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Question

Remove My Start / vi-view.com

Feb 28, 2015 7:37PM PST

Hello Everyone,

Using W7 Ultimate: Firefox 36, (Chrome + IE installed not often used)

I downloaded a music CD and received this My Start browser.

It doesn't show in Control Panel/Programmes and features.

Does not show when entering 'about:config,' under the name of either "My Start" or "vi-view.com" (Which is the name under the logo that has replaced the Firefox logo.)

Scan with AVG Free: SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes has not removed it.

Searching the internet for assistance brings up instructions to 'regedit.'

I am not comfortable doing this without expert assistance, the process is a little above my comfort level as I do not understand how to proceed!

I would be grateful for advice,

Thanks,

Colinito.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Follow Grif's great advice at link.
Feb 28, 2015 9:04PM PST
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Remove My Start
Mar 1, 2015 1:48AM PST

Hello Grif,

I tried to reply to your advice and was informed that I was replying to something over 500 days old!

When I down loaded Adware Cleaner, I kept finding that I had to choose what items to uncheck or not. They seem to be all Registry items, and I have no idea what to check or uncheck. I can not do an Adware SCAN without this page coming up for me to make this choice!

Regards,

Colinito

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The thing is, Adware Cleaner is not ADWCleaner.
Mar 1, 2015 1:57AM PST

Some folk get something other than what was recommended and the questions start again.

The items Grif noted above are run in the exact order and the RKILL is very very important to kill off what is running that may interfere with scans or cleaning with the next titles.

As to what to check off, it's usually nothing to check off. The defaults are almost always the right choice.

That's about it for the automated tools. When it gets to some newer pests you find you have to head to BleepingComputer and follow their posting rules to get a helper to dive into what's new or different.

So far I don't know of any Bible of the registry items when it comes to malware.
Bob

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Answer
Looks very involved from this prior discussion.
Mar 1, 2015 2:13AM PST
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/559391/mystart-search-page/ goes on and on but post there and see if they will prescribe the same routing.

The MBAR advice makes me worry that it's another rookkit on your machine. IF SO, you must make sure your files on safe on no less than 2 backups. That would be an external HDD, some memory stick or optical media (DVD, CD) etc. One backup alone is no backup.

Now you see why many folk just restore the machine to its factory condition.
Bob

PS. Any idea how this came to be on this PC?
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Remove My Start
Mar 1, 2015 3:23AM PST

Hello again, Bob and Grif,

I made the most simple of errors.

I clicked on a link and it took me to a reply posted in 2013. I tried to reply to this without noting the date of the post and got the reply that I later mentioned to Grif.

My apologies.

I have since downloaded ADW Cleaner and scanned then cleaned.

It would seem that the main item noted and removed was my recent download of Expat Shield and all it's attached components.

I live in Spain and sometimes get a video link from friends in the USA which I am not allowed to view in this country. I was advised by a "friend" to try this Expat Shield which would facilitate viewing it here - obviously the wrong advice!

I have saved the scan report and would post it for your and Grif's interest, but I do not see an attachment icon. I could 'copy & paste' if you wish.

I did not run the RKILL scan, would I be advised to go back and run it now?

Thanks again, Bob, for coming in on the thread.

Regards,

Colinito

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Without the RKILL step, pests often defend themselves.
Mar 1, 2015 3:35AM PST

I went to Grif's noted link and read again:
"After downloading or transferring it to the problem machine, run the
following tool to help allow the removal programs below to run.
(courtesy of Grinler at BleepingComputer.com)There are 3 different
versions. If one of them won't run then try to run the other one. Be
patient.... as a black window should open, then close after finding all
the background programs.Vista and Win7 users need to right click and choose Run as AdminYou only need to get one of them to run, not all of them.

Rkill"

If you are not following the advice then we don't expect good results.

As to Expat shield, you won't be happy with my comments on that.
Bob

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Agree with Bob.
Mar 1, 2015 4:26AM PST

You need to run Rkill to disable the malware before you start the cleaning process. If you don't follow this exactly, you will likely fail.
Dafydd.

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OK.
Mar 1, 2015 4:49AM PST
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PS.
Mar 1, 2015 5:10AM PST

If you are using Incredimail, you will get this toolbar.
Dafydd.

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Remove My Start
Mar 1, 2015 6:26PM PST

Hello Bob, Grif and Dafydd,

I do not use incredimail.

Thank you all for your assistance.

I ran the ADW Cleaner.Then the Malwarebytes, then Superantispyware. When they had all finished I rean the Unhide programme. (All scan logs kept.)

Everything seems OK, now!

There are only two strange results and that is that above my Menu Bar (File,Edit,View,History etc) I have another browser box that imitates the small one to the right of my address bar! And the other is that the Firefox icon has disappeared from the top left of my page and now appears beside the extra browser box mentioned earlier!. But I can live with that - I only mention it as it they are a 'new' addition to my homepage view!

Kind regards,

Colinito.

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Re: extra bar
Mar 1, 2015 6:40PM PST

In Firefox, go to View>Toolbars and see if you can uncheck that extra bar.

Kees

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Remove My Start
Mar 2, 2015 4:31AM PST

Hello Kees,

Nice to see you are still here!

Clicking on View, I saw a drop down menu with - Menu Bar, Bookmarks Toolbar and Customise. Customise didn't seem to offer any choices regarding the extra browser box! Not to worry, it is not really of any real importance. The main problem of deleting/removing My Start was the main problem! With that gone, I can live with a mirror image of my browser bar at the top of my home page!

Thank you,

All the best,

Colinito.

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Tried resetting Firefox to defaults?
Mar 2, 2015 5:07AM PST
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Remove My Start
Mar 2, 2015 7:22AM PST

Hi, Kees,

It is no surprise to me that you are on the Moderator's List.

Once again, you have absolutely nailed it!

In answer to your question, I had not tried resetting Firefox.
So I did it.
Now the extra bar has gone!!

I didn't get the Firefox icon back, buit that is not of any use anyway.

A big THANK YOU!

I'm off to bed now and will sleep well, thanks!

Regards,

Colinito