180 search assistant

boofy_2

My son must have downloaded some game or other and we got this heap of c**p with it. Have removed the program through the Control Panel, but every time I turn the computer on, IT'S BACK! Have been running Ad-Aware every day since this happened, why is it still returning?

criminal_smile

You need to disable sytem restore, boot into safe mode, and remove it from there. Better to use Ad-aware or CCleaner to do so. Reboot and switch sys restore back on, and should be problem solved.

boogiemaster

You need to go into control panel and remove the spy ware from there!!!
It’s a parasite that will reinstall itself, the server checks to see if its still there? And if its not? reinstalls it.

System restore is no good? Once you uninstall it from add remove programs? It will take you to a web site that deactivates the software.

180 search assistant is just one! Normally it comes with a few more programs.


Full Name: 180 Search Assistant Websearch

Type: Adware

Also Known as: Other Products: SVA Player SVAPlayer 180solutions 180 solutions MetricsDirect 180search Assistant 180 search Assistant
Created by: 180Solutions, Inc.

Official Description: Company appears to have evolved from the old "paid-to-surf" program Epipo.

Comes along with some "advertiser supported" programs, a tactic known as bundling.

Depending on the program (180 Solutions markets several) it may pop-up ads or in the case of the Zango application it may pop-up other websites based on keywords you use while surfing or searching. It is important to note that 180 Solutions derives financial benefit by popping up these 3rd party websites.



To the best of our knowledge 180 Solutions does not track or store personally identifiable information as per their privacy policy. However it does transmits logs of every web page you visit. The URL or keyword is passed with a unique identifier to their advertising server when a targeted advertisement is shown. With the later versions of their software this logging can be disabled by using the tray icon.
Comment: Heavily distributed through the use of "affiliates" via a process called bundling.

Recent research by Ben Edelman (http://www.edelman.org) reports that it has been installed via browser security holes. We have also noted that 180 Solutions applications are often installed with a number of other adware programs at the same time causing an extreme load on the PC. It has also been noted that these applications have been force installed by web sites (affiliates) or Windows Media files.

Company claims it no longer distributes n-case although it is unknown how many legacy installations are still in circulation.
Manual removal: It is notable that older versions of nCase and the 180Search Assistant require an Internet connection to uninstall. This is not best practice. Current versions do not seem to need an Internet connection to uninstall.

Most versions have an item in the "Add/Remove Programs" list. If not, re-installation can help.

But make sure to remove "host applications" first.

All uninstallers leave the nCase/Inst control in place, allowing nCase to be reinstalled without prompting. To remove this, open the Downloaded Program Files folder (inside the Windows folder) and delete the entry ‘nCaseInstaller Class’ (nCase/Inst/nc variant), ‘180SAInstaller Class’ (nCase/Inst/180SA variant) or ‘ZangoInstaller Class’ (nCase/Inst/Zango variant).

Note- 180 solutions has been to known to use a "resuscitator application". This application monitors for the uninstallation of 180 Solutions software and prompts the user if they want to reinstall the software.

Information URL: http://www.180solutions.com/

boofy_2

Wow! Thanks for that. I have gone through control panel to uninstall. Touch wood, seems to have worked (for now anyway). You mentioned Zango. That was downloaded for a game, but again I uninstalled it. Thanx for your time and effort!

boogiemaster

I had that rubbish on my pc and not by choice? It was downloaded by a drive by yahoo web page a few weeks ago.
I was downloading updates from microsoft and it redirected me to a yahoo page that downlaoded that crap! I then had to get code words from a site to unistall it.
Be carefull when downloading software? most have adware and spyware and it will eat your bandwith like mad.
Shareware is ok, but ask on here if you need any software!

Adaware is good so is serch and destroy, they both stop adware and spyware efore it gets a chance to download.
Also microsoft anti spy is very good and a trial can be downloaded from there site.

bubbles_2

Hi there ... i have tried all of the above but cannot get rid of 180 search assistant when i try this ...

"All uninstallers leave the nCase/Inst control in place, allowing nCase to be reinstalled without prompting. To remove this, open the Downloaded Program Files folder (inside the Windows folder) and delete the entry ‘nCaseInstaller Class’ (nCase/Inst/nc variant), ‘180SAInstaller Class’ (nCase/Inst/180SA variant) or ‘ZangoInstaller Class’ (nCase/Inst/Zango variant)."

There is no record of it in the file ..

When i try via control panel.. control panel ends up freezing.

Is there any FREEWARE that i can install to deal with this problem (i have looked around the site and d.loaded those recommended but they are not clearing the problem.. just telling me my pc is ok .. and its not-... really its not!!

Help?? x

Browntoa

if you use Xp then download

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en

and run it in safe mode

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001052409420406?OpenDocument&src=sec_doc_nam

if not xp then

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

or

http://www.ewido.net/en/download/

and again run in safe mode

if they come back then if you use Me or xp then turn off system restore and do the above again

Browntoa

found this standalone tool and instructions

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/adware.180search.html

bubbles_2

browntoa .. thankyou so much for your help. I used the standalone tool and it has managed to uninstall the search assistant BUT i still have the irritating pop ups and the annoying search box when i open explorer. I have tried to follow the instructions for deleting the info in registries etc..but all the ones that it states need to be deleted are not there anyway???!! Do you kindly have any other ideas as to how i can get rid of this irritating thing completely? x

Peter_Griffin

yer i had this little monkey on my laptop, my friend took my laptop and er "put it back in time" not sure how he did this, somehow set it back to a date before i i was invaded! and this has worked. Well its obvious that i'm not techie so will post how he did it later!

Browntoa

Have you run the other stuff in safe mode yet ??

Peters post is referring to system restore where you roll back the PC to a date before the little !!!!!! was installed (if you know when your son installed it !!)

how to use restore here

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx

To view or to return to this restore point, from the Welcome to System Restore screen of the System Restore Wizard select Restore my computer to an earlier time. Then select the date you created the restore point from the calendar in the Select a Restore Point screen. All of the restore points you created and you computer created on the selected date are listed by name in the list box to the right of the calendar

problem is stuff has a habit of hiding in the restore points and you have to disable it (to delete all the old restore points) and then run all the software in safe mode. When th Pc is clean you turn restore back on