Can\'t delete a file in Windows? Here\'s what to do...

[vladmire]

---

How to delete a file when:

* Windows says \\\'file access denied\\\'.
* \\\'File in use\\\' error.
* Can\\\'t delete a file (insert cryptic reason).
* Rebooting doesn\\\'t help delete the file.

Despite all its quirks, Windows does do some things for a good reason. Some files need to be locked down when they are in use, otherwise you risk damaging the file or harming the Operating System. Unfortunately Windows XP seems to be plagued by files that cannot be deleted. These are frequently simple files like videos (AVI), MP3s or other seemingly harmless files. You try to delete the file, Windows waits a few seconds before announcing that access is denied, the file is currently in use and cannot be deleted. However, you know it\\\'s not in use and you just want it deleted.

If you have encountered this problem, here is a step-by-step process for trying to purge the files you can\\\'t delete. It starts with the basics for Windows XP and moves on to more involved tricks. The process will work for all recent Windows releases, but Windows XP has been causing the most the problems, so we will focus on it. Please note: we are assuming that the file is not crucial to the operation of Windows - deleting important system files can cause havoc.

1. Is the file in use? It sounds obvious but it happens. If it is being used or open, close the file and the application that opened it. For example, if it is a Word document, close Microsoft Word.

2. If the file was opened in an application (and subsequently closed), but the program is still running, try quitting the program. Windows will lock a file because the application hasn\\\'t yet released it. This is not always Windows fault and can be the fault of the program.

3. If the file is an AVI, in particular a DivX AVI, try renaming it and then deleting it. DivX files don\\\'t get on very well with Windows XP and sometimes renaming the file can trick Windows into releasing it.

4. Reboot your PC and don\\\'t start any programs. Go directly to the file and delete it.

5. In Windows Explorer, switch to View-Details and then select View-Choose Details. Uncheck everything except the file name. This stops Windows XP trying to read the file - this problem affects many video, audio and graphics files.

6. Still no luck? OK, here is the best trick of all. Most sites give you cryptic Windows registry and DOS commands to remove a file, but the answer is so much simpler. Get a copy of MoveOnBoot. It\\\'s free and this simple tool allows you to Move, Copy or Delete files before Windows can lock or alter the files. The changes are made to your hard drive before Windows starts, hence it requires a restart of your system after you give MoveOnBoot its instructions. There are no messy boot or DOS commands, just a simple 3-step process.

Step 1: Locate the name of the file that is causing your problems.

Step 2: Decide if you want to copy, move or delete the file.

Step 3. Choose a destination for moving the file, or a new file name for the rename option (this option won\\\'t appear if you are deleting a file).

Click OK to confirm you want to process. The nice thing is that the program doesn\\\'t make you reboot straight away. It\\\'s a good idea to reboot ASAP, but if you are in the middle of something and want to wait, the program will simply run next time you start Windows.

7. If the file reappears again (check its creation date to ensure it is being recreated) and you can\\\'t make it budge, you may have trouble with spyware or a virus on your system (don\\\'t overlook the possibility it may also be an important system file). In this case you should get a good spyware removal program to scan your system.

How to create your own free CD autorun for HTML and most file types.

Create your own autorun CD or DVD

It is easy to create an autorun CD or DVD for Windows and all it takes are a few files (which we\\\'ve supplied for free). The technique can be used to open other file types, but HTML is used for a reason: it is the most commonly supported by Windows (most PCs have a Web browser) and it is flexible. You could use it to open other files, such as a Powerpoint presentation, but it would require the end user to have Powerpoint or the Powerpoint viewer on their system.

The autorun zip file we\\\'ve prepared contains everything you need to autorun a CD and open a HTML file. So download a copy - it\\\'s tiny and free - see above for the download link.

So why can\\\'t an autorun open a HTML directly? It is because a Windows autorun can only open an application (program) not a data file (eg HTML). You cannot tell an autorun to directly open a HTML file. Try it, and nothing will happen. To get around his problem, we are using a .bat file which Windows will treat as a program. This special file will then open the HTML file.

Assembling the CD

Download and copy the files to your root directory of the CD. These are: autorun.inf, autorun.bat and index.html. You can put all sorts of files on the rest of the CD. They won\\\'t affect the autorun. You can test the autorun by burning the three files to the root directory of a test CD-R. Open the CD drive and close it again. Viola, you have just created your own autorun HTML CD. You should change the contents of index.html to whatever you need. The index.html supplied is only a test page.

Changes you can make

The autorun can open any type of file and display any message you want. To make changes, open Windows Notepad (do not use Word, WordPad or other Word processors). Now open the autorun.bat file from within Notepad. The order is important, if you double-click the autorun.bat file, it will try to run. So open NotePad and select File-Open and choose the autorun.bat file. You\\\'ll see four lines of code.

The first line after @echo (remember the space) will appear as a comment in the autorun launch Window. This comment will be seen very briefly by your end-users. It can be changed to anything you want, but since it only appears for a second or less, don\\\'t make it too wordy. If you wanted to say \\\'The CD is loading now...\\\', the first line of code will look like:

@echo The CD is loading now...

The second line of the code tells the .bat file to open to your index.html file. If want to open a file by another file (eg readme.txt), then it would read:

@start readme.txt

Make sure you leave the last two lines untouched (@cls and @exit) - they must always appear last. Save the changes and you are done. That that\\\'s all you need to create your own HTML autorun CD.

[vladmire]

USB 2.0 Drivers

There are many reasons why problems with USB devices can occur. Keep in mind that USB Controllers are small pieces of hardware that allow your computer to operate USB connections. These Controllers need software drivers to operate properly. That\\\'s why your first step is to check that you have the latest USB 2.0 drivers on your system. Start by opening Windows Explorer and right-clicking on My Computer. Click the Hardware tab, followed by the Device Manager Button. Towards the bottom of the list you should see a heading \\\'Universal Serial Bus Controllers.\\\' Click the small plus sign next to it. This menu will expand to reveal one or more listings. To see if you have USB 2.0, look for a line that says \\\'USB2 Enhanced Controller.\\\' The exact entry will vary slightly and don\\\'t confuse it with other entries that may simply list \\\'USB Universal Controller\\\'. See the screenshot below for an example of how it may look. Note that there are no yellow exclamation points next to the entries - these indicate a problem with the device.

If you see one next to any of the USB entries, especially the USB2 Enhanced Controller, then there is a problem affecting the USB 2.0 driver on your system. To fix the problem, right click on the entry and select Properties. Click on the \\\'Troubleshoot\\\' button and follow the prompts. In most cases this will help find a solution. The alternative is to right-click and select \\\'Update driver\\\' while your computer is connected to the Internet.

OK, what if you look down the USB list and there is no entry with \\\'USB2 Enhanced Controller\\\'? This generally means that you do not have the USB 2.0 driver installed. There are two steps you need to follow. Firstly you must ensure that you have installed either Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows 2000 Service Pack 4. Technically, XP users only need Windows XP Service Pack 1, but this would be risky as it leaves your system exposed to numerous security threats fixed with Service Pack 2.

If needed, download and install the Service Pack, then restart your system. Go back to the Device Manager - as shown in the paragraph above - and check the status of your USB controllers. If the USB2 Enhanced Controller has appeared without the yellow symbol, you should be ready to use USB 2.0. If not, you will need the specific USB 2.0 driver for your system. There are only six manufacturers of USB 2.0 controllers: Acer Labs, Intel, NEC, SiS, VIA and nVidia (which may appear as \\\'Standard Controller), but sometimes they are re-branded by other companies. In this case, you will need to find out which Controller is on your system and visit the manufacturers site for an update or special instructions. For example, if you have the Via USB Controller, you will need the Via USB 2.0 driver.

The mysterious hiberfil.sys

Hiberfil.sys:

* How to delete it
* What is it\'s function?
* How do I use it?

It happens to most users of Windows XP. One day you are searching for a file or cleaning up the PC\'s hard drive and you encounter a huge file - hiberfil.sys. Normally located at C:\\hiberfil.sys, its size can vary from 250MB to over 1GB. You try to delete the file - it\'s not a good idea to delete files you don\'t understand - but Windows won\'t oblige anyway. That\'s why you are here.

Windows XP has a feature that is not very well documented and it will be totally new to users of older systems such as Windows 95 or 98. This new feature is called Windows hibernation. Instead of shutting down and restarting your computer, Windows takes a snapshot of everything running on your system, copies it to the hard drive and then turns off most of your hardware. To wake up from hibernation you normally move the mouse or hit the spacebar on the keyboard.

In theory, it is supposed to be a quick shortcut or power saving option that allows you to leave your PC in suspended animation until you are ready to work again. However, in practice, most people find little time difference between shutting down and using hibernation. For people who use drive imaging to backup their system, the hiberfil.sys file can bloat the backup files - making them larger (sometimes over 1GB bigger!) and therefore slower to copy/restore.

Hibernation temporarily \'freezes\' the computer when the PC becomes inactive, so it won\'t work if you have tasks running constantly (eg downloading files). However it can be handy if you want the computer to sleep after a task has completed (such as creating a video).

OK, that\'s the role of hibernation - so what is the hiberfil.sys file and why is it so big? Hibernation takes everything in memory and writes it to your hard drive as the hiberfil.sys file. If you have 512MB of memory, then hiberfil.sys will be about 512MB. If you have 1GB, the file will be around 1GB. The important point to remember is that even if you don\'t use hibernation, hiberfil.sys will still take up this huge amount of disk space. The way to remove the file is to turn off the hibernation feature (by default, hibernate is activated automatically when XP is installed). Here\'s how to do it:

* Open the Windows Control Panel
* Double-click Power Options
* Click the Hibernate tab, de-select the \'Enable hibernate support\' check box, and then click Apply.
* Restart your computer and hiberfil.sys will be automatically deleted.
* If you change your mind in the future and would like to use hibernation, go to the Windows Help & Support Center and search for \'enable hibernation\'. It should be the first result. The instructions detail some other steps you may need to follow to reactivate the hibernation.

[vladmire]

What does \\\\\\\'cyclic redundancy check error\\\\\\\' mean?

How to:

* Prevent cyclic redundancy check data errors (CRC Errors)
* Recover data lost due to cyclic redundancy check errors

There are plenty of technical resources on the Web that discuss cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs). Most times you won\\\\\\\'t need to worry about this technobabble. That is, until one it day it suddenly appears and you think - what the hell does that mean? In simple terms, a CRC is bit of mathematics used to ensure that your data is OK when being transfered. It\\\\\\\'s a checking procedure that quickly identifies when data has been damaged. If you get this message, it means that the file being read by your PC or software is corrupted. However, it does not mean all the data is lost forever. When data is transfered, it is usually in small blocks and each block is given a CRC value. If something goes wrong with the data between the time it leaves the source and arrives at its destination, the CRC sent at the source will no longer match the one that is calculated when the data arrives - this is when the cyclic redundancy check error will appear.
The most common times you will see the cyclic redundancy check error message is when trying to read data from a damaged CD or DVD. Just before it appears, your CD/DVD drive will probably grind and whirl away - your PC may also become a little slugglish.

Less frequent causes are the result of system crashes, and buggy software (hello Microsoft), incomplete downloads (often identified by the misleading message \\\\\\\'This is not a valid Windows file\\\\\\\', \\\\\\\'This is not a valid win32 application\\\\\\\' or \\\\\\\'Corrupt Zip file\\\\\\\'). If this problem happens frequently with downloads, try using a download manager like GetRight. For CDs and DVDs, the problem is a little different. Normally, when CD/DVD drives get a CRC message from a disc, they try to read the disc again - hence the grinding sound. After several failed attempts, they give up and display the redundancy check error. The problem can be hardware (loose cables, failing drive), software or damaged media. In most cases checking and cleaning the disc is the easiest way to overcome the problem. If different clean discs produce the same error, it is likely to be a hardware issue (check the discs in another drive). Another common cause of these errors is poorly burnt CDs and DVDs - especially those that had numerous or severe buffer underuns. USB burners suffer from this problem when the burn speed is too high (generally above 4X-8X)

If the discs are damaged, you\\\\\\\'ll probably need a recovery tool to get back your data. CDCheck 3 will work for CDs and DVDs. First it will check the media, and then you have the option to recover the files. It\\\\\\\'s free for personal use and has saved many people heartache when it comes to recovering lost digital images and videos from damaged CDs.

File Recovery Kit:

How to:

* \\\'Undelete\\\' and recover files from your hard drive
* Recover files from memory cards and USB drives
* Check CDs and DVDs for errors
* Salvage damaged files from CDs and DVDs

File recovery for all needs

It\\\'s something that\\\'s happened to everyone. In a brief lapse we\\\'ve responded to yet another Windows question and sent important files into oblivion. At other times, it\\\'s simply not our fault. Software crashes, hardware fails and some CDs/DVDs can have lives shorter than a housefly. It is possible to recover files from these diasters, but you have to act quickly. For hard drives and memory cards, don\\\'t write any more files to the media until you can run a recovery program.

If the problem is with a CD or DVD, keep it in a cool, dark place since heat and sunlight can accelerate data loss. Some times a CD can work in another drive without problem, or a gentle clean with a proper CD cleaning kit may dislodge dirty and grit. Also try the local video store - many have CD/DVD polishing systems that can bring back life to a scratched disc.

To get back your lost files, you\\\'ll need a recovery tool. These three programs are free and will work for most types of media:

* CDCheck 3 (CDs and DVDs)
* File Recovery 3 (Hard drives and some types of removable devices/drives)
* Smart Recovery 4.5 (most Memory cards, USB drives/keys and removeable media).

All three programs are free for personal use and the links above have more details about each. Keep them handy for when disaster strikes.

Outlook Express:

How to:

* Backup Outlook Express messages and settings for free
* Upgrade or download the latest free version of Outlook Express

Outlook Express

Outlook Express is probably the most commonly used email software for Windows users. It is free with the Windows operating system but it is technically part of Internet Explorer. However, it can be a little confusing knowing how to perform some basic, but important functions - such as how to back up files or upgrade your current version.

Obtaining the latest version

Outlook Express is free but there is a catch. It is part of Internet Explorer. So to get an upgrade of Outlook Express (click here), you must also get the corresponding version of Internet Explorer. In other words, to upgrade to Outlook Express 6 from version 5 or earlier, you will need to download and install Internet Explorer 6. Furthermore, you must ensure that you also select Outlook Express as one your components to install. If not, you may end up with, for example, Internet Explorer 6 and Outlook Express 5.

When Internet Explorer (and therefore Outlook Express) is installed on your system, it generally does a good job of carrying over the files and settings to the new setup. However, it is a good idea to backup key Outlook Express files before running the update - just in case something goes wrong.

Equally important is the understanding that to properly patch Outlook Express with the latest updates you must patch BOTH Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Some security updates that affect Internet Explorer also affect Outlook Express, but there are other updates specifically for Outlook Express. Yes, it is really confusing. The links above should help.

Operating system notes: you can\'t upgrade to Internet 6 on Windows 95. The latest version available for Windows 95 is Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2. This also means that you can only update to Outlook Express 5.5. All other releases of Windows should use Internet Explorer 6 SP1.

How to Backup Outlook Express

As mentioned above, few people know how to backup messages, settings, address books or rules. How would you feel if one day you lost all your messages and contact details but had no backup? In addition, there may come a time when you want to move your Outlook Express files and settings to another computer (a common occurrence when upgrading from Windows 95 or 98 to Windows XP).

We get many questions from visitors to this site who want to know if there is a simple button in Outlook Express that will backup everything. Unfortunately it doesn\'t exist, and the manual backup process is complicated - some stages involve messing around with the Windows registry. At absolute minimum, you should backup your message folders. This is the simplest of all the tasks.

Firstly, you need to realise that Outlook Express does not save messages as individual files - it stores them according to the folders used in Outlook Express.

1. Start Outlook Express
2. Select Tools-Options and then the Maintenance tab.
3. Click the Store Folder button. This path will be long - really long. Click and drag the mouse to the right to see the location.
4. Exit Outlook Express, start Windows Explorer and go to that location.
5. Copy the folder and its entire contents to a backup location such as a CD.

Importantly, the steps above do not cover the all your contacts, settings and other files. Plus restoring is not so simple. If you use an older backup copy of your Outlook Express files to overwrite your new folders, then you will lose all messages and changes since the backup. You can try importing the messages (File-Import), but this process frequently fails with cryptic messages and it will often result in duplicate messages appearing.

The easy solution

Get a copy of OE Backup. It is absolutely free and will backup and restore all your Outlook Express settings and messages. The processes are managed with a few clicks of the mouse. Importantly, the program doesn\'t use specialised file formats (some backup programs require you to use the exact same software to restore files). This means you have the choice to use the program to restore any backups, or do it manually without the program.

[vladmire]

Direct X:

How to:

* Check the DirectX version installed on your PC
* Fix common DirectX errors
* Download the latest version as a single installation file

Understanding DirectX
DirectX has many uses in Windows. It allows developers to standardise certain video display and audio files - this makes them easier to run on different types of PCs.

DirectX is supposed to be backward compatible. So, if a game was written for DirectX 8, it should run if you have DirectX 9 installed on your PC. However, a game written specifically for DirectX 9 will generally not run on DirectX 8 or earlier. DirectX also has smaller incremental releases such as DirectX 9.0c (which has small but important differences compared to versions 9.0, 9.0a or 9.0b). A program written for DirectX 9.0c will generally not work with with versions such as 9.0a. That small letter at the end is important.
If you have an older version of DirectX and a program needs a newer release, you will often see errors like:

* Unable to find file d3d8.dll, ddraw.dll or d3d9.dll
* Cannot intialize dinput9.dll
* This application has failed to start because d3d9.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
* dplay.dll has performed an illegal operation
* Fatal Exception error in dplayx.dll
* Access violation error in DirectX file D3D8.DLL
* A required .DLL File, D3D9.DLL, was not found
* Black/empty screen display
* Looping audio, pulsing sound or no sound at all

To fix most of these problems, all you need to do is make sure that you have downloaded the latest version on your system.

How do you check which version of DirectX is on your system: click the Start menu, then choose Run. In the box type dxdiag and press Enter on your keyboard. A new Window will appear and your version of DirectX will be listed at the bottom.

If you have an earlier version of DirectX installed on your system and install the latest version, you will see little difference in available space on your hard drive following the installation. However, DirectX 9 will overwrite any earlier versions and you cannot \\\\\\\'officially\\\\\\\' remove it. There are many third-party utilities that may perform this task - this can help if your installation was corrupted. Search Google for \\\\\\\'DirectX Uninstaller\\\\\\\'.

One annoying part of the DirectX active download available from Microsoft\\\\\\\'s site is that you can\\\\\\\'t save the files you downloaded. If you want to install the DirectX package on another PC, you\\\\\\\'ll have to download it each time. One solution is to get the \\\\\\\'redist\\\\\\\' version - all files are downloaded in one package (rather than an active download). See above for download links to this package.

Operating system notes: you can\\\\\\\'t update DirectX on Windows NT. The latest version available for Windows 98 or Me is DirectX 8.1. All other releases of Windows should use the DirectX 9 update listed above.

WinSpy Index.dat Viewer 3.02

The WinSpy index.dat viewer lets you read the contents of your index.dat files (it\\\'s free and a small download). If you are not familiar with these files, don\\\'t be surprised - they are hidden on your computer. Windows uses index.dat files to organise data on your system. They reside in the Cookies, History and Internet Explorer’s cache folders. This presents two problems: Index.dat files can grow quite large and as they increase in size, they tend to be bogged down with unneeded data - making them less efficient. Secondly, snoops can recover the index.dat file and read details such as your History, even though the items may have already been \\\'deleted\\\' from the History folder. If you need a tool to help rid your computer of these files and other unwanted history files, get a copy of Tracks Eraser Pro.

Don\\\'t take out word for it - try it yourself. Here\\\'s how:

1. Download the Index.dat viewer and Tracks Eraser Pro
2. Delete your History (in Internet Explorer go to Tools-Internet Options and click the Clear History option at the bottom right of the Window)
3. In Windows Explorer, go to the History folder and confirm there is nothing listed (the location of this folder varies, use the Windows Find/Search tool with ‘History’ as a search term).
4. Run Index.dat Viewer and read or export(!) your ‘deleted’ History items.
5. Run Tracks Eraser Pro, then try to read the files again with the index.dat viewer - you should find the listings are now completely gone.

Download: http://www.softwarepatch.com/network...-security.html

lsass.exe or isass.exe - virus or system file?

Virus and spyware writers are getting more cunning. They are now disguising their viruses to look or sound like Windows system files. Quick quiz: out of the following, which of the files is the spyware (browser hijack), virus (Trojan) and the crucial system file?

* Isass.exe
* lsass.exe
* Win32.exe

Hey, wait a minute, the first two files are the same! Well, they are not. The first starts with the letter capital i (I) and second starts with the letter lowercase l (L). The one starting with i (isass.exe) is a virus/Trojan but Windows users may easily mistake it for the very important security process, lsass.exe (starts with a lowercase L, as in lucky). And yes Win32.exe is a browser hijack program that will keep taking charge of your browser home page.


More to it

Needless to say, you need to be extremely careful that you don\'t make assumptions when investigating files on your system. The substitution is used in other areas too. The virus, Backdoor.NetDevil, is copied onto a computer with the filename of Kernel.dlI - except that the last letter is a capital i. So, because of the way fonts are displayed, Kernel.dlI (the ending here is .DLI) can look identical the all important Kernel.dll (ending is DLL).

How to properly identify processes

As you can see, it is very easy to overlook or confuse the processes running on your system. You can try typing each process into Google, but be careful not to make a mistake. One solution is to try changing your system fonts to a serif font such as Times or Bookman, but that can look a little ugly (a serif is the little curly bit on your letters - it makes Isass.exe look like Isass.exe rather than Isass.exe). Another solution is to get an anti-spyware program that can help identify the nasties.

When searching for problematic files, always be careful about making assumptions. Get to learn what processes are running on your system and check each one. Be suspicious about double entries, particularly if the process has an \'i\' in its name. Note: it is common to see multiple entries of svchost.exe and other programs running in several windows such as explorer.exe.

[vladmire]

lsass.exe or isass.exe - virus or system file?

Virus and spyware writers are getting more cunning. They are now disguising their viruses to look or sound like Windows system files. Quick quiz: out of the following, which of the files is the spyware (browser hijack), virus (Trojan) and the crucial system file?

* Isass.exe
* lsass.exe
* Win32.exe

Hey, wait a minute, the first two files are the same! Well, they are not. The first starts with the letter capital i (I) and second starts with the letter lowercase l (L). The one starting with i (isass.exe) is a virus/Trojan but Windows users may easily mistake it for the very important security process, lsass.exe (starts with a lowercase L, as in lucky). And yes Win32.exe is a browser hijack program that will keep taking charge of your browser home page.


More to it

Needless to say, you need to be extremely careful that you don\'t make assumptions when investigating files on your system. The substitution is used in other areas too. The virus, Backdoor.NetDevil, is copied onto a computer with the filename of Kernel.dlI - except that the last letter is a capital i. So, because of the way fonts are displayed, Kernel.dlI (the ending here is .DLI) can look identical the all important Kernel.dll (ending is DLL).

How to properly identify processes

As you can see, it is very easy to overlook or confuse the processes running on your system. You can try typing each process into Google, but be careful not to make a mistake. One solution is to try changing your system fonts to a serif font such as Times or Bookman, but that can look a little ugly (a serif is the little curly bit on your letters - it makes Isass.exe look like Isass.exe rather than Isass.exe). Another solution is to get an anti-spyware program that can help identify the nasties.

When searching for problematic files, always be careful about making assumptions. Get to learn what processes are running on your system and check each one. Be suspicious about double entries, particularly if the process has an \'i\' in its name. Note: it is common to see multiple entries of svchost.exe and other programs running in several windows such as explorer.exe.

WinFixer - fix and remove the WinFixer popup attack

The WinFixer popup is a frustrating problem that will present frequent popup windows. This can occur even when your Web browser is not running. In some cases it will continually pop up each time you visit a new Web site and since the program can load with Windows it means that standard popup blockers are generally ineffective. Needless to say, it can be extremely annoying.

Your first step is to identify that WinFixer is the problem. Generally, the popups will make this clear because they will display WinFixer in the window or title bar (the strip across the top of a Window). You will also get fake error messages saying that there is a problem with your computer and you should install WinFixer to correct the problem - this will then tell you to pay for the full version of WinFixer.

In a few instances, you may be able to remove the program via Windows Add/Remove Programs (go to the Windows Control Panel and click Add/Remove Programs. Look for WinFixer in the list - it is generally towards the end). If you are one of the lucky ones, remove the program, restart your computer and your system should be clear. Be aware however, that WinFixer may have been installed by some other adware program on your computer, so it is possible that it may return. If this happens, follow the steps listed under \'Avoiding WinFixer in the future\'. Another particularly annoying aspect is that sometime the program keeps re-installing itself - this will require a bit more work.

If Add/Remove Programs wasn\'t successful in the removal of the WinFixer popup, it is time to clean up your system and use a specially designed spyware removal tool. Step one is to flush out all the temp files on your system: Cookies, Temporary Internet Files and Temp files (you can do this via Internet Explorer\'s Tools-Internet Options or for a more thorough clean, use a privacy tool such as Tracks Eraser Pro 5). There are numerous reports that WinFixer is becoming more devious, so if your removal was successful, make sure you take some preventative measures to stop its return:

Avoiding WinFixer in the future

1. Keep your system fully patched - including Windows, anti-virus software and anti-spyware tools.
2. WinFixer is included in many \'free programs\' or modified versions of free programs downloaded from untrusted sites or file sharing networks. There have been reports that some installations of Limewire and a modified but unauthorised release of Internet Explorer 7 Beta have had WinFixer inserted. As a general rile. during the installation of free software, take a moment or two to see if they mention other bundled programs.
3. Most quality free programs do not have a budget to advertise, so beware of ads that offer something for free. Normally they include some kind of adware/spyware.
4. Finally, consider adding an anti-adware tool to work next to your anti-virus software.

About:Blank - fix and remove the About Blank adware attack

Here\'s the problem - Internet Explorer seems to have decided that the home page About:blank is what will greet you every time you open a new browser window. You try to change it back but either your Internet Options are greyed out or you change the page back, only to find next time you start Internet Explorer the dreaded About:blank has returned.

There are many possible causes for this behaviour and most are evil. One possible cause is a virus, but this is not very common. The most likely culprit is an adware/browser hijack program - in particular, CoolWebSearch.

The symptom that identifies the CoolWebSearch or a close variation is that About:Blank appears as the address, but in the background a window pops up stating that spyware, adware or something similar has been found on your system. CoolWebSearch is a browser hijack program - it takes over your home page, and keeps changing it back. Its purpose is to show you advertising, or flog you an over-priced piece of software to fix the issue CoolWebSearch has created. The About:Blank change is a trick designed to confuse users - regrettably, it is very successful!

The simplest way to remove the About:Blank adware is to use a specially designed tool and clean up your system. Step one is to flush out all the temp files on your system: Cookies, Temporary Internet Files and Temp files (you can do this via Internet Explorer\'s Tools-Internet Options or for a more thorough clean, use a privacy tool such as Tracks Eraser Pro 5). Next up, get a copy of CWShredder. This should kill CoolWebSearch and allow you to change your home page from About:Blank, plus it will kill those pop up windows.

If these options don\'t work, you may need a more in-depth tool .

The About:Blank deception is devious enough already - it may be altered in the future, so keep an eye out for other programs that contain it (main sources: free programs with adware files) - and stay clear. Finally, consider adding an anti-adware tool to work next to your anti-virus software.

Tracks Eraser Pro 5: http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/trackerase.html

[ares623]

wow! thanks for this bai... this could be very helpful for us.. :mrgreen:

[tuWaD!!!]

nice info

[borgy1981]

mura naman ni tech support thread oi! thanks for the info...mga bro if naa pa mo nahibal.an nga t/s step...post dayon!

[Þurist]

@ Mods: Can this be pinned? Looks good to me.

[circles122345]

mga pips CSR bya ang ga post ana..