SearchSquire.com

[guitarelf]

AOL Spyware Remover has found & removed searchsquire.com twice in the last ten days. That seems to indicate to me that ss.com may well make another appearance. How can I keep it out for good? I've seen some solutions elsewhere on the Net, but they are FAR too technical for my senior's brain. I have the following spyware/security installed (all with latest updates): SpyBot S&D, Norton AntiVirus, SpywareGuard, SpywareBlaster, Ad-Aware SE Personal, XoftSpy 4.16, ZoneAlarm Pro, AOL Spyware Protection. :-\

[snowbound]

Hi guitarelf,

i found a couple of links,

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11784&pid=73487&st=0&#entry73487

http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/SearchSquire.html

Hopefully there is something there that will help u.

I'm sure this thread will be moved to a more appropriate forum. ;) ;D


snowbound

[guitarelf]

Hello snowbound, good to hear from you again. After I'd posted yesterday, I tried the following: AOL SpywareRemover identified ss.com & removed it. I went to internet properties/privacy/sites & added ss.com to the always block list. I looked at the two links you provided, the second one looks slightly less intimidating, I think I might be able to pluck up courage & have a go if this little beast turns up again. I also had a look in my program files, there is no trace of anything to do with ss.com at the moment. Will adding ss.com to the always block list keep it out? (Windows XP home, sp2,all updates, AOL 9 Platinum 2mb,Presario 2504EU laptop)
Really appreciate your speedy responses to my rather pedestrian problems!! :)

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "AOL Spyware Remover has found & removed searchsquire.com twice in the last ten days....I have the following spyware/security installed (all with latest updates): SpyBot S&D" }-AOL Spyware Remover is well known for removing valid protection entries contained in certain Security programs databases. Spybot's Immunization....in particular it's IE's Restricted Sites protection has searchsquire.com contained in it's database.

To check this run Spybot's Immunize feature....then run AOL Spyware Remover. Does it find searchsquire.com?
If so....let AOL SR fix it and then re-run Spybot's Immunize again. Does Spybot inform you that 1 additional protections possible ?

Also....does AOL SR give you a location where it is finding searchsquire.com ?
If so....is it in the below location ?

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains

[guitarelf]

Ok, Bubba, this is what happened: Ran SpyBot immunize feature (twice), it said that 7140 Bad Products were already blocked. Ran AOL Spyware Protection, it found ss.com & I asked it to fix it. Re-ran SpyBot immunize, but no message about 1 ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS POSSIBLE. AOL SP DOES give the location of ss.com as: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains
Over to You, o great CyberSleuth,
GElf.:)
P.S. Forgot to say, in Internet Properties, also added ss.com under Security & Privacy

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "AOL SP DOES give the location of ss.com as: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains" }-That is indeed the registry key where Internet Explorer Trusted and Restricted Sites are placed whether a user adds them manually or they are added by programs such as Spybot\Immunize, Spywareblaster, IE-Spyad....etc. IMHO it is another False positive by AOL's Spyware Remover which is using the Spyware Eliminator engine by Aluria ::)

[guitarelf]

Wow, interesting stuff. So if AOL finds it again, delete it & forget about it? If this is a False Positive problem, why on earth aren't AOL doing something about it? There are freeware applications available that work better than that...AOL has resources that most of us can only dream about...bit of a bum steer I say! ;) ;D

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "Wow, interesting stuff. So if AOL finds it again, delete it & forget about it?" }-Speaking of this item only....if AOL finds it again do not let it delete it again and if AOL has the selection to ignore it in future scans select that.-{ Quote: "If this is a False Positive problem, why on earth aren't AOL doing something about it?" }-I do not know their track record of how well they fix their False positives. If they do not do it after a reasonable amount of time after being notified by their customers then take appropriate action....dump em.

-{ Quote: "There are freeware applications available that work better than that" }-Yes there are and I suggest you try some of the tried and true free ones.

Try these---> Trustworthy Anti-Spyware Products (http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm#trustworthy)

[guitarelf]

Bubba, thanks very much for the good advice. I've been an AOL customer for quite a while & generally speaking, I have little to complain about, but I go to considerable lengths to keep a pristine environment within my computer & annoyances like this waste valuable time (yours & mine for starters!)...sort out your housekeeping AOL! ;) :)
GElf.

[guitarelf]

Just did a quick AOL scan, sure enough, up came ss.com...told AOL to allow, so all things being equal Bubba, that should sort it. Thanks v. much for sharing your experience & knowledge.;D
GElf.

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "Just did a quick AOL scan, sure enough, up came ss.com...told AOL to allow, so all things being equal Bubba, that should sort it." }-Well there ya go....another AOL happy camper 8)
BTW....don't hesitate to post AOL's future scan results. We'll weed thru them also.

[guitarelf]

Will do. :)