Computer Help - RedsZone.com - Cincinnati Reds Fans' Home for Baseball Discussion

Dom Heffner · 01-26-2008, 08:19 PM

I have a program on my computer called Spyware Detector that I cannot get rid of.

It ordinarily wouldn't be an issue, but I need the space and it keeps starting itself to tell me how much spywar I have in my computer.

I've tried deleting it, dropping it in the recycle bin, etc., but I get an error message when I do telling me I cannot do that.

Anybody know how to get rid of this stupid thing?

It's been on my computer for a few years, so a restore point won't work either.

Spring~Fields · 01-26-2008, 09:21 PM

A.) Add/Remove programs in the control panel
or
B.) Look for the program under programs and see if it has an uninstall
or
C.) Look in My Computer then to the drive that the program is installed on it such as C: and look in its folder to see if it has an uninstall in the folder
or
D.) Right click on the icon for it and see if it has preferences or options and if there is a delete or uninstall there.
or
If none of those common methods help you can delete it from the registry.

GAC · 01-26-2008, 11:00 PM

What SF says. That's about all you can do, other then formatting the computer.

And if you want a solid and very reliable spyware program Dom, may I suggest Webroot's Spy Sweeper. IMHO, it's one of the best.

TeamSelig · 01-26-2008, 11:03 PM

Did you install this? Sometimes spyware will install a spyware remover that you cannot get rid of.

Dom Heffner · 01-26-2008, 11:47 PM

Thanks for the help. I have tried all of these except for deleting from the registry (I don't know how).

When I add/removed, I got an error telling me it could not be deleted with the error, "Could not read source file" or something like that.

I paid for and downloaded a few years back and it may be forcing me to keep it, but there has to be a way to get rid of this so it stops running a spyware report every day and then trys to get m to repurchase this piece of junk program.

Spring~Fields · 01-27-2008, 12:00 AM

Research that programs site a bit and see if they have instructions to delete or uninstall it.

If you have that program still on your computer, meaning if you can reinstall it, it may add the missing files and then allow you to uninstall it completely. It should write over the old adding the missing files then allow you to uninstall properly.

For the registry edit or unintsall of it you go to RUN type in regedit.
On the tool bar in the registry you go to edit, then find, and type in the name of that program example "spyware", it will take you to each place that a part of that is in your registry. You can delete each portion that comes up.

I hesitate to suggest that to you because one can mess up there computer and might be coming back and saying thanks PAL, sigh, but for my computer, that is what I do when I cannot get rid of a program, I delete instances of it from the registry.

After that I go to microsoft live care to use their free cleanup that also goes through the registry to clean up invalid entries ect. other clutter on the computer elsewhere.

http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/cleanup.htm

Someone else might want to give you more specific details about deleting it from the registry.

Dom Heffner · 01-27-2008, 12:06 AM

Thanks, SF. I went through the registry and deleted every trace of it. We'll see if that fixes it.

Spring~Fields · 01-27-2008, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dom Heffner

Thanks, SF. I went through the registry and deleted every trace of it. We'll see if that fixes it.

When you get time for the short download from live care, run it to clean out the pieces of it in the registry, it should find invalid entries for it now, and clean them on out.

I see you computer is still running, I can breath now.

Shoo!

Just in case you have to restore any registry items for other programs that might have been effected. Here is a clear and conscise directive from Microsoft.

http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/a...leaner_why.htm

Jpup · 01-27-2008, 03:45 AM

www.ccleaner.com

GAC · 01-27-2008, 04:51 AM

Also going into Safe Mode may help you use the Add/Remove programs option in Control Panel. It has worked for me in the past.

Spring~Fields · 01-27-2008, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jpup

www.ccleaner.com

I like that thanks,
I downloaded and used it, it seemed to find quite a bit of unecessary "stuff".

The only question that came to mind was that after I used the ccleaner twice and then I went to the microsoft cleaner online and it found 101 invalid items after using ccleaner, not quite sure why that would be.

Jpup · 01-27-2008, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpringfieldFan

I like that thanks,
I downloaded and used it, it seemed to find quite a bit of unecessary "stuff".

The only question that came to mind was that after I used the ccleaner twice and then I went to the microsoft cleaner online and it found 101 invalid items after using ccleaner, not quite sure why that would be.

I don't know, but I have used ccleaner for years and I have absolutely zero issues with it. it does the job IMO.

GAC · 01-27-2008, 08:44 PM

Does this CCleaner basically do the same thing that Ace Utilities and Registry Mechanic does? I already have both.

Spring~Fields · 01-27-2008, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GAC

Does this CCleaner basically do the same thing that Ace Utilities and Registry Mechanic does? I already have both.

Registry Mechanic is suppose to be pretty good, I don't know anything about Ace Utilities. CCleaner seems to be like Registry Mechanic. You would have to make that comparison. I like the CCleaner, works well. I think.

Roy Tucker · 01-28-2008, 09:14 AM

In addition, this is a good tool for finding what gets autostarted on your system....

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb963902.aspx

Russinovich and Cogswell do some good stuff.

01-26-2008, 08:19 PM	#1
Dom Heffner Potential Lunch Winner Join Date: May 2001 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 5,666	Computer Help I have a program on my computer called Spyware Detector that I cannot get rid of. It ordinarily wouldn't be an issue, but I need the space and it keeps starting itself to tell me how much spywar I have in my computer. I've tried deleting it, dropping it in the recycle bin, etc., but I get an error message when I do telling me I cannot do that. Anybody know how to get rid of this stupid thing? It's been on my computer for a few years, so a restore point won't work either. __________________ If you're watchin' a parade, make sure you stand in one spot, don't follow it, it never changes. And if the parade is boring, run in the opposite direction, you will fast-foward the parade. --Mitch Hedberg

01-26-2008, 09:21 PM	#2
Spring~Fields Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 8,630	Re: Computer Help A.) Add/Remove programs in the control panel or B.) Look for the program under programs and see if it has an uninstall or C.) Look in My Computer then to the drive that the program is installed on it such as C: and look in its folder to see if it has an uninstall in the folder or D.) Right click on the icon for it and see if it has preferences or options and if there is a delete or uninstall there. or If none of those common methods help you can delete it from the registry.

01-26-2008, 11:00 PM	#3
GAC What Me Worry? Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Bellefontaine, Ohio Posts: 26,416	Re: Computer Help What SF says. That's about all you can do, other then formatting the computer. And if you want a solid and very reliable spyware program Dom, may I suggest Webroot's Spy Sweeper. IMHO, it's one of the best. __________________ "panic" only comes from having real expectations

01-26-2008, 11:03 PM	#4
TeamSelig Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 3,727	Re: Computer Help Did you install this? Sometimes spyware will install a spyware remover that you cannot get rid of.

01-26-2008, 11:47 PM	#5
Dom Heffner Potential Lunch Winner Join Date: May 2001 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 5,666	Re: Computer Help Thanks for the help. I have tried all of these except for deleting from the registry (I don't know how). When I add/removed, I got an error telling me it could not be deleted with the error, "Could not read source file" or something like that. I paid for and downloaded a few years back and it may be forcing me to keep it, but there has to be a way to get rid of this so it stops running a spyware report every day and then trys to get m to repurchase this piece of junk program. __________________ If you're watchin' a parade, make sure you stand in one spot, don't follow it, it never changes. And if the parade is boring, run in the opposite direction, you will fast-foward the parade. --Mitch Hedberg

01-27-2008, 12:00 AM	#6
Spring~Fields Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 8,630	Re: Computer Help Research that programs site a bit and see if they have instructions to delete or uninstall it. If you have that program still on your computer, meaning if you can reinstall it, it may add the missing files and then allow you to uninstall it completely. It should write over the old adding the missing files then allow you to uninstall properly. For the registry edit or unintsall of it you go to RUN type in regedit. On the tool bar in the registry you go to edit, then find, and type in the name of that program example "spyware", it will take you to each place that a part of that is in your registry. You can delete each portion that comes up. I hesitate to suggest that to you because one can mess up there computer and might be coming back and saying thanks PAL, sigh, but for my computer, that is what I do when I cannot get rid of a program, I delete instances of it from the registry. After that I go to microsoft live care to use their free cleanup that also goes through the registry to clean up invalid entries ect. other clutter on the computer elsewhere. http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/cleanup.htm Someone else might want to give you more specific details about deleting it from the registry. Last edited by Spring~Fields; 01-27-2008 at 12:03 AM.

01-27-2008, 12:06 AM	#7
Dom Heffner Potential Lunch Winner Join Date: May 2001 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 5,666	Re: Computer Help Thanks, SF. I went through the registry and deleted every trace of it. We'll see if that fixes it. __________________ If you're watchin' a parade, make sure you stand in one spot, don't follow it, it never changes. And if the parade is boring, run in the opposite direction, you will fast-foward the parade. --Mitch Hedberg

01-27-2008, 03:45 AM	#9
Jpup Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern KY Posts: 6,967	Re: Computer Help www.ccleaner.com __________________ "My mission is to be the ray of hope, the guy who stands out there on that beautiful field and owns up to his mistakes and lets people know it's never completely hopeless, no matter how bad it seems at the time. I have a platform and a message, and now I go to bed at night, sober and happy, praying I can be a good messenger." -Josh Hamilton

01-27-2008, 04:51 AM	#10
GAC What Me Worry? Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Bellefontaine, Ohio Posts: 26,416	Re: Computer Help Also going into Safe Mode may help you use the Add/Remove programs option in Control Panel. It has worked for me in the past. __________________ "panic" only comes from having real expectations

01-27-2008, 08:44 PM	#13
GAC What Me Worry? Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Bellefontaine, Ohio Posts: 26,416	Re: Computer Help Does this CCleaner basically do the same thing that Ace Utilities and Registry Mechanic does? I already have both. __________________ "panic" only comes from having real expectations

01-28-2008, 09:14 AM	#15
Roy Tucker Be the ball Join Date: May 2001 Location: Mason, OH Posts: 11,111	Re: Computer Help In addition, this is a good tool for finding what gets autostarted on your system.... http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb963902.aspx Russinovich and Cogswell do some good stuff. __________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."

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