I have Spyware Strike on my computer.  I have tried all of best
software to get rid of it, but it keeps coming back.  How do I get rid
of it for good?  I used Norton, Ad a ware, Spybot, spyware doctor, PC
tools, windows malicious software remover and more.

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 21 Jan 2006 15:41 PST

johnnycats...

Once it's installed, most anti-spyware software won't 
be able to remove it. Wade through these detailed
instructions on removing it manually, from a page at
2-spyware.com, and let me know if this does it for you:
http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-spywarestrike.html

sublime1-ga

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Clarification of Question by johnnycats-ga on 23 Jan 2006 07:58 PST

I have tried everything, except the manual removal of registry values.
 I should have tried that first because nothing else works.  I have
been working on this for days, tonight I will do the deletion of
registy values. Spyware Strike is by far the worst virus that I have
ever heard of.  Is someone working on a patch from this one?

Anyway I will get back to you after my deletion of registry values.

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 23 Jan 2006 09:48 PST

johnnycats...

A lot of malware programs plant entries in the registry.
Among other things, this is one of the ways they get the
program to start up with Windows, and sometimes they're
used to regenerate files after you delete them.

The IS a patch on that page, for automated removal. It
escaped my notice before, but it's in red text, right
at the top of the gray box with the registry values:
http://www.2-spyware.com/goout.php?id=5

Click on that, and it should initiate a download of 
sdsetup.exe. Running that may do the trick, so give
that a shot if you haven't already.

sublime1-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 23 Jan 2006 10:00 PST

Ohhh...I'm just now reading the comments at the bottom.
Apparently that link is for Spyware Doctor, and, though
it locates the files (the same ones listed for the manual
removal process), it doesn't remove them unless you pay
to register the program.

Sorry to get your hopes up with that, though, if you're
really uncomfortable working with the registry, you might
want to consider paying the $30.

Some of the other comments note that Microsoft's Beta
AntiSpyware program seems to do the job:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

You could try running that first, and if it kills the
program, I would still go through the manual removal
list. You could just take your time doing so, once the
program is inactive.

sublime1-ga

johnnycats...

I'm making the assumption, from its contents, that your 
last comment was directed at me, so I'll go ahead and
repost my input here as a formal answer.

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

Once it's installed, most anti-spyware software won't 
be able to remove it. Wade through these detailed
instructions on removing it manually, from a page at
2-spyware.com, and let me know if this does it for you:
http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-spywarestrike.html

---

A lot of malware programs plant entries in the registry.
Among other things, this is one of the ways they get the
program to start up with Windows, and sometimes they're
used to regenerate files after you delete them.

The IS a patch on that page, for automated removal. It
escaped my notice before, but it's in red text, right
at the top of the gray box with the registry values:
http://www.2-spyware.com/goout.php?id=5

Click on that, and it should initiate a download of 
sdsetup.exe. Running that may do the trick, so give
that a shot if you haven't already.

---

Ohhh...I'm just now reading the comments at the bottom.
Apparently that link is for Spyware Doctor, and, though
it locates the files (the same ones listed for the manual
removal process), it doesn't remove them unless you pay
to register the program.

Sorry to get your hopes up with that, though, if you're
really uncomfortable working with the registry, you might
want to consider paying the $30.

Some of the other comments note that Microsoft's Beta
AntiSpyware program seems to do the job:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

You could try running that first, and if it kills the
program, I would still go through the manual removal
list. You could just take your time doing so, once the
program is inactive.

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

For future reference, it's customary on Google Answers
to respond to a researcher by posting a Clarification,
which allows researchers to be notified by email. If
you respond in a comment, researchers are not notified
by email, and I wouldn't have known if I hadn't been 
checking past questions on which I've posted remarks.

sublime1-ga


Searches done, via Google:

removing "Spyware Strike"
://www.google.com/search?q=removing+%22Spyware+Strike%22

Excellent job.  Thank you very much.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=430150 has already
addressed this issue.

Download Killbox http://castlecops.com/posts143781-15.html

Using these tools is very simple if you go step by step...save the $30.

If it's that bad just totally reformat, doesnt take too much time.

I downloaded Sypware Doctor and paid for it, I ran it in safe mode and
it completely cleared out Spyware Strike. this after trying manual
methods and journeying between many,many message threads. Symantec was
a bust, their cure was to delete the Spyware Strike folder! Well after
a long haul it has finally gone! I have finally dumped Symantec an I
am trying out the new Windows One Care Live. It seems pretty slick.

Thank you, thank you so much.  Your were right, all I had to do is
REGISTER with the Spyware Doctor program, which I already had.  It
worked.  You offered me a lot of usful information that I was familiar
with, but you stayed with me until the job was done.  If I ever have
anymore problems like this I hope you are the one I get to help me.

You will likely be experiencing difficulties either performing a
manual removal or removing with Spyware Doctor at this time. New
variants of Spyware Strike have been released in the past 10 days and
these are not yet recognized by Spyware Doctor.

Source: http://www.adwarereport.com/mt/archives/000257.html

More information on SpywareStrike:
http://www.adwarereport.com/mt/archives/000248.html

Apologies - HTML links included below

<a href="http://www.adwarereport.com/mt/archives/000248.html">Spyware
Strike backgrounder</a>

<a href="http://www.adwarereport.com/mt/archives/000257.html">New
variants of Spyware Strike discovered</a>

Hello all,
I recently came down with this virus, and after trying to remove it
several ways including manual elimination of long lines of registry
entrys I opted to just reload my OS. That worked just fine and I
wished I'd done it in the first place.

My point here is; WHERE I GOT MY DOSE OF SPYWARE STRIKE IN THE FIRST PLACE !!
 I can tell you EXACTLY, because moments before I had removed a tool
bar and next thing I knew SPYWARE STRIKE was all over my computer like
a rash.

I run two , well three browsers. I use K-meleon for my Google button,
my Craigs List button and my Surflinks button
( http://makomitt.homestead.com/surflinks.html) a page which I put up
for myself and use daily.
For for my email button I use Mozilla, because it allows me to log off
and back on without having to click the box each time to enter my new
email name. For my website builder I allow Internet Explorer to remain
as default, and IE also picks up default Yahoo for my emails.

Well, my ntldr.dll file dissappeared the other day and I reloaded my
OS, and my tools and such, but somehow, I got a Yahoo toolbar on my IE
page. So I deleted it and WHAM !!! SPYWARE STRIKE !! I seem to recall,
two icons in the Yahoo tool bar which were preloaded, so guess what
??!!

SPYWARE STRIKE IS BEING HOSTED BY YAHOO !!!
and upon further recollection, I noticed that while I was digging in 
folders and files trying to manually drop the SS virus, I saw that the
Spyware Strike virus folder HAS THE SAME ICON BEING USED BY PAINT.NET,
(the black computer screen with the white horse) while flashing in my
qwik launch, SS also is using the microsoft updates icon.............

Given the type of CREEPY integration being worked these days by the
mega corps, I'm NOT too surprised to find a connection between Yahoo,
Microsoft, Spyware Strike, and I wonder if the same Washington
University crew that designed paint.net are somehow related to the
Spyware Strike infestation.

With these weird things going on I strongly reccommend reloading your
Operating System before downloading one spyware programm to get rid
another.