Registry keys that I cannot delete

I am scanning for spyware at work and I have found a few programs that both spybot and adaware find everytime but will not remove (even when running them in safe mode).

When I look for removal instructions on google I am finding pages that tell me top remove registry keys. However, when I try to take them out with regedit, I get a message that the keys cannot be removed.

Any clues what to do next?

check your processes to make sure the corresponding files are not active. you cannot delete registry keys when a file is open and actively using the registry. kill the processes then try to remove the keys

or, i believe you can boot in safe mode and try using regedit that way.

if not just us Ad Aware & Spyboot

Sweet mother of "Read the Flipin' Post!" He DID use Ad-Aware and SpyBot and he DID try it in safe mode..... sheesh...

Mal, I have two suggestions:

1. Try using regedt32 instead of plain 'ol regedit. Sometimes it will let you remove stuff that you couldn't before. Furthermore, check to see if there are any permissions set on the reg keys and if so, change them to give you full control.

2. Try to edit one of the sub-keys to mess up the program. For instance, if one key has a path like "C:\Windows\Spyware\MessWithYou.exe" see if you can edit the key to either delete the path (thus, leaving the key empty) or changing it to something else like "C:\Windows\GetOffMyFrikinComputer." If you can edit it, try a reboot and then go for a delete again.

Wedo

lol calm your sweet lil nerves pal...

there's a system in my shop right now malpine, that i have this very same problem on spybot calls the spyware "huntbar", while adaware shows 7 more entries by the name of "binet"

i've tried everything i can think of, and it appears adware nor spybot can remove it at this time. only advice i can give you is to check out the best anti-spyware forums on the planet:

http://www.spywareinfo.com/

what is the particular name/breed of the spyware you're having trouble removing?

I found this. hope it helps

How to Remove Huntbar?

This software can be removed through the Add/Remove Programs menu in your Microsoft Windows control panel. Use the following steps to uninstall your Huntbar:

1) Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel, and the Control Panel window opens.

2) Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon, find the entry 'Internet 404', 'MSIETS' and/or 'Tools for Internet Explorer'.

3) Select the program entry as described above and then click on the Add/Remove button and follow the on screen instructions.

4) Delete the shortcuts it adds to the desktop, start menu and favorites menu, and set your search and home pages back to normal. To do this, you need to open an Internet Explorer window, then click Tools->Internet Options->Programs->Reset Web Settings).

You can also go to download.com and get hijackthis. this is a REALLY COOL program that shows what programs edit IE settings.

Actually, huntbar is one of the ones that I have to deal with. I am at home right now and I do not recall what the others are but they are the devil to get out.

What I know is that someone was using a work computer to look at porn. Before I got to the computer in question, the "management nerd wannabe" had already worked the computer over but he really is not sure what he did. He did tell me that he found a few programs that had been installed to delete history files (presumably to cover the tracks of whoever did it).

I will try regedit32 tommorow.

Sophisticated said:

lol calm your sweet lil nerves pal...

Click to expand...

Im going to get in the middle of this one.

Wedo is right. You do need to read the posts.

I see tons of your post on the forums, and they are often 1 sentence response that are not helpful.

I would suggest in the future to try to be more helpful. You never know when you are going to need the help.

Please keep this in mind in the future.

None of the programs that I have are in the add/remove CP. Perhaps because I do not know what the guy before me did but they are still active. And I have already used hijack this (from safe mode) and I still have six items that I cannot get out with that tool.

We shall see...

I'm not to good with the registry editing but would it be possible to export the registery edit the exported version and then import it? That might remove any safeguards that there was on deleting keys. I HAVE NEVER TRIED THIS!!! this is just an idea.

Malpine Walis said:

None of the programs that I have are in the add/remove CP. Perhaps because I do not know what the guy before me did but they are still active. And I have already used hijack this (from safe mode) and I still have six items that I cannot get out with that tool.

We shall see...

Click to expand...

well what i suggest you do then, is sign up at spywareinfor forums, and post your hijack this log file there, you will get help from experts very quickly, they're very good with this sort of thing over there.

trust me, i've tried everything i know of and i still cannot get rid of this huntbar, as well as something called binet....

is there any reason in particular why you just can't do a clean install? It seems like its more of a hassle than its worth. just a suggestion.