Webshots

I did the contact support thing... got answer that didn't address my concern.
Just a we are in the process of changing everything over to "Smile" and
can't really help you now you dumba$$. (that was my word)
Here's the latest reply: Which will cause me to wait until they get it up.


Re: incomplete uninstall of your "smile" software

Smile | OCT 18, 2012 | 02:40AM UTC
Thank you for your email. We have received your request and are working on responding. Due to the recent transfer from one company to another and the result of many support questions and concerns, response times may vary. We are doing our best to promptly resolve your concerns. In the meantime, please see our FAQ to see if there is an answer to your question: help.getsmileapp.com

Ed,
I finally resorted to a restore to a prior date before all this happened.

FYI a normal "uninstall" does not remove the software completely, it finishes with a message that all files could not be removed and must be done manually... However, and here's the rub, no amount of "delete" file removes them... on the message , you don't have permission to do this" even logged in as administrator.
And I fully believe that its their (SMILE formerly WEBSHOTs) software that is causing that problem.

Trying to contact anyone at their site is like trying to nail jello to a tree.

as noted in my first line. I fixed my problem... but I don't recommend anyone using their new program.
which btw will not be free.
I quit.

After successfully killing all the "Smile" crap that got installed... I have remaining a folder labeled "SMILE"
and it's sub-folder labeled "Streams" and a file in it (how it got there I haven't a clue) named Midsomer Murders....

I cannot delete this folder... period.
I get a message that it really isn't there but I should remove the "icon" manually...
What the heck is this? Icon... I don't see no stinking "ICON"

I have used Trend Micro secure erase and it gives me essentially the same message.

I have relocated the offending file to my "desktop" and even tried deleting it there ... no joy.

Now What do I do?

Tried that yet?

Sometimes a running program will deny access to admin account while it is running. Safe Mode does not run programs that normally start and run in normal user mode; only Windows runs.

You should be able to remove the files/folders using the normal delete method within Windows. Just be careful of what you actually do remove, as Windows will not warn you with the typical "access denied" error should you try to delete a needed system file by accident. If you remove one of those, you will be in worse straits than before.

Just be careful here.

Thanks,
I will try that

Since there seems to be no system files in the folder it's worth a shot.
My Trend Micro secure remove/delete reports that the files and/or folder aren't even there
Not sure what's happening here ..
Safe mode is worth a look see

All attempts to delete the folder and it's subfolder result in a statement that:

"The file or folder no longer exists or has been moved"

Now What? I've run out of solutions and ideas.

Note: I did not enter "safe mode" as "Administrator: I haven't a clue how to do that.

Did I miss something?

we get a bootable disk and have a look at what really is on the hard disk. You can use an Ubuntu disk, or the Windows install disk and boot to the recovery console (if your OS happens to be Windows XP) or the recovery command prompt (in Windows 7, see http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/windows-7-recovery-environment-command-prompt).

Kees

Yes I understand that I should "boot to a disk" and not my HD...
Any thing about Win7 is a waste of time since I don't have WIN7

I even used DOS commands RD - erase etc...
Answer back... no such file or folder exists.

How can that be when the folder(s) exist in plain sight in Win and in DOS

***

That rootkits can do that PLUS Explorer can show things that are not on the HDD.

Ever find the folder called "My Computer". Neither have I.

There are also issues in the errors that MSFT OSes spit back. I've seen it spew "not found" when it really should have said "denied."

OK, what to do? I boot up UBUNTU from a LiveCD and get it over with. No install required.

Bob

Vista has no DOS. And if you boot from a DOS diskette, it can't read the NTFS file system. So what you say there is impossible.

Since we can't see your monitor, we don't know what part of Windows shows exactly what "in plain sight".
And since we don't know what the command prompt shows and what you typed in, we can't have any opinion about how right or wrong that message is.

By the way, http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/What-are-the-system-recovery-options-in-Windows-Vista tells how to get the equivalent of the recovery console in Windows Vista.

Kees

Well Kees_B
I used the command prompt and used what I thought were old DOS commands and no joy.
I don't need to "recover" Windows Vista since I haven't "lost" window... It's working just find except for that durn folder and it's sub-folder and file.

Any command (Windows or Command Prompt vers of DOS) simply gives the reply that it really isn't there, it's just my imagination that I'm seeing it.

I don't want to do a complete "Rescue Disc or Restore my computer. (Restore didn't remove it either, by the way) using normal system restore options...

I may have to resort to a complete system wipe and re-install from the original discs.
I just will lose all my stored files and data... but so be it.
That will be my last resort... I can live with the durn thing sitting on my desktop staring back at me... Thanks to all for all your advice and assistance... let's close this topic down now

From the desktop where you see it every day to some folder you never look in.
You say you moved it to the desktop yourself, so you should be able to move it elsewhere also.

Kees

Done, Thanks... what a brilliant idea..

Now when I do Restore back to "what came in the box" I won't have to worry 'bout it

Well SunsetLover.
They say that all photos posted by the member can be downloaded to their personal computer.
I tried that... no joy no option to "download" ... however I was able to "delete" all of them..

And yes I question their ethics since their software caused me so much trouble and their replies
were all about how great they were gonna be no tech help at all