Perpetual problems

[Workingman]

Aggers, I have no idea why ARO 2013 was mentioned, it never cropped up when I ran the AdwCleaner,

Anyway, I went to this site: http://www.babylon.com/info/uninstall I didn't really want to because it is the home of the pesky toolbar, but it checks out OK. There are instructions for removal of all the associated Babylon products - quite a few!!!.

The first step is to remove the Babylon client. After that all the other things need to be checked.

If I find an easier way I will get back asap.

[lissie]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2418379,00.asp

I don`t know if this will help but i used it to get rid of Babylon on OH`s laptop.
He is a compulsive clicker and loads of things appear that he swears he did`nt choose
It took a bit of time but it worked for me.

lissie

[Aggers]

WM - I've tried your suggestion but without success.

Lissie - I've been through the procedure you describe, but, again, without success. I will try again
some other time when I don't feel so tired.

Thanks for all your replies but It seems Babylon is firmly entrenched in my system and I'll just have to live with it.

One thing has improved - when I click on a word now I get the option of seaching the Web with Google - and Google comes up.

[Workingman]

The more I have looked into this the more angry and frustrated I have become, especially with the sites with removal tools/instructions. This Babylon thing hides itself in so many ways that these things are only disabling it to stop it from working, it is not being removed - and it can make a comeback.

The only way I have discovered to get rid of it is to edit the registry.... but to do that there are a few things you need to know how to do. One way is very thorough, one is slightly easier, but not quite as thorough.

The thorough way.

Make a backup of the registry keys to be altered. This tells how: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/wind ... e-registry but remember this is only for registry keys, it is not for the whole registry.

The next is to define the folders and registry keys where Babylon lives., do the folders first. This gives their locations: http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.ph ... on-Toolbar BTW <$APPDATA> is in C:\Users\Whatever you have called yourself\ You will need to go to Tools>>>Folder Options>>>View... and Show hidden files, folders and drives to see it. Look in all three folders shown and simply delete anything 'Babylon'. Now go the registry keys, but before deleting them, export them as per the Microsoft link.

The easier way.

Download RegSeeker: http://www.hoverdesk.net/download.php Go for the portable/zip option then run RegSeeker.exe

In the left hand menu go through the options, but leave Find in registry till last.

Installed applications.
1. Installed: Look for Babylon, Color Pic, Delta and Funmoods. Double click uninstalls.
2. Invalid: select all and delete.
3. Settings: Go through the list, L click to highlight those mentioned above, R click and delete.

Startup entries.
1. Startup: Highlight and delete any Babylon or the other things.
2. Services: Any Babylon or the others, delete.
3. IE. Delete any and all BHO entries.

Privacy.
1. IE hstory: Delete all entries... they will be rebuilt.
2. Old Start Menu Items: Delete all.

Favourites.
Go through all the HKCU and HKLM options and delete any Babylon entries.

Reboot you computer and run RegSeeker again. Search for Babylon in Find in Registry, but make sure 'Search Files' is ticked. Delete any crap found. Now..

Clean the Registry.
1. Untick the Active X box and clean.
2. Select all and clean.

Hopefully that will get you clean. You might still have to reset your browser homepage and search engine.

Don't give up Aggers, and never accept this crap.

[Aggers]

Thanks, Frank, I do appreciate all the trouble you have gone to in trying to help me.

I will need to copy and print your last posting and will have a go at it when I have the time,
and am free from posible interuptions.

Thanks again.

[Aggers]

This is interesting. Babylon has gone.!!!!!

I received the following message from Microsoft Security Essencials ......

Microsoft Security Essentials has detected and removed unwanted software from your computer that compromised your Internet browsing settings.
As part of the cleanup process, your home page has been reset to MSN and your search engine has been reset to Bing. You can change these settings at any time. Click here to learn how.
If you would like to revert to your previous home page click here.Was this helpful?
Yes No

Needless to say, I clicked YES.

[Diflower]

Aggers I'm sure that's good, but - 'Your search engine has been reset to Bing' ??
Did you ever have Bing as your search engine? (as opposed to Google, Firefox, etc)

I'm sure WM or suff will be along with far more knowledge than me, but just for now, hang fire, don't actually use it, am not sure that's what you want
I may be wrong but since you've had so many problems would be best to be cautious

[Aggers]

Yes, Di, I appreciate you remarks but I think I would trust Microsoft, and their search engine, Bing, seems to be working alright.

It will be interesting to hear what Suff and WM have to say.

[Suff]

Well done MSE….

MSN and Bing are the out of box defaults for a newly installed vanilla copy of Microsoft Windows. Hard to get unless you buy the media yourself and install it.

Let’s hope that this is the end of it Aggers.

More care when downloading and installing freeware from now on and you should not see this again. Although I did get some total cr@pwhere installed recently which I excised from my system. Stupid free flv player….

[Workingman]

Great news about Babylon. Well done MSE.

As for the rest. It is only a personal choice, but I would not have MSN as my start page as I prefer something less resource intensive such as about:blank. Bing as a search engine to run from the address bar is OK and can always be changed at any time.