Removing ASK.COM... OMG!!

[TweakerXP]

HOW DO I DO THIS??? How do I get "ask.com" OFF my system? It has taken over all my searches and engines, no matter how many time I reset it to Google, it just flips right back to Ask.com! This is worse than some viruses I have seen.

I have been through the registery several time using all different kinds of seraches trying to get rid of all instances of ask.com and still it keeps coming back.

I have even gone as far as setting internet explorer to block it on the restricted sites list. Still it keeps coming back.

I'm at the point of believeing that it is "IN" some program and I don't have a clue which one that would be without removing all of them or reformatting(last resort)

Anyone got any suggestions?

PS..... and going to the search drop box...change search defaults and setting google to default and removing ASK.COM is totally useless. I have done that soooooo many times.

Thanks

[Shoreguy]

Have you tried booting up in safe mode/administrator and removing it?
Have you tried restoring to a point prior to ask.com taking over?

[TweakerXP]

Yes I have tried login as admin.

No I haven't tried to do a system restore, yet. I was hoping for a solution to deleting it first. If no one else give me a fix for it. I'll give that a try Monday.

Thanks

[Lgbpop]

You have checked Add/Remove Programs to see if it's removeable from there, right? (I assume you're using XP; Vista is similar)

[Sterling_Aug]

Try Malwarebytes.

[TweakerXP]

lgbpop... that was the first place I checked... not there.

I have MB but I haven't ran it, BUT I WILL!! This is driving me crazy!

[bruceb]

Are you using Firefox ? ? If so see below as it may help

To get rid of Ask.com as a search engine, delete the Plug-in.
If it's installed as a profile option, it's located in the C:\Documents and Settings\User name\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*****.default\search plugins. Be sure to delete both the XML and SRC (in the backup folder) files.
If it's installed globally, it's in the C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins folder.

Also see:

Ok here's how to do it. Thanks to the guy who posted this on

http://www.paperstreet.com/blog/index.php/archives/582

Firefox

1. Open a new tab or window.
2. Type “about:config” and hit enter, this brings up the all powerful settings of Firefox.
3. Agree to the warning that you could mess things up
4. Find keyword.url, you probably should not change anything else
5. Double click and change keyword.url string to something else like http://www.google.com/search?q=
6. Note that you cannot just put in the web site domain, you must put in the parameters before your search query. So find your favorite search engine, do a search and grab all the text up to your actual search results. So that a search for “test” in Google returns this, http://www.google.com/search?q=test, but all you need to input into the keyword.url field is http://www.google.com/search?q=

Finally, yes I know you can also manage default pages via the default settings under Tools > Options and also Manage Search Engines for the default search area, but those do not remove the default search if something is typed in wrong in the URL line. I mistype a lot or use the URL field to get the No. 1 listing automatically. I believe this is in the only way to stop ask.com and other search engines from becoming your default URL search choice.

[t34b4g5]

Download and install and run this program:

Tool Bar Uninstaller.
http://toolbar.decomputeur.nl/compon...tartdown/id,34

[t34b4g5]

Also turn of system restore before using the program, that way the little buggers can not reload themselves after you restart the machine etc.

Just run the program then once the **** is gone, restart computer and turn system restore points back on, and create a fresh restore point.

[Train]

1. Click Start | Run, type in services.msc and press [Enter]. Look to see if you have an AG windows service. If so, then stop it first, then disable it.
   
2. Click Start | Run, type in regedit and press [Enter]. Browse to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servi ces". If you see "AGWinService" in the left pane, right-click it, select "Export", give it a filename of something like "C:\AGWinService_backup.reg" and click "Save". Now right-click "AGWinService" and select "Delete".
   
3. Load and run HijackThis. Place a checkmark in the boxes to the left of the following three items:

   R3 - URLSearchHook: AGSearchHookClass -{0BC6E3FA-78EF-4886-842C-5A1258C4455A} - C:\ProgramFiles\AGI\common\agcutils.dll
   O2 - BHO: AGSearchHook Class -{0BC6E3FA-78EF-4886-842C-5A1258C4455A} - C:\ProgramFiles\AGI\common\agcutils.dll
   O23 - Service: AG Windows Service(AGWinService) - Unknown owner -C:\ProgramFiles\AGI\common\win32\PythonService.exe

   and then click the Fix Checked button.
   
4. Close HijackThis (and whatever else you have open) and Reboot.

Threads where it has worked.
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...d.php?t=235589
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...d.php?t=235573

[TweakerXP]

Train... KEEP ON ROLLING!!! It's been a couple days now and Google is still my default serach engine! No changes at all. YOU'DA MAN!!

WOOOOHOO!!!!

Thank you sir! That was what the doctor ordered!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and GOD BLESS TO ALL!

[bruceb]

Now is the system stable and the way you want it ? ?
If so, make a Ghost Image of it to a backup drive or to dvd's

And have a Merry Christmas

[Train]

Glad to see the good news. Your're Welcome and THANKS for posting back.