What is Soft Axis toolbar in MS Internet Explorer?  This tool bar
installed itself and removed the Google tool bar and other tool bar
from my Internedt Explorer.  I went to View, Tool Bars and Soft Axis
was selected and Google was deseled.  I re-select Google and deselect
Sof Axis but as soon as I do son activity on my web browser the Soft
Axis reinstall itself.  Do any body have and idea what is happening?
Nando

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Clarification of Question by nandocolon-ga on 08 Apr 2004 20:54 PDT

The Soft Axis toolbar have a lot of buttons including one for Google,
but no matter which button I click always take me to the same page
with a tittle "Search the web" "Your search ends here" and listing a
lot of links to adds that did not have anything to do with my search.

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Clarification of Question by nandocolon-ga on 08 Apr 2004 20:57 PDT

Clarification:  the addres of the page is
http://srch.lop.com/search/search.cgi?affid=82&s=news&src=toolbar2

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Request for Question Clarification by livioflores-ga on 08 Apr 2004 21:13 PDT

Hi!!

As a first attemp I suggest you to download and run Ad-aware from Lavasoft:
This program will help you to remove from your computer the spyware
and other types of badware:
http://lavasoft.element5.com/software/adaware/

To download it:
http://lavasoft.element5.com/support/download/

Then install and run it, for a guide of how to do that visit the following page:
"Ad-aware Tutorial":
http://www.fluteloop.com/Adaware6.htm


Another tool that you will need is HijackThis by Merijn; this is a
great tool for detecting and removing browser Hijacks. A browser
hijack is when spyware takes over your internet settings. To download
it:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/HijackThis.exe

You can find HijackThis tutorials in the following pages:
"HijackThis Quick Start":
http://tomcoyote.com/hjt/

"Hijack This Tutorial":
http://hjt.wizardsofwebsites.com/ 


After run these two tools the Soft Axis toolbar must be kicked from your PC.

Please let me know if this works in order to post it in the answer box
to claim the prize. If does not work let me know too and I will
continue researching fr a solution to your problem.

Regards.
livioflores-ga

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Clarification of Question by nandocolon-ga on 09 Apr 2004 07:29 PDT

I ran AdAware and Spybot - Search and destroy but did not fix the
problem.  Then I ran a virus detection and found a trojan virus.  The
virus was cleaned, the Soft Axis toolbar is not longer acting up but
is still listed as an option in the browser Toolbar menue.  Even that
I am not having the problen with the toolbar I am going to try the
HijackThis software.

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Request for Question Clarification by livioflores-ga on 09 Apr 2004 08:32 PDT

Hi!!

Well, good news at least!!
I suggest you for the future to try the following software:
PestPatrol:
"PestPatrol is a powerful anti-hacker utility that finds and
eliminates hacker tools, spyware and trojans (hidden backdoors) from
your personal computer or corporate network."

It is a shareware, but you can download an evaluation copy. This
evaluation copy only detect the pests hidden on your system; to clean
your PC, you should purchase a license for the full-function software.
The cost of this software is $39.95:
"PestPatrol? Home User Edition"
http://www.pestpatrol.com/PestPatrolHE/default.asp


One more thing about the SSoft Axis toolbar, if HijackThis did not
remove it from the browser options try to find and delete any
reference of this pest in the registry, I suggest you to use the
following tool for do this:
Regcleaner: (freeware)
Almost applications you just uninstalled sometimes leave Registry
entries behind, you can delete them with Regcleaner:
http://www.cybertechhelp.com/download.php?RegCleaner.exe


For documentation about this program and for guidelines about its
usage please visit:
"RegCleaner Readme":
A complete help file.
http://freeware4u.com/shots/regcleaner/readme.htm

"Spyware Removal Guide":
http://www.clarkson.edu/~leiderjd/tutorial/spyware/spyware-4.htm

The last link is part of the very useful "How to remove spyware and
popups from your computer using free programs!" article by Justin
Leider:
http://www.clarkson.edu/~leiderjd/tutorial/spyware/spyware-1.htm


Hope this helps!!

Rgards.
livioflores-ga

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Clarification of Question by nandocolon-ga on 09 Apr 2004 08:33 PDT

Livio,  The virus scan in convination with HijackThis removed the toolbar.

Thanks for your help, you can now post the answer.

Nando

Hi nandocolon!!

I am so glad to see your computer problem solved.

In cases like this, when the web browser is hijacked or some strange
processes attemp to connect to the Internet, etc., the procedure to
remove them is the following:

Remember to disable System Restore if your operating system is Windows Me or XP.

1- Scan your computer for virus or trojans, preferably an online scan
(because the installed antivirus could be hijacked too!!). Try with
one of the following free services:

"Trend Micro - Free online virus Scan":
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

"Panda ActiveScan - Free online scanner":
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm

"Kaspersky Labs - free online virus scanner":
http://www.kaspersky.com/remoteviruschk.html

"BitDefender ScanOnline":
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php

"GFI - Free online Trojan scanner", an online tool dedicated to detect
trojans in your computer:
http://www.trojanscan.com/


Note: if you want to use your installed antivirus software, connect to
Internet and update the virus definitions.

-----------------------------------------------------------

2- Scan your computer to detect spyware, adware or other type of
badware. To do this you can perform an online scan or run an
antispyware software:

Online spyware scanner:
"PestPAtrol's free online spyware scanner":
http://www.pestscan.com/ScanOrTrial.asp

Anti Spyware software:
"Ad-aware" from Lavasoft: (freeware)
http://lavasoft.element5.com/software/adaware/

"SpyBot Search and Destroy": (freeware)
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd

---------------------------------------------------------

3- Run HijackThis to detect and remove browser hijacks:

"HijackThis" by Merijn :
http://www.spychecker.com/program/hijackthis.html

Direct download link:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/HijackThis.exe

You can find HijackThis tutorials in the following pages:
"HijackThis Quick Start":
http://tomcoyote.com/hjt/

"Hijack This Tutorial":
http://hjt.wizardsofwebsites.com/

---------------------------------------------------------

4- Remove (if necessary) from the registry any trace of the pest. To
do that use RegCleaner software:

"Regcleaner": (freeware)
Almost applications you just uninstalled sometimes leave registry
entries behind, you can delete them with Regcleaner:
http://www.cybertechhelp.com/download.php?RegCleaner.exe


For documentation about this program and for guidelines about its
usage please visit:
"RegCleaner Readme":
A complete help file.
http://freeware4u.com/shots/regcleaner/readme.htm

"Spyware Removal Guide":
http://www.clarkson.edu/~leiderjd/tutorial/spyware/spyware-4.htm

----------------------------------------------------------------

This complete procedure must remove all undesirable software from your computer. 
Remember to keep updated the antivirus and the antispyware softwares.


The last link provided is part of the very useful article "How to
remove spyware and popups from your computer using free programs!" by
Justin
Leider:
http://www.clarkson.edu/~leiderjd/tutorial/spyware/spyware-1.htm



Thank you trust in Google Answers researchers.

Best regards.
livioflores-ga

This was a very detailed answer that not only help solve my problem
but also help in solving other minor problems.

Nando - it sounds as if your browser has been hijacked, but I cannot
find the programme you mention. Do you rememeber any other features
that could help?