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I just reinstalled windows 2000 and i was surfing the net and something weird has taken over the computer. My homepage is set to smartsearch.ws and it won't let me change home, the default search engine or anything. I have to surf the net through this site. I cna't even try anything in the address bar. It only shows this page. I tried to clear cookies, history, etc. but nothings working. I also tried to see if it installed a program but i don't see anything in the start menu. What can I do to get this piece of crap off my computer?
Thanks,
Paurav
Go and download Ad-Aware and it will take this off your system.
http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/Ad-aware removes spyware, tracking cookies, trojans, and so on. Make sure you keep it updated and run it every so often to remove the nasty things on your computer. There is another program out there called Spy-Bot that does a good job also of removing the spyway,,,,,so on. Everyone that uses Windows should have a copy of Ad-aware or spy-bot.
That should take care of it.
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one of the best things to do is get some backup software
make a perfect windows 2k setup with all drivers and configureation that hasnt been onlinet and make a backup of the windows partition and burn it to cd for later restoration incase anything gose wrong then reinstallation takes a matter of seconds
to fix it you could try spybot
http://www.safer-networking.org/
it will scan for spyware and some system exploits
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spy bot search and destroy is the best out there.
go to www.pchell.com for removale tools and instructions on browser hijacker/spyware.
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Hello.
Doing a Google search for "smartsearch.ws" I found some fixes. The following seems to have worked for me....
1. Reboot into "safe mode" by rebooting and hitting F8 when windows is starting back up.
2. Within safe mode, Launch Windows Explorer. Make sure you can see hidden files and folders. From within Windows Explorer select Tools | Folders Options. Click on the View tab and make sure "Show hidden files and folders" is selected.
3. Look for a file called C:\Windows\explore.exe and deleted it. (Be sure NOT to delete explorer.exe (note 'r')
Then empty your Recycle bin.4. From Start | Run run "regedit". This launces the Windows registry editor
5. Do a search (F3) and search for "smartsearch.ws". Delete all keys which contain this text. Exit when no more found
6. Restart windows. Boot as normal. From Control Panel select Internet Options. Click "Use Blank" in the Home Page pane.
7. Empty your Recycle bin again (to be sure!)
That SHOULD do it. As I said it seems to be working for me. When I launch IE it just comes up on the blank page now. I'm hoping I don't come back later to find it again.
Interestingly, if you go to the smartsearch.ws website and click on "contact us" you get the following BS disclaimer....I feel like mailing the contents of my son's nappy (diaper if you're American) to the address below! >:-)
From smartsearch.ws | contact usBefore sending us an abusive mails, read this:
Some of our affiliates (ex!) started to send visitors to us by unacceptible ways from illegal sites related to warez and pedophilia! This not our fault, we are not supporting this activity, and breaking any agreements with such affiliates immediatly. US authorites already informed.Next time think twice before visiting illegal sites!
We dont know how to help you in this case...Please write your message in chinesse only, we are not US company! We are located:
CHINA
Smart Search Asia Ltd. Shanghai
Representative Office
Rm. 123-45, Pine City
12 Chong An Road
Shanghai 200032
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i have that s--- coming and coming againg ,i tried to fix it editing the register ,with ad aware and with apyboot ,but nothing seems apropiated to get rid of this f---ing parasite.im lost in paradise ,if someone has a real good solution pls post it here ,not the same old solutions posted years earlier.this parasite seems inoculated and resistant to ad aware and spyboot.
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i think is fixed.i downloaded the spywarestopper at http://www.spyblocker-software.com/IPB/index.php .i dont know if i can get rid of this parasite but at least i blocked him in iesettings/advanced changing all the entries that were changed by the spy.get back to me if somebody find the vaccine to erase it.good luck.
note that ad aware and spyboot dont erase it,so dont waste ur time.
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no way ,i lost the figth with this scuking parasite,i tried all nigth long to find some cure but nopeeeeee,zerooooo,nadaaaaa,nothing,riennnnn.even the anty spies programs that i have dont run ,every time i try to get one of them to run the f---ing parasite closes it,i dont know what to do,i read that this is a new tool used by webmasters and is named pay par click.f--- who did this s--- ,but keeping my hope that some vaccine emerge today to destroy this f---ing mothersucker.
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Hello!
http://www.merijn.org/files/cwshredder.zip
Take down this program and run it..
I did, and now i have fixt my explorer.Have a nice day..
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I tried all these solutions... nothing is able to put away this f... sh....
I become totally mad ...
Please help me....
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J'ai trouvé et ça marche :
Virez le programe iexplorer des fichiers en cours d'utilisation (ctrl+alt+spr) ainsi que dans les applications qui se lancent au démarage : dans excuter>msconfig
ensuite virez le fichier c:windows\iexplorer (c'est pas un dossier, seulement un fichier)
puis lancez la base de registre : exécuter>regedit
allez dans HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Internet Explorer>Main et virez dadans tous les scripts avec comme donnée searchengine.ws
faites pareil en cliquand sur le fichier général Internet Explorer (il y en a 2).
Puis ouvrez votre internet explorer (comme pour aller sur le web) et dans outils sélectionnez l'option pour rétablir les paramètres d'internet explorer d'origine.Voilà, c'est fini.
Si vous avez un problème, répondez sur ce forum, je passerai voir de temps en temps.
@+P.S: Pliz translate this message in english
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Under WINDOWS XP, I restored a yesterday system recovery backup (Point de restauration systeme)and this crap of smartsearch went away.
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ah là g réglé le problème définitivement (il persiste ce coquin), alors pour ça, vous faites ce que je dis :
Virez le programe iexplorer des fichiers en cours d'utilisation (ctrl+alt+spr) ainsi que dans les applications qui se lancent au démarage : dans excuter>msconfig
ensuite virez le fichier c:windows\iexplorer (c'est pas un dossier, seulement un fichier)
puis lancez la base de registre : exécuter>regedit
sélectionnez le dossier "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" et allez dans rechercher, là entrez comme donnée 'searchengine.ws'. Virez tous les scripts contenant searchengine.
Faites pareil que pour le dossier "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" en cliquant à chaque fois sur un grand dossier du type HKEY (il y en a 5), lancez la recherche, virez.
Puis quand c fini, ouvrez votre internet explorer (comme pour aller sur le web) et dans outils sélectionnez l'option pour rétablir les paramètres d'origine d'internet explorer.
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im a windows 98 user
go into system information---->system config, on the startup bar it should say "user system and then an address"
this address on your hard drive is a fake file, in my case "iexplorer.exe" instead of the genuine "iexplore.exe". but it may be an alternative spelling of explorer or another executable.
uncheck all references to this from system config.
Now, run regedit (just type regedit in the command prompt)
search for smartsearch.ws
right click on the result delete the entry, go to find next do the same, until your clear.If this dont work, email me and we'll send the b---tards a letter bomb.
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I think of all the f... spyware and adwares on the net..this is the the mother of all spywares!
I tried to remove it by trying to download spybot or lavasoft..the stupid smartsearch.ws closed the download page b4 i could download it!! Damn.
It won't let me run the adware remover which was already install in my computer too!!
What is happening!!
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For w2000 users ! First, restart windows and force it into safe mode (by pressing F8 at the first progress bar at startup), and ONLY THEN launch the utility below
http://www.merijn.org/files/cwshredder.zip
(courtesy king_raa above)If w2000 is not in safe mode, the f*%$ing smartsearch will KILL the cwshredder before the disinfection !
In order for the CWShredder to work, you may also need to download MSVBVM60.DLL from
http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/pop.shtml?msvbvm60 if it is not already on your system (c:\winnt\system32 is a good place to look for it/put it)
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mm, I got it, it at last f---ed off my internet explorer, it was so f---ing annoying. Open control panel, and change the homepage to about:blank. And then hit Ctrl+alt+del and endtask every thing called iexplorer or iexplore. Watch out when you do so, this window which u are reading the message in will be closed. So continue reading till the end and then perform this procedure.
Ahhh, here it is in steps:
Open control panel, and change the homepage to about:blank. After endtask all iexplorer and iexplore. After that go Start - run - type regedit. A window shall open, hit F3 and typing in the search box "smartsearch.ws", click on find. just delete the smartsearch.ws u get, and then hit F3 again to find more, do the same to alll until u get that no smartsearch.ws can ever be found. Now you can close the window.You don`t have to reboot or anything. Just run the internet explorer and there it is, home sweet home about:blank (I recommend you peeps to keep it about:blank cause putting a website would delay the opening of internet explorer. Hope it'll work with u all.) Oh btw, this deleted my favorites so u better save them before you do this procedure.
Please send me an e-mail at pierrebouabboud@hotmail.com incase it worked or incase not just to check it out. thanks
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desole cet parasite est tres habil ,il se cache kelke parte dans le registre ,chaque fois que on essaie de l effaceril refait surface avec plus de force,je suis epuise de me battre avec cet putain parasite ,rien functionne ,ni ad aware ni spybot ,il me ferme l explorer enfin il a pris control de mon pc et il fait tout ca que il veut faire le crapaud.
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Hi everybody,
first of all , let us take for granted that we are among the such guys who are sufferring from this new kind of virus like thing, in fact it is not a virus.
i have successfully over come this bloddy trap by smartsearch. and i would love to help you all. please mail me on "s_ruchit@hotmail.com" with subject SMARTSEARCH and i will mail u the solution back in reply....
IP of smartsearch.ws server :81.211.105.26
good bye,
Ruchit Surati,
Ahmedabad,
India.
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Well, I think that was the most ##**#* anoying thing I have ever come across in 10 years of Internet Explorer.
I tried most of the above options, and one worked perfectly for me!
Im running WindowsXP Pro.
I downloaded http://www.merijn.org/files/cwshredder.zip
Left it on my desktop (still zipped)
Restarted my computer, pressed F8 when the windows startup screen started (this starts the computer in safe mode)
Then once started, I unzipped cwshredder.zip and ran the application, if found smartsearch (**#**# thing), and destroyed it, I reset my homepage to blank in "internet options" via control panel.
Restarted the computer as usual, and what would you know, it worked!!!So after 5 hours of trying to kill this dam think, it is gone.
Saved me a reformat, and full OS reinstall.
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