Hi Zipidydoda ~
Virtual Bouncer is supposed to be a spyware detector and eliminator.
But there have been several complaints about its being very invasive,
and some people can't seem to remove it. Most people feel that they
should be able to run this type of program when they want (such as
Spybot Search & Destroy) ... NOT have it install itself over and over.
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Uninstalling Virtual Bouncer
=============================
The obvious first step, especially if you know it is installed, is to
remove it via your Windows Control Panel. To do this:
From your desktop ...
1. Click on My Computer
2. Click on Control Panel
3. Click on Add/Remove Programs
4. Scroll down til you find Spyware Lab's Virtual Bounce
5. Click on Remove
Pardon me if I am repeating something you already know. But don't you
just know that if I left this part off, it would be something our
visitors DON'T know, so it makes it easier to just state the obvious
sometimes.
If Virtual Bounce isn't there, or if this doesn't remove it from your
computer, Spyware Labs Support page (not its FAQ, where one would
think) offers these instructions for removal:
"How do I remove Virtual Bouncer from my computer?
Most people will be able to remove Virtual Bouncer
through Add/Remove Programs in your control panel.
If you do not know how to do this or are having trouble,
you can also uninstall the program by following these
easy steps:
1. Click here [link to:
http://www.spywarelabs.com/VirtualBouncerUninstall.exe ]
2. Select 'OPEN' or select 'Run from current location'
and press OK.
3. Once the program finishes, reboot your computer."
- http://spywarelabs.com/support.html
and also:
"I tried to uninstall Virtual Bouncer using Add/Remove
Programs but it didn't work. What should I do?"
"This was a bug in an early release of our product and
has been corrected. If you're experiencing this problem,
following these easy steps:
1. Click here [link to:
http://www.spywarelabs.com/VirtualBouncerUninstall.exe ]
2. Select 'OPEN' or select 'Run from current location'
and press OK.
3. Once the program finishes, reboot your computer."
- http://spywarelabs.com/support.html
That should remove Virtual Bouncer for you.
Surprisingly, while researching the solution for you, I found the
above steps on a site for the community of Stanton Oregon! Seems you
aren't the only one who encountered this program and didn't know how
to get rid of Virtual Bouncer.
You can find the discussion thread on the Stanton, Oregon, discussion
forum here:
- http://www.stayton.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=20&forum=2&jump=1
=====================
Your Other Questions
=====================
Your question, "Why can programs install on my computer without my
knowledge or
permission?" is difficult to answer.
In some cases, spyware comes bundled with other programs, especially
programs for filesharing, or programs like Gator, etc. Most of those
programs do have the information posted - usually in fine print in
their License Agreement or User Agreement, so they can claim the user
"voluntarily" downloaded and installed the program, so it's not their
fault!
In the case of Virtual Bouncer, they do not seem to mention the fact
that it installs and runs at bootup. The closest they come is in a
screen prior to downloading their executable file which says, " As a
result, the overwhelming majority of Internet users do not have the
level of protection that they should have in order to engage in online
banking, online shopping and other online activities."
- http://spywarelabs.com/downloads.html
Although it may be in their user agreement when it installs - I did
not download nor get that far, as I definitely didn't want Virtual
Bouncer on my system.
Addressing your question, "What can I do?".
The answer to that is simple - read and UNDERSTAND the terms of any
License Agreement, Terms of Service or Disclaimer you agree to ***
BEFORE *** you install and use the product. If you have any questions
regarding the terms, ask before you install, not after - when it may
be too late.
By merely clicking on "I agree" and proceeding you can conceivably be
giving up any rights to recover damages some malicious software may
cause.
==================
Search Terms Used
==================
On Google - Virtual Bouncer
Then exploring the Spyware Labs site for information.
Good luck!
Regards,
Serenata |
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