Browser wars! Firefox is being bullied by AVG search, and it's a nuisance.

[Pan]

I use F/fox and about a week ago AVG took over all of the screen. No task or tool bar showing, unless I move the cursor up to the v top and then the other tabs I have opened will show. So I can't use any F/fox facilities like my bookmarks.
I uninstalled and re-installed F/fox and it persists. I don't want to touch AVG at all as this is the anti-virus.
Any solution please?
tia

[Pan]

oh and opening any new tab also produces a 'Delta search' window which I don't want.

[differentnameforthis]

Have you downloaded anything recently? Lots of downloads now seem to come with some sort of anti virus attached which can cause issues with your existing software.

Check in your programmes (where you go to un-install) to see if you have another virus software.

Have you googled delta search? This is what I get when I did malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-delta-search/

Not a bad idea to run through the instructions.

[NetworkGuy]

Can you grab a screenshot and put it online, or I can suggest some workaround...

Odds are that AVG can be minimised or this window closed. Is it actually displaying within the Firefox window or as a separate application (will show in the 'Task Bar' with its own {4 colour 'flag'} icon if it is separate) ?

[nannynick]

Given you have Delta Search, do you perhaps need to do a Malware scan of your computer using something like MalwareBytes.

[Pan]

Hello you considerate people. Sorry I've been away since - the laptop has not been my own this weekend!
One step fwd one step back, I'm afraid. I did uninstall Delta and that went away. BUT..in the course of doing the malware thing, it seems to have downloaded "MyWeb search", which now behaves in the same way as Delta did - fills the screen and I can't get to any Firefox stuff. network - I click on the F/fox icon on d/top, it opens and then immediately the 'new' homepage takes over and we are back with the prob. I checked in control panel and there isn't a 'MyWeb' programme to uninstall.

I'll continue playing with it. IF there is anything new you could think of do please let me know? I do appreciate your suggestions. IT isn't the worst problem in the world but just an on-going nuisance.

[nannynick]

AVG has a ToolBar remover... AVG: FAQ 5200: How to remove Homepage

How have you got MyWebSearch? There seems to be something amiss with how you are getting these browser helper objects/toolbars. Something is installing them would be my guess.

I wonder if you have a virus which has disabled AVG.

How about trying other anti-virus tools - these are online versions, they download some code to your computer but not a full package like AVG:

Panda ActiveScan - Requires Internet Explorer.
TrendMicro Housecall
BitDefender

Worth running several, so that you can get a clean system. Then update AVG and run that on a full scan.



Having done all that, with luck your system will be back to normal.

Do have a go and see how you get on.

[Pan]

thanks v much nn - will give all of that a go.

[Pan]

Well, had a sweaty evening but a bit productive. The problem is Mywebsearch, a PUP which is a nuisance and pesky AND allows other more damaging progs. eg trojans to get in. IT takes over home pages.

I have looked under every stone. I even carefully followed instructions in getting into the registry, and C drive folders, and look for this blighter. IT seems to come with various names, usually "My" something, or search assistant. There is nothing presenting itself. I even looked at the dates on programmes (esp for about a week ago) and nothing matches that I can't vouch for.
IN my journeys I read something for these things in general and it suggested doing a restore, to a time say 2 weeks ago. Arewe thinking this could help, or is to inviting other troubles?

[Pan]

I'm reading most tools don't see it as a mal'spy. AVG works and scanned, as well as a Windows firewall scan and nothing came up, poss for the above reason.

[nannynick]

As you are getting more confident, do you want to give ADWcleaner a try. It will remove ALL toolbars (well, any it can) so will dump the AVG one as well, if you still have it. It will prompt you for a reboot and then display a log file, so don't panic when you see that.

[nannynick]

Just a reminder... if possible, backup any important documents, photos, that sort of thing you have on your system, especially if you are planning on going back in time at some point. Personally I would avoid going back to a previous restore point, as you just don't know what you will lose.

[Pan]

I have just discovered that 'ask.com' is now associated with bundles of spy ware. That was in the programmes list, but no more. Tricky this stuff, isn't it?

Will do the cleaner. I don't think I have anything important going back two weeks or so, but that is a last resort and I don't even know if it would be effective.

[Pan]

It has thrown up 100s of file references. What do I do now please?

[nannynick]

If you feel confident, click the button on it which says Delete. I presume you clicked Search, which gives you the list of what it finds but takes no action. Clicking delete will delete all the stuff it found. So make sure anything important (work, study documents for example) are backed up, just incase it all goes horribly wrong. Usually these programs identify things correctly but deleting system related things like registry entries, so it can be dangerous.

[nannynick]

Ask, is another toolbar.

[Pan]

it has quite a few registry entries. A few refer to myweb and delta so I'm guessing those are the bad ones in all. Here goes..

[nannynick]

Its not just the last few weeks, it's everything on the computer that is important to you. If worst comes to the worst you may need to do a factory reinstall... Do you have the discs from when you first brought the computer?

[nannynick]

Yes, it will delete registry entries, then reboot the computer.

[nannynick]

Hope you get back online. With luck your computer will reboot fine and you will be able to use firefox to post on mumsnet.

Rescan using MalwareBytes and with luck it will not find anything.
With luck firefox will be usable, no more toolbars getting in the way.

[Pan]

Back. With no my or delta! Mozilla still goes to full screen without the tool bar above, but this is progress!

I would not be here without your kindness, nn.

[nannynick]

Good to see you back.
Maybe try uninstalling firefox and downloading latest version from mozilla.
Maybe it is some setting in firefox. I have no idea, at least you now do not have the toolbars.

[nannynick]

Try ctrl-k or ctrl-e keyboard shortcuts to get back the search/url bar.
F11 may get out of full screen
F10 may display menu bar

Keyboard shortcuts are always worth trying as a method of getting things more back to a display you are used to seeing.

[nannynick]

More Shortcut keyboard commands for Firefox

[Pan]

Bugger me! F11 worked!!

[Pan]

It's all back on track.

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