littlebit870
February 21st, 2003, 10:45pm
This is an interesting problem, the likes of which I have not seen. As of about 10 days ago, when I use Google (or Yahoo or MSN search) search, the results for my query come up as usual BUT NOW there is a NEW window that is ATTACHED to the rest of the Google(yahoo,msn) results window that says "Enhanced Results" " Somehow, some program has gotten into the registry (?) and causes this window to open. NOTE: This is NOT a simple pop-up window, it is actually a part of the frame on the left side of Google. If I minimize the whole window, the "Enhanced Window" goes down with it. How do I get rid of this persistent thing? I emailed Google asking about this and the following is their answer:
Thank you for your note. Although it is appearing on your Google search
results, the frame you are seeing offering "enhanced search results" is
not coming from Google. The frame is actually a piece of software that has
been downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge. If you install
some free programs, you may be installing other unwanted programs as well.
These programs can trigger pop-ups or redirect you to an unwanted site. A
brief description of these programs can be found in these articles:
http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227900-8-7448434-3.html and
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-257592.html.
Some of the information below may help you uninstall this program:
You may want to try using Spybot Search & Destroy software. Google does not officially endorse this program, but many people have reported that it can remove unwanted program components that affect your system. Spybot does not yet detect and remove the program that causes the "Enhanced Search Results" frame, but according to the thread at
http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi?s=3e3f0efe47d7ffff;act=ST;f=32;t=1377
they have found this program and are working on removing it. If you are tech-savvy, you may be able to use this web page to remove the program yourself.
Many users also report that you can simply delete a .dll file in your
windows/system directory and that may solve the problem. To identify this file, go to your windows directory and arrange by date. You may see a file named sbsrch*.dll that is dated on the day the "enhanced results"started. You can't delete this file using windows commands, but you can delete it using the "del"
command in DOS.
In the meantime, if you feel you were deceived when you installed a program that creates pop-ups or redirects, you may want to take action.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles complaints about deceptive orunfair business practices. To file a complaint, visit:
https://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm, call 1-877-FTC-HELP, or write to:
Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
Washington, D.C. 20580
Thank you for writing. We hope to resolve this matter soon.
Regards,
The Google Team
There is also an article about this parasite at the following:
http://www.doxdesk.com/ parasite/SubSearch.html
I downloaded the Hijack This application and took care of my problem. I also found more of the Xupitar files when I used this application. Just be sure to know what you are deleting. I am including a link to a thread at Tech Guy Forums that will help . Just be sure to read all the links I have included so you will know what you are looking for. If you are unsure as to what to get rid of go to one of the forums I have listed and ask for help. The Highjack This application is free to download and safe it is so easy to use and takes care of removing all these parasites that have forced themselves on your computer.
http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/ (Highjack This Application)
Link to thread on the problem:
http://forums.techguy.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=117558&highlight=daughter
Thank you for your note. Although it is appearing on your Google search
results, the frame you are seeing offering "enhanced search results" is
not coming from Google. The frame is actually a piece of software that has
been downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge. If you install
some free programs, you may be installing other unwanted programs as well.
These programs can trigger pop-ups or redirect you to an unwanted site. A
brief description of these programs can be found in these articles:
http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227900-8-7448434-3.html and
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-257592.html.
Some of the information below may help you uninstall this program:
You may want to try using Spybot Search & Destroy software. Google does not officially endorse this program, but many people have reported that it can remove unwanted program components that affect your system. Spybot does not yet detect and remove the program that causes the "Enhanced Search Results" frame, but according to the thread at
http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi?s=3e3f0efe47d7ffff;act=ST;f=32;t=1377
they have found this program and are working on removing it. If you are tech-savvy, you may be able to use this web page to remove the program yourself.
Many users also report that you can simply delete a .dll file in your
windows/system directory and that may solve the problem. To identify this file, go to your windows directory and arrange by date. You may see a file named sbsrch*.dll that is dated on the day the "enhanced results"started. You can't delete this file using windows commands, but you can delete it using the "del"
command in DOS.
In the meantime, if you feel you were deceived when you installed a program that creates pop-ups or redirects, you may want to take action.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles complaints about deceptive orunfair business practices. To file a complaint, visit:
https://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm, call 1-877-FTC-HELP, or write to:
Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
Washington, D.C. 20580
Thank you for writing. We hope to resolve this matter soon.
Regards,
The Google Team
There is also an article about this parasite at the following:
http://www.doxdesk.com/ parasite/SubSearch.html
I downloaded the Hijack This application and took care of my problem. I also found more of the Xupitar files when I used this application. Just be sure to know what you are deleting. I am including a link to a thread at Tech Guy Forums that will help . Just be sure to read all the links I have included so you will know what you are looking for. If you are unsure as to what to get rid of go to one of the forums I have listed and ask for help. The Highjack This application is free to download and safe it is so easy to use and takes care of removing all these parasites that have forced themselves on your computer.
http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/ (Highjack This Application)
Link to thread on the problem:
http://forums.techguy.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=117558&highlight=daughter