April 7, 200818 yr A client just bought a new Gateway PC with Home Premium. Gateway "helpfully" stuck icons for AOL 9 and Netzero on te start menu. The icons can be deleted but they come back when the computer is restarted.NEITHER PROGRAM IS INSTALLED! They ARE NOT in the list in Programs and Features. I can't find anything with msconfig or in the Run keys in the registry for either one.How do I completely scrub this malware-like garbage off this computer?(Anyone replying with "Go to Programs and Features..." gets a free thwack with a #10 clue-by-four.)
April 10, 200818 yr Author What happens if you chose "Remove from this list" instead of deleting the icons?They come back next reboot. Reminds me of when those motherboard companies put Win 98SE detecting and auto-installing adware in the BIOS.
April 10, 200818 yr I'd reinstall Windows myself! GOD only knows what other crapware is on that PC... Edited April 10, 200818 yr by war59312
July 30, 200818 yr Look for any batch scripts or uneeded programs that start up, they might have a script that does it. If its not that, then I would be on the phone with the company...grr!
July 30, 200818 yr Download Autoruns from SysInternals, you can see everything that starts up on your machine. should be able to find the cuplrit there
August 4, 200818 yr You can see what's active at startup. From the desktop: Click on the START button > control panel >Administrative Tools > System Configuration > Startup and/or Services. They're right next to each other. You can opt out of a lot of stuff there, but remember(IOW: make notes of) what you de-activate. Oh, and do a 'Create a Restore Point' first using'System Restore'. Best, Paul Edited August 4, 200818 yr by paullyboy
August 4, 200818 yr You could also try PC Decrapifier.Agreed. If you don't do a full reinstall (which is also a good idea) then you should always at least run Crap Cleaner when you get a new OEM PC.
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