http://www.makemesearch.com/?said=**4

[orion]

Somehow I got infected by virus called JAVA_BYTEVER.A which was subseqently cleaned by my Anti-virus software. Yet when I enter the internet I find that my default page is replaced by "http://www.makemesearch.com/?said=**4". I get rid of it my resetting my Web Home Page, or, by going into "regedit". Yet I dont seem to be able to get rid of it. I can get rid of it once I redefine my home page. But after I enter inot the internet or any desk top application it reappears again. Has anyone got any idea on how to get rid of this menace ?

Orion

[WhiteDragon]

This might help
http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=JAVA_BYTEVER.A

[Unregistered]

I solved the same problem by following instructions on the TrendMicro page... many thanks to them. But... in addition to the MakeMeSearch homepage switch, I also noticed a MakeMeSearch toolbar that inserted itself into Explorer as well as the top bar when I open yellow file folders (which is also explorer).

The malware creates a toolbar with colored square boxes and categories: Pharmacy Casino Finance Adult Gambling and the like.

I tried all normal tools to make this go away but no result. Also, Norton Antivirus, Spykiller and PestPatrol don't pick it up.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Unregistered]

I noted a program in the add/remove programs portion of the control panel called "Search Bar". Oddly enough that worked.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Unregistered
I noted a program in the add/remove programs portion of the control panel called "Search Bar". Oddly enough that worked.

Bingo! In Windows XP Pro the add/remove program was Search Toolbar. I have been trying all day to get rid of this annoying toolbar and the simple act of removing it with add/remove cleared everything up at once.

Thanks for the excellent s***estion.

[orion]

Sorry for not replying earlier. Yes, I came across the same solution (after hard days work) and removed the offending program called Search Selector (I think) from the Add/Remove Programs.

Orion

[Fredo]

This has been a huge help! I tried for days to boot that pox out of my system and fortunately stumbled upon the ***rd. A thousand thank yous!

[Unregistered]

Yep, worked for me too. (Win XP)

[Unregistered]

Been fighting with the tool bar for an hour. Thanks for the advice, its now gone.

[Unregistered]

Many thank yous.

That searchbar was brutal to kill, until I stumbled across this forum.

Cheers to the whole lot of ya!!!

[systemarchitect]

I had this hijack tool take over IE and force my homepage to be makemesearch.com. To get rid of this, go into the Control Panel and choose add/remove programs. Look for a program called "Search Toolbar" and uninstall (remove) it.

Then go into Control Panel / Internet Options and reset your home page back to whatever you want.

I also ran regedit and did a search for "makemesearch.com" and deleted those registry entries (don't worry, IE will recreate those values properly when they don't exist).

This fixed the problem completely.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Unregistered
I noted a program in the add/remove programs portion of the control panel called "Search Bar". Oddly enough that worked.

thanks ~thank you very much !!
I'm a chinese,this problem truble me some days,thanks for you help~~

[Unregistered]

thanks guys, call of the red alert. that one had me panicing for a minute there. :D

[cristian]

i had the same problem .. toolbar in ie, and folders. i tried everything but Thank`s God u exist

The add/remove did everything thank s

[Unregistered]

It took me all day, but I figured out how to get it out.

None of the other things worked for me, and instead of bothering with the logfiles, i just deleted all the files created that day.

If you are removing the toolbar in the same day that you got infected, you can go to start, search, all files and folders. click where it says when modified, and type in the date in the "from" and "to" boxes. it will pull up a lot of files, and if you recognize anything you need, copy it and put it in a safe location. otherwise, select all of the new files, click copy, and place them in a new folder on the desktop. close out of everything, and then delete that new folder and you should be all set.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Unregistered
I noted a program in the add/remove programs portion of the control panel called "Search Bar". Oddly enough that worked.

I'm not seeing it listed in Add/Remove... As I just got this stupid toolbar, I'm wondering if they have changed it to no longer show up there... I've tried changing the registry, no luck something's changing it back.

[Unregistered]

ADD REMOVE PROGS DEOS NOT GET RID OF THE TOOLBAR ON WIN*8 ANY MORE IDEAS?

[Unregistered]

Make sure you are removing the program from Control Panel and not from the Start, Settings, TaskBar and Sent Menu. It doesn't show up on that feature of Add/Remove Programs.

Go to the Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Install/Uninstall. You will find it there. After you open your browser once or twice it will disappear from the menu pick under View, Toolbars.

Hope that works for you!!!

[Unregistered]

That should have read Taskbar and Start Menu.

Sorry!!

[Unregistered]

I removed search toolbar from add/remove programs.Re-started.
Makemesearch is back again. what to do now ?

[tolik]

next time watch less porn.

really.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by tolik
next time watch less porn.



õåõå íó çà÷åì æå òàê?
ïóñòü ëó÷øå þçàþò òóëáàðû

[Unregistered]

Thanks for the info.!

[Unregistered]

I came across this annoying problems for days! I hope this method may help! Thank you guys! I removed the search toolbar program in my control pannel but when I open a new page, the default page is still makemesearch.com. I changed my homepage now, I hope it won't appear anymore!!!

[Unregistered]

Thank you sooooooo much!!!!!!!!!! God, How I've been sweating to get rid of that thing too... Thank you!!!!

[Erotes]

These things are a real pain. If you don't get all of the registry entries and the baggage that these things installs in odd places, you will continue to have it return. You need to go into System Restore and turn System Restore off. Then I recommend either getting HJT (HiJack This) as someone else s***ested earlier, along with Spy Bot Search and Destroy, and a nifty little application I found a few months back that seems to work really well... CCleaner (crap cleaner). I use all of the above along with AdAware. If you don't know much about computers and what is safe and what isn't as far as deleting a bunch of stuff, just leave the CCleaner set to its default settings and run it. Anyhow, once you have run at least one of the above, restart your computer (make sure System Restore is turned off). SR has all of the restore points, which means it has files of the virus/malware saved. When you turn it off and restart, this ***** all of those restore points. I wouldn't run HJT and try to fix the entries myself if I wasn't certain what I was looking at though. If you have questions, try posting your HJT log here on the forums and having someone who knows how to pick out the problems help you out. Oh... You want to remember to turn SR back on after the reboot.

Good luck!

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Unregistered
I removed search toolbar from add/remove programs.Re-started.
Makemesearch is back again. what to do now ?

I had the same problem. After you delete the search toolbar from add/remove you must reset your IE home page by going to Internet options in Control panel. In the field for home page make me search will be there, clear it and put what you want there ( ex. www.**********) and be sure to hit apply. hope that helps

[Unregistered]

Thanks! Helped me get rid og the annoying MakemeSearch-toolbar! Well Done!

[Free_Hacker]

Hi i can help you - USE PROGRAMS LIKE AD-AWARE AND SPYSWEEPER - THEY WILL CLEAN YOUR PC FROM ANY BAD STUFF AND PROTECT YOU WHILE YOU SURFING INTERNET.
EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.


Prof. Boris Kazandzhan
Moscow Power Engineering Institute
Tverskayast */*
Moscow
***250
Russia
Fax : +7 0*5 *75 208*
E-mail : alten@mail.cnt.ru

[Unregistered]

That program is annoying..

I had actually found out how to get rid of it on my own... And then I decided to search google under 'makemesearch' to see what else I would come up with... this site was at the top of the results...

That program I believe also adds something into the Temporary Internet folder called

"Dialer~_~"...

Something in the Add/Remove Panal called "Search Toolbar"

and I believe a *hidden* file called "T.exe" inside:
C:\windows\system\

Great.... All I need is to spend *0 mins fixing my computer... I was going to call the SOB in the middle of the night... But according to the WHOIS on MakeMeSearch.com their number is *45678* blah blah blah in France... So chances are it's faked... the Name servers are at the same domain so I'll let them go for now......... But they should beware... Toying with Ppls P.C.s can put that said machine/server in harms way if someone had the time to sit and sniff them out....

[Erotes]

Well duh... :D Seen the same name and address on a few different forums in here.

[Unregistered]

Your forum saved me hours of agony trying to get rid of this pest! Thanks!

[Unregistered]

Excellent forum!!!! I had the nasty "makemesearch" bug too. Spent about a day trying to get rid of it. Ad-aware and Spybot did not find it. I definitely will be using (and possibly contributing to) this fourm site more often. Thanks to all who gave information, especially the person that s***ested using the add/remove utility.

[Unregistered]

i got this nasty bug, however there is no search toolbar in my add remove list, is there a way to update it, and is there any other way to rid my computer of this nasty thing?

[Unregistered]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have been trying for weeks to get rid of this. I removed the search toolbar from the add/remove and i think it may finally be fixed. Thanks

[Unregistered]

sounds like a hijacker.
try looking into your msconfig.

[Unregistered]

Me too, thank you for the help. A curse on
who do these things. A blessing on you for the help

www.jtashjian.com

[Unregistered]

Hi got rid of this problem by removing it from Add/Remove Progam list. Also I remove it from the Internet Option under Tools.
I m using win*8se with regular win updates,so maybe the malware shows up in the Add/Remove Program List.
Also I notice that I got this malware while browsing with Netscape 7.*.Somehow Netscape is immune to it and IE is not!
Hope the guys at IE put in some efforts to help out with this problem and the authorities should trace the culprits by checking on the sponsors on the Makemesearch website.Anyway Thanks to all of you who contributed in one way or another : ) and to google as well :))I m going to bookmark this site.Cheers!

[Unregistered]

An allwhois search reveals the owner of this obnoxious software. I resisted the temptation to telephone him early on a Sunday morning having wasted the Saturday evening getting rid of the software. I managed it eventually by hacking into the Registry:

Registration Service Provided By: ESTDOMAINS
Contact: support@estdomains.com
Website: http://www.estdomains.com
Abuse Desk Email Address: abuse@estdomains.com

Domain Name: MAKEMESEARCH.COM

Registrant:
MakeMeSearch
Alex (nastra@nastra.org)
Buhalis avenue **
Paris
null,8552*
FR
Tel. +78.45678*456***

Creation Date: 06-Aug-2004
Expiration Date: 06-Aug-2005

Domain servers in listed order:
ns*.makemesearch.com
ns2.makemesearch.com


Administrative Contact:
MakeMeSearch
Alex (nastra@nastra.org)
Buhalis avenue **
Paris
null,8552*
FR
Tel. +78.45678*456***

********* Contact:
MakeMeSearch
Alex (nastra@nastra.org)
Buhalis avenue **
Paris
null,8552*
FR
Tel. +78.45678*456***

Billing Contact:
MakeMeSearch
Alex (nastra@nastra.org)
Buhalis avenue **
Paris
null,8552*
FR
Tel. +78.45678*456***

Status:ACTIVE

The data in this whois database is provided to you for information
purposes only, that is, to assist you in obtaining information about or
related to a domain name registration record. We make this information
available "as is", and do not guarantee its accuracy. By submitting a
whois query, you agree that you will use this data only for lawful
purposes and that, under no circumstances will you use this data to:
(*) enable high volume, automated, electronic processes that stress or
load this whois database system providing you this information; or
(2) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass
unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations via direct mail,
electronic mail, or by telephone. The compilation, repackaging,
dissemination or other use of this data is expressly prohibited without
prior written consent from us. The registrar of record is
DirectI. We reserve the right to modify
these terms at any time. By submitting this query, you agree to abide
by these terms.

[Unregistered]

Guys!! I hate to tell you this, but the reason most of you suffer from these types of adware and spyware attacks and browser hijackings is because you persist in using MicroSoft Internet Explorer. MicroSoft Internet Explorer is full of Security holes and vulnerabilites that can be easily exploited by spyware/adware pushers and hackers. Do yourselves a favor and save yourself yourselves long term agony and problems by simply switching to Mozilla Fire Fox. Like they say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." There are times where I literally ended up getting spyware and adware that nothing could remove, not SpyBot Search and Destroy, not SpySweeper, not AdAware. My only recource was to reformat my whole hard-drive and perform a clean install of my operating system. Since that time through much testing and experimentation, I discovered that no spyware adware penetrated my computer while I used Mozilla FireFox. MicroSoft Internet Explorer, well let's just say that is a different story.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Unregistered
Guys!! I hate to tell you this, but the reason most of you suffer from these types of adware and spyware attacks and browser hijackings is because you persist in using MicroSoft Internet Explorer.

Absolutely true!

When I was on Win*8, I used a removal tool to banish IE and MS mail programs from my machine completely, and I never had any problems with Mozilla.


There are times where I literally ended up getting spyware and adware that nothing could remove, not SpyBot Search and Destroy, not SpySweeper, not AdAware. My only recource was to reformat my whole hard-drive and perform a clean install of my operating system.

That will cure the problem, but you might not have to be that drastic.

When I got my newer XP machine, I had the same problem as you (with IE, needless to say), and none of the freeware programs like AdAware worked satisfactorily for me either. I mean, they did clean out some pests and gave me a clean bill of health after that, but it was quite obvious I still had some intruders in my system.

So I went to an anti-spyware site for a free scan, and it located no fewer than 247 spyware elements on my machine!

The catch is that although the scan is free, the pest removal tools are not, and you have to buy the full version to clean your machine. I did buy it, and it cost around $25.

It seems to be working well for me, and anyone interested can check it out here:

http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/

[Unregistered]

thanks

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Unregistered
Absolutely true!

When I was on Win*8, I used a removal tool to banish IE and MS mail programs from my machine completely, and I never had any problems with Mozilla.



That will cure the problem, but you might not have to be that drastic.

When I got my newer XP machine, I had the same problem as you (with IE, needless to say), and none of the freeware programs like AdAware worked satisfactorily for me either. I mean, they did clean out some pests and gave me a clean bill of health after that, but it was quite obvious I still had some intruders in my system.

So I went to an anti-spyware site for a free scan, and it located no fewer than 247 spyware elements on my machine!

The catch is that although the scan is free, the pest removal tools are not, and you have to buy the full version to clean your machine. I did buy it, and it cost around $25.

It seems to be working well for me, and anyone interested can check it out here:

http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/

I just ran spyware doctor(full scan). Remember, I have not used Internet Explorer in ages and my primary browser is Mozilla FireFox. This just proved my point. Not a single piece of Adware/Spyware. I rest my case. Thanks.

[Unregistered]

As of today , I WILL be frequenting this forum. You <collectively> have saved me hours of misery trying to delete the "makemesearch" bug. Thank You all !

[sublime]

I localed the "search toolbar" in add/remove page of the Control panel
(Win XP). However, when I try to remove it, it does nothing. Pushing the Change/remove button does nothing. Any ideas?

[Unregistered]

When something like that happens, the only sure "guaranteed" way to make sure everything is completed removed is to reformat, and do a clean install of all your files and operating system. Once you do that DO NOT USE MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER INSTEAD USE MOZILLA FIREFOX. Sorry, I wish I had a simple fix to s***est, perhaps someone else can.

[SyntaXmasteR]

If you ran virus scans, adaware scans, etc... The answer definately lies in your registry.

I'm sorry i cant be very specific and didnt have time to read previous posts but look in your registry

HKEY_USER/DEFAULT

and

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE

At the end of a defaulted value in explorer a line of code looking something like this %system%/whatever.exe can be located. Only remove this extra text. Do not delete the entire key. This is calling the file on your computer everytime you open your browser. I'm very surprised Ad-aware did not catch this...

[Unregistered]

What?