# MySearch Bar Spyware



## littlebits (May 6, 2005)

MySearch Bar is it spyware or not? If you use Spybot S&D it will protect against and detect MySearch Bar as spyware. SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard from http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/index.html will also block Active x controls and tracking cookies from MySearch websites. But some of the most popular spyware removal software will not detect or protect against MySearch Bar including Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE, Webroot SpySweeper and PC Tools Spyware Doctor. When I found MySearch Bar installed on my computer after scanning with Spybot S&D, I wonder why SpySweeper did not detect or protect against it. I wrote to customer support at Webroot and ask them. They said that MySearch Bar did not fall into their guidelines for spyware. I also tried to contact Lavasoft several times about MySearch Bar and they never replied to me. PC Tools replied and also said that MySearch Bar did not fit into their category for spyware. However PestPatrol and Microsoft AntiSpyware along with Spybot S&D do detect MySearch Bar as spyware and will remove it. You can also find MySearch Bar on download.com at http://www.download.com/My-Search-w-PopSwatter/3640-2379_4-10217612.html After they adopted the NO Adware, No Exceptions Policy.
So the question still remains, is MySearch Bar spyware? And if it is why is these other programs not detecting and protecting us from them? Webroots reply said that it could be easily removed with the Control Panel Add or Remove Programs, that is a load of crap. It would not uninstall that way. Spybot S&D did remove it from my system.

ThankYou :smile:


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## jgvernonco (Sep 13, 2003)

You have picked up on a controversy within the spyware community.

Anything that redirects a search or installs a toolbar without explicit permission is a bad deal, as far as I am concerned.

Most Analysts will remove it, some first asking if you installed it knowingly.

Another problem that I have with the prog is that, as you discovered, it does not uninstall very easily.

Since you "found" this little jewel installed on your computer, you can easily see that some of the anti-spyware venders are making an error. No one should "find" something they did not install on their system.


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## littlebits (May 6, 2005)

No I didn't install the MySearch Bar on purpose. I installed the new version of iMesh which was certified 100% clean by download.com's adware tests. iMesh installed this MySearch Bar. I reported it to download.com, Webroot, PC Tools and Lavasoft. Download.com said that they scanned iMesh with updated verions of SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor and Adware SE and was found to be clean. Spybot S&D is the only one that still had MySearch Bar in their database and download.com no longer uses it. Webroot, PC Tools and Lavasoft have removed MySearch Bar from their database for some reason. It appears that they may use the MySearch company for advertising their products therefore removing the detection.  I guess this is a part of the bussiness world. Since Spybot S&D only runs on donations and don't need to advertise it still detects MySearch Bar. SpywareGuard and SpywareBlaster also blocks active x controls and tracking cookies from all MySearch websites. :sayyes:


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