Micorsoft? What is this???

Using both together is not a bad idea. It should be noted that AdAware will pick up some stuff in SpyBot which it interprets as adware; be sure to deselct the Spybot stuff AdAware lists before clicking "fix"

The key to this Micorsoft is spybot. Running both won't hurt but spybot is what gets the crucial stuff.

I managed to acquire, stumbling along through the internet, a "Sponsored Search Results" MSN toolbar. At first I hated it, since it provides lousy search capabilities, but then I noticed it had a "trap popups" button which I clicked. Now it traps every Micorsoft and other pop-up that's come my way, which is quite gratifying. It is sort of like the king of pop-ups, I think, but it protects me from all the rest. It even has a little window that says how many have been blocked (seven today). When it first started, it blocked lots more... over 20 at a time. I don't know why the number has gone down.

Update: Yes I have used Spybot several times, and even deleted some related "offer optimizer" and "consortion junction (or whatever it's called)" files... Later on, I found two programs in "Add/Remove Programs" called "Websearch" and "Web Savings by Ebates". Did research on them and found that people hated them. So I moved the folders to the recycle bin; yet to delete them. Still getting popups, but at least they aren't two at a time anymore... but still annoying nonetheless... This can't be coming from the programs I moved to the Recycle Bin, nothing moved there can function, right? Anyways I found that the ebates thing was a spawn of some program called "Moe Money Software" or some rather...

I'll jot down those Spybot instructions and try them one by one when I get the opportunity to do so... Just reporting what I know thus far...

micorsoft popups
I have been going crazy from the "micorsoft" popups. I discovered that a program called CommonName had been installed on my computer and it was causing this problem. After researching this CommonName program a bit, I believe that it was installed on my computer some time ago when I had installed IMesh file sharing program. Even though I had uninstalled IMesh several months ago, the CommonName program remained. I have now uninstalled CommonName and no longer have the popup problem.

Micorsoft Spyware
Hi.
I had the same problem with this cursed Micorsoft thing.
Most times, on opening IE i would get an extra popup, saying "Micorsoft Internet Explorer", only visible on the taskbar.
During surfing, i would also get annoying extra popups with advertising, and possibly most annoying of all, when using a search engine i would often get adverts relating to the things i had typed in on search.
Even the latest and best virus software didn't find the culprit.
I got hold of this adaware and it managed to identify this despicable piece of spyware.
So if you're having this problem too and don't want to go through the adaware process, try this:

Kill the cmesys.exe process in task manager. You must do this or the program files for the spyware will be locked.
Delete the c:\program files\common files\CMEII directory

Adaware identified this program as being provided by the Gator corporation, and this ties in with the fact that i've also seen their name mentioned on some of the popups.

Welcome to A2K dave-o

micorsoft
I just want to thank everyone on here for all the posts on micorsoft and especially the "offer optimizer" because that's what helped me find this site by searching through google. The popups were beginning to become so annoying, and I had run ad-aware several times, but it didn't do anything. Now I have spybot and it worked really good, my problem is solved. Thanks again!

Offer Optimizer is killing me!
Hi, I have been trying to make sense out of this string to see if I have a similar issue.

I get an IE window that pop up from below the tray, kinda under the clock I guess.

Most times it pops up, it just disappears by itself. The other times it pops up, but there is nothing there, and no way to see what it is.

I have caught glimpses of something called xads.offeroptimizer as part of the string there.

I have 2 main issues/concerns:
1. What is it, and how can I get rid of it.
2. I still get pop ups, but am running anti pop up programs

On my system, I have Ad-Aware, Zone Alarm Pro, and the Google Toolbar. The ZAP is set to not allow Pop ups, but it fails miserably. The Google Toolbar has never stopped even one pop up, despite being configured correctly. Ad Aware has not found this bug apparently.

I am a new user to this forum, but it seems like there are some real sharp folks who participate in it.

PLEASE HELP!! I have tried to get Spybot, but the program is impossible to download at the moment.

Rotti

When you succeed in getting spybot it should remove the problem.

Don't know much to tell you other than that. That has been the consistent solution for all here.

If the download difficulties persist I'll send you the install file.

Thank you Craven for such a rapid reply. if you could send it that would be great. i have been trying to get it for 2 days now at numerous mirror sites with no luck. send to [email protected] if you can.

I appreciate it very much.

It's a bit big for email, I've posted it for download here: Right click and save file (Spybot).

Craven, got this installed, but it did not remove the Micorsoft thing. Any other ideas?

Did you run it?

Do you have AdAware?

Yea, I ran it, and I do have Adaware as well. The main thing spybot found was ads related to Download Accelerator, which Adaware has never noticed.

Very odd. I ahve yet to see a case in which this wasn't removed by Spybot.

Because I do not have access to an "infected" computer I don't know what to tell you. I've not had any experience with this problem that could not be solved by running SpyBot.

Earlier someone posted manual removal instructions on this thread. You might want to look for that.

Craven, I know least of you all what I am talking about here, but didn't you say that if you ran Adaware and then Spybot you should deselect Sprybot on the Adaware run? Would not doing it mess up sypbot somehow?

Yep. But this is a case of neither getting the spyware. :-(

well, i really appreciate the assistanceyou have provided craven. i think i have a big hammer around here somewhere that might help

Sorry we couldn't solve this. :-(