas, sorry I didn't see this reply until now. I do have Spy-bot Search and Destroy and Ad-Ware SE Personal . I will try your suggestions tomorrow if time permits. I also have all my pop ups enabled though I have allowed them temporarily a few times.
I do believe it may have come with a tool bars that were included with programs I've been trying to remove. One is the AFF tool bar. ;) The other is SweetIM for IE.
Thanks for the help.I'll let you know when I've completed the advice if it removed the bar.

This is not a virus or trojan. It is a direct-marketing adware application. This application generates extra pop-up ads while using Internet Explorer.
This kind of application generally comes bundled with another program, which usually discloses the fact that it is ad-supported. Users agree to have the Adware installed in the license agreement, although they may not realise at first that this file was packaged with the product they installed.



Do you have a spyware program? If not dl spybot S&D for free and Ad aware for free, update them. Boot into safe mode and run spybot and see if that removes it. If not then we have more work. It's possible to remove them.




BTW are you getting popups? It might be as simple as uninstalling this or going into add ons and disabling it. Or using Hijackthis to remove it

[Kay B]

I received a email (I did not open it) with a friend request at EA. It put a AD-Ware on my computer and only affects EA. I have reported the member to both EA and Ning.
My problem is removing the problem which is called SIMBAR.
I need help! Please !

I have learned that this wasn't the cause of the problem.

[Kay B]

Thanks Praxeas, sorry I didn't see this reply until now. I do have Spy-bot Search and Destroy and Ad-Ware SE Personal . I will try your suggestions tomorrow if time permits. I also have all my pop ups enabled though I have allowed them temporarily a few times.
I do believe it may have come with a tool bars that were included with programs I've been trying to remove. One is the AFF tool bar. ;) The other is SweetIM for IE.
Thanks for the help.I'll let you know when I've completed the advice if it removed the bar.

I'm upgrading to Windows Vista.Hopefully all the problems I had will be elimanated.
Using my laptop until all uppdates are finished. it's taking awhile. :whistle

[Praxeas]

Thanks Praxeas, sorry I didn't see this reply until now. I do have Spy-bot Search and Destroy and Ad-Ware SE Personal . I will try your suggestions tomorrow if time permits. I also have all my pop ups enabled though I have allowed them temporarily a few times.
I do believe it may have come with a tool bars that were included with programs I've been trying to remove. One is the AFF tool bar. ;) The other is SweetIM for IE.
Thanks for the help.I'll let you know when I've completed the advice if it removed the bar.
We have a tool bar?

BTW upgrading to Vista is not going to cure anything. My roomie's laptop is constantly getting viruses and spyware I have to remove for him

[Praxeas]

Also disconnect your computer from the internet. First update spybot search and Destroy and any other spyware program you have like ad-aware. IF they are not updated and you are not using "immunize" then your PC is not protected.

To use Immunize you first click on immunize..the bar goes across and tells you how many you have unprotected. Then click on "immunize" in the top and it will immunize your browser.

[Praxeas]

Do you have a firewall too? Are you updating all your security programs weekly?

this bar might be associated with the NING network which EC uses
http://help.ning.com/cgi-bin/ning.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3121

[Kay B]

Do you have a firewall too? Are you updating all your security programs weekly?

this bar might be associated with the NING network which EC uses
http://help.ning.com/cgi-bin/ning.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3121

I believe you are correct. This is where the notice showed up.

Not sure if I will continue with Vista as there are so many Windows updates taking a lot of space and TIME!
I do run my Antivirus each week and have it all set for auto updates etc.

Thanks for all your help Prax. :)

[Kay B]

We have a tool bar?BTW upgrading to Vista is not going to cure anything. My roomie's laptop is constantly getting viruses and spyware I have to remove for him

Yes I got it at vBulletin site.

I haven't received any viruses thank goodness. I'm always running scans.Just recently having these problems showing up. Hubby's computer and our laptops are all fine. Just a glitch in mine that I'm trying to track down. ;) I don't like it when things don't work correctly. Hopefully I wont crash it completely. It's still under warranty. :D ( til Jan)

[Praxeas]

I believe you are correct. This is where the notice showed up.

Not sure if I will continue with Vista as there are so many Windows updates taking a lot of space and TIME!
I do run my Antivirus each week and have it all set for auto updates etc.

Thanks for all your help Prax. :)
Great. Is your virus scanner paid? Eventually if you don't renew they stop getting updates. Also you need to update the spyware scanner weekly too

[Praxeas]

Yes I got it at vBulletin site.

I haven't received any viruses thank goodness. I'm always running scans.Just recently having these problems showing up. Hubby's computer and our laptops are all fine. Just a glitch in mine that I'm trying to track down. ;) I don't like it when things don't work correctly. Hopefully I wont crash it completely. It's still under warranty. :D ( til Jan)
Dont for get to run a fully updated spybot Search and Destroy in safe mode without networking.

Also see if simbar is in your add remove program list and remove it (after running spybot)

[Kay B]

Great. Is your virus scanner paid? Eventually if you don't renew they stop getting updates. Also you need to update the spyware scanner weekly too

Paid thru 2012.Have the full McAfee package and updates all Auto. Scans every week. :D

[Cindy]

I can't get my Windows Updates installed. Don't understand why. I do have good virus protection and all the bells and whistles with AVG. Mostly my Windows IE and security updates that won't install.:(

[Kay B]

Dont for get to run a fully updated spybot Search and Destroy in safe mode without networking.

Also see if simbar is in your add remove program list and remove it (after running spybot)

Got the new version of Spy-Bot and Ad Ware now installed without any problems. ;) Ran all the scans and immunized. All is clear. I will run SD in safe mode today probably.
I don't particularly like the Spybot-Resident that is part of SD but it is a good feature I'm sure for protection. ;)

[Cindy]

Does anyone know what a tracking cookie is?

[Praxeas]

Got the new version of Spy-Bot and Ad Ware now installed without any problems. ;) Ran all the scans and immunized. All is clear. I will run SD in safe mode today probably.
I don't particularly like the Spybot-Resident that is part of SD but it is a good feature I'm sure for protection. ;)
Don't install tea timer.

BTW a tracking cookie is a text document websites place on the pc to track what other pages you have visited

[Praxeas]

I can't get my Windows Updates installed. Don't understand why. I do have good virus protection and all the bells and whistles with AVG. Mostly my Windows IE and security updates that won't install.:(
Make sure your firewall is not blocking it.

For both of you one tool to get is Hijackthis.

DL it and install it. Run it with a full scan and log. Take the log to MajorGeeks or castlecops or some place and tell them what problem you have. Run HJT in safe mode.

Do not use it to "fix" anything other than what a tech guy says at one of those websites (also let me see it as I know some problems to fix too)

[Kay B]

Don't install tea timer.

BTW a tracking cookie is a text document websites place on the pc to track what other pages you have visited

To late I wasn't sure and it was downloaded with Spybot. How do I remove it or disable it?
BTW all the scans so far are not showing anything.
I have heard of the program Highjackthis.I've been very hesitant about dl it as i'm not real sure I would understand all the instructions.
I'm happy for now as i'm not having any problems. I will run the Spybot in safe mode soon. I've neglected some things the past few days with this so have to spend time on other things not computer related tomorrow.
Thanks again for all your help Praxeas.

[Praxeas]

To late I wasn't sure and it was downloaded with Spybot. How do I remove it or disable it?
BTW all the scans so far are not showing anything.
I have heard of the program Highjackthis.I've been very hesitant about dl it as i'm not real sure I would understand all the instructions.
I'm happy for now as i'm not having any problems. I will run the Spybot in safe mode soon. I've neglected some things the past few days with this so have to spend time on other things not computer related tomorrow.
Thanks again for all your help Praxeas.
Did you say you are not having anymore problems?

HJT, all you need to do is a scan with log and post the log in a tech forum. You still have that simbar thing? Did you check add/remove programs to see if it is there?

[Cindy]

Would it be safe to disable my firewalls to download and install my updates? I have two firewalls.

[Kay B]

Did you say you are not having anymore problems?

HJT, all you need to do is a scan with log and post the log in a tech forum. You still have that simbar thing? Did you check add/remove programs to see if it is there?

I'm not showing the Simbar in any of the scans or any other problems.

BTW I'm not at EA and haven't been over to the ning.com page where the original notice popped up telling me that I had Simbar on my coputer. I requested my account to be removed and that has been done. I haven't decided if I will register at EA again.
Also ning wanted me to use Firefox and I prefer not to use another browser. I'm happy with IE.

[Praxeas]

Would it be safe to disable my firewalls to download and install my updates? I have two firewalls.
you should only have one software firewall running. Having two can cause problems. I would never disable them while on the internet...if you have broadband any time the PC is on you are usually also connected to the internet. Why would you need to shut them down?

[Praxeas]

I'm not showing the Simbar in any of the scans or any other problems.

BTW I'm not at EA and haven't been over to the ning.com page where the original notice popped up telling me that I had Simbar on my coputer. I requested my account to be removed and that has been done. I haven't decided if I will register at EA again.
Also ning wanted me to use Firefox and I prefer not to use another browser. I'm happy with IE.
Firefox is safer.

I don't know why a notice would popup AT ning saying you have simbar unless it was asking if they can install it

[Praxeas]

Did you ever see something built into your browser that said simbar? it may be that what happened is no infection at all, just a warning that an email contained it or a website was trying to install it

[Kay B]

Did you ever see something built into your browser that said simbar? it may be that what happened is no infection at all, just a warning that an email contained it or a website was trying to install it

To be perfectly honest Praxeas since all this has taken place and trying to getSpybot and Ad-ware to run properly they wouldn't before I upgraded to Vista.
So far everything is running that I have always used.
I'm sure Firefox is a good browser. I've read it is. I may eventually try it out. I've heard some have to still use IE for some programs.
I just don't think I'm ready to do the switching. I can hardly walk and chew gum at the same time. Oldtimers /Age must be getting to me. ;)

[Kay B]

Praxeas I did download Sweet Im's for windows Live messenger awhile back. I didn't like it and deleted it through the add-remove. The toolbar was installed with the program and I have ben unable to remove it.I however have been able to disable it.
I have learned that toolbars are very hard to remove.

[Praxeas]

To be perfectly honest Praxeas since all this has taken place and trying to getSpybot and Ad-ware to run properly they wouldn't before I upgraded to Vista.
So far everything is running that I have always used.
I'm sure Firefox is a good browser. I've read it is. I may eventually try it out. I've heard some have to still use IE for some programs.
I just don't think I'm ready to do the switching. I can hardly walk and chew gum at the same time. Oldtimers /Age must be getting to me. ;)
You don't have to switch. I use both

[Praxeas]

Praxeas I did download Sweet Im's for windows Live messenger awhile back. I didn't like it and deleted it through the add-remove. The toolbar was installed with the program and I have ben unable to remove it.I however have been able to disable it.
I have learned that toolbars are very hard to remove.
Might be able to remove it via HJT.

[gaaspul]

I can't get my Windows Updates installed. Don't understand why. I do have good virus protection and all the bells and whistles with AVG. Mostly my Windows IE and security updates that won't install.:(

cneasttx -- are you getting any error messages when trying to update Windows?

[Cindy]

cneasttx -- are you getting any error messages when trying to update Windows?

No, it just says some updates could not be installed. Which was all of them. So none have been installed since the first part of this month. There are 11 of them.

[gaaspul]

No, it just says some updates could not be installed. Which was all of them. So none have been installed since the first part of this month. There are 11 of them.

I was having this same issue last week...it had to do with the Update Agent. Follow these steps and it should fix it for you.

Download and save this file from the Microsoft website then follow the steps below. Remember where you stored the file as you will need the exact location when running it.


Update Agent (http://download.windowsupdate.com/WindowsUpdate/redist/standalone/7.0.6000.381/WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe)


Click Start, click Run, click Browse, locate the file that you saved above, and then click Open.

Add the /wuforce switch to the end of the run command, and then click OK. For example, the run command should appear as the following (where x is the drive letter and "file location" is the folder):

x:\"file location"\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce

Click Run.

Follow the steps to complete the wizard.

Your updates should install now.

[Praxeas]

No, it just says some updates could not be installed. Which was all of them. So none have been installed since the first part of this month. There are 11 of them.
There is an option to remove them from the install que. Do that and then download and install again