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Author Topic: Plus!Network take over  (Read 4210 times)

staffsman

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Plus!Network take over
« on: November 05, 2012, 04:55:33 PM »

I have no idea where it has come from but I have had Plus Network take over Chrome.
It has put itself as my home page and is set as my search engine of choice.

I have changed my home page back to the usual one and I have taken Plus Net off the list of search engines many times, yet it returns time after time.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled Chrome and again it returns.

I have an up to date version of KIS running

I have no idea where it might have come from but I do want to get rid ASAP.

Can anyone help please

Ray
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kitz

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Re: Plus!Network take over
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2012, 07:16:24 PM »

It possibly has another hidden file somewhere that will auto-reinstall the main program. 
The hidden file's sole aim is to check and see if the main prog is installed, and if its not then to re-install it.  - This is why despite you removing it, its why it keeps coming back.  Unfortunately the hidden file will usually have a random string name such as aaaa123.exe making it hard to know what you are looking for.

--

I'd normally use HijackThis as my first port of call as its very good at snooping out browser hijacks.
The only warning is,  it can be quite powerful at finding hidden stuff so if youre unsure what youre doing, make use of the analysis tool on the page I thinked to, rather than just letting it auto-delete.
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staffsman

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Re: Plus!Network take over
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2012, 02:50:42 PM »

[quote

I'd normally use HijackThis as my first port of call as its very good at snooping out browser hijacks.
The only warning is,  it can be quite powerful at finding hidden stuff so if youre unsure what youre doing, make use of the analysis tool on the page I thinked to, rather than just letting it auto-delete.
[/quote]

Thanks for your reply Kitz and apologies for my delay in replying.  The reason for the delay is just terror.  I would best describe myself as a silver surfer and for me to mess with anything more technical than setting the time is, for me at least, a step too far. I did run hijackthis but actually didn't understand the log anyway.  it all looked wrong to me!
I guess all I can do is stop using Chrome.  Bit of a pain but there you go.

I do appreciate your bothering to reply however, but there are some people you can't help.

PS>>>>
After posting this reply I have now discovered that Firefox is also affected.  Now it is getting serious.  I'll run a scan with Kaspersky ans see what it finds, although it didn't spot the problem in the first place! 
« Last Edit: November 07, 2012, 03:11:57 PM by staffsman »
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renluop

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Re: Plus!Network take over
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2012, 05:27:36 PM »

Suggest you look at the sites and forums of Bleeping Computer or Malwarebytes.
I had something similar to you, which kept coming back like a vindaloo whatever I tried to kill it. With the tools they use in a few days it was gone.
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staffsman

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Re: Plus!Network take over
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2012, 05:53:52 PM »

Suggest you look at the sites and forums of Bleeping Computer or Malwarebytes.
I had something similar to you, which kept coming back like a vindaloo whatever I tried to kill it. With the tools they use in a few days it was gone.

I opened Chrome and used the plus networks own search bar asking how to get rid. There were a few unlikely answers and then I found one that sounded right.  Apparently this is a known issue and the answers were relatively easy to follow.  There are even screen prints to show what and how. It involved some pretty obvious stuff, obvious now that I know anyway. Unfortunately part of the cure involved getting rid of the history so i'm not able to pass on a link to the site. Sorry about that but I'm sure a lot of smarter people than I will know what to do anyway.

Thanks

Ray
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kitz

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Re: Plus!Network take over
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2012, 08:40:09 PM »

Im glad you got it sorted :)

Quote
I did run hijackthis but actually didn't understand the log anyway.

Theres a few of us on here that are quite used to HJT logs, iirc HPSauce and a few others also use it to clear up nasties.  If you had got stuck we would have been happy to have had a look at the log and interpret it for you, and let you know what is safe to delete.
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staffsman

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Re: Plus!Network take over
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2012, 10:19:40 AM »

Im glad you got it sorted :)

Quote
I did run hijackthis but actually didn't understand the log anyway.

Theres a few of us on here that are quite used to HJT logs, iirc HPSauce and a few others also use it to clear up nasties.  If you had got stuck we would have been happy to have had a look at the log and interpret it for you, and let you know what is safe to delete.

Kitz, Thanks for the above and the help from earlier. Again I apologize for being slow with my reply but I have been away from my PC for a while.
I couldn't make head nor tail of the logs HJT generated.  The truth is I think at my age I should be able to sort myself out and not rely on others to help with stuff I should know anyway. But with computers in particular and all the other tech stuff I seem to be drowning in these days I just can't keep up. 
I have just checked the browsers I had the problems with and they seem to be fixed.  I just have no idea where the problem came from in the first place.

Again, thanks for the help.

Ray
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UncleUB

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Re: Plus!Network take over
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2012, 01:30:25 PM »

Quote
I have just checked the browsers I had the problems with and they seem to be fixed.  I just have no idea where the problem came from in the first place.

Software has a nasty habit off adding unwanted 'extras' when it installs,ie toolbars,browsers etc.Always go with the 'custom' install and make sure that none of the boxes are ticked to install the added rubbish  ;)
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staffsman

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Re: Plus!Network take over
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2012, 01:54:48 PM »

I have noticed that and usually I don't accept any extra stuff, maybe I missed something somewhere down the line

Ray
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