If you use "hotbar" beware!

[Alex]

A friend of mine just sent me an email with "hotbar" smilies.
Hotbar is a REALLY bad thing to do to your computer. It can cause lock ups, slow performance and it transmits where you surf on the net...including personal information such as your name back to hotwire!!
Here is an article on the subject

http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/tec072003.html

 

[cubsfan]

Thanks for the heads-up Alex

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, it does stink. I really need to purge Hotbar and Kazaa to the netherworlds of my computer.

 

[Pin Wizard]

 

[Nutsy]

My son used to use hotbar..I must tell him about this.......

Thanks Alex

 

[Manda1219]

I just had a big problem with my computer, and I don't use any of these programs!!! I kept getting weird pop-ups for anti-virus stuff. It even reset my home page to some anti-virus info link, SUPPOSEDLY for anti-virus software. It went so far as to tell me my IP address, my location, and what system I was running on! It even opened my cd rom drive! That's when I knew something was wrong.
I was advised to download Adaware...I found 110 different adware and spyware programs in my computer!!! It's pretty scary, but I urge everyone to download this program. It is completely free, and will help you to get rid of these harmful programs that cannot be traced by programs such as McAfee!!!

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,7423,00.asp
The free download link is at the end of the article!

 

[Alex]

adaware is good stuff. there is another one called spybot that catches some other stuff.
If you really get in trouble and neither of those work the most powerful one is called Hijackthis but be REALLY careful with that one, you can do some damage. I have seen computers where that was the only thing that worked.
Some other spyware that seems to be common:
incredimail
smiley central
top search

 

[Flyfly_Eclipse]

I use spybot. Works pretty well. It's insane how many spyware programs that get onto your computer My computer has been acting pretty messed up again lately. Lock ups, computer not even really powering up all the way, etc. I just noticed a sign that I may have a worm on my computer....ugh...the infamous file named "~" that randomly shows up on my computer desktop.

Thanks for telling me about this. A program I used to use had downloaded the Hotbar automatically...without any permission from me.

Just realized that when I told my dad about my problems, he downloaded Adaware as well.

 

[Serena]

Thanks Alex

 

[Dan Murphy]

I've seen a lot of the smiley centrals here on the DIS lately. I did mention it as spyware in another thread some days back. Bad stuff.

 

[Otto's Doll]

Okay, guys, on your say so, I uninstalled the smiley central/my web tool bars from my computer. Do I need to do anything else? I am also running spybot as I type this. Anything else I should do?
Thanks for your input.

 

[Kimberle]

Yup! Had to have IT "scrub" it out of my computer.

Has TONS of spyware!!

 

[Michelina]

I also read that if the message window pops up that says "Do you want to download Hotbar" and you click "no" it can download anyway.