WhenUSave, MayUDie

[Jackmannii]

I have become aware of the existence of this verminous spyware parasite in the last few weeks.

Following visits to various sites of interest or Google searches, pop-up ads for related products have been bombarding my computer, as well as the bogus WhenUSave "search engine" page with links to companies selling such products. (Hint: when, as part of a continuing interest in health fraud I do a search on some magic diet pill, I do not want to be deluged with ads for Billybob's Discount Phentermine).

After the dribble of annoying interruptions swelled to a mini-torrent, I was ticked off enough to click on a WhenUSave link about their Wonderful Service, which brings me Marvelous Bargains Of Interest, and which I obtained "when downloading software from another source".

A likely piece of Bullshit. I have not downloaded any software in recent memory, unless you count the Google toolbar, which I am loathe to blame for the WhenUSave intrusion.

The WhenUSave site does contain info on how to drop their "service", including the names of two of the Trojan Horse files that turned out to have been installed on my computer. Only when I deleted those, new and more bizarre pop-ups and "search pages" began appearing! Seems there were even more useless horseshit files to be deleted, under names like "Clock Sync" and some weather program which apparently does nothing but send information from my computer to the WhenUSave Slimeball Spy Central.

From answersthatwork.com:

"Depending on the version this will show as SAVENOW, SAVE, or WHENUSAVE in Windows 95/98/ME, and it will show as SAVENOW.EXE or SAVE.EXE in Windows NT4/2000/XP. In theory SaveNow (also called WhenUSave in newer versions of the program – SAVE.EXE is the newer program file) is a program that brings you relevant coupons and offers and alerts you to various deals and services when you surf the web. SaveNow is installed on your computer as a module that will have come with WhenUShop or other software that you downloaded from the Internet. SaveNow intercepts website addresses you type in your browser’s address bar, and search words you enter on search engine sites, and uses those words to display popup advertising of deals and bargains which are related to the type of sites you are visiting, or the type of searches you have been making. In our opinion SaveNow/WhenUSave is both spyware (what else is it sending to its central site from your PC?) and an intensely annoying parasite while you are browsing the web, and we do mean "intensely" !

Recommendation :
Remove immediately ! Go to "Start \ Settings \ Control Panel \ Add/Remove Programs", select "SaveNow" (or "WhenUSave", or just "Save"), and click "Add/Remove". Also run either Ad-Aware or Spybot Search & Destroy."

I think I have deleted all the CrapFiles now, after several tries. Looking at various complaints around the Net, I am not convinced that I have managed to eliminate all traces of this garbage. It may come back to haunt me yet.

You verminous, scum-swilling wretches will dearly pay for this annoyance. I am searching for the Secret Romany Curse that will bring down hordes of voracious arthropods upon your intertriginous zones and cause your septic tanks to overflow. (Of course, such a search will probably yield me a bounty of popups and "search pages" featuring ads for things like "Ilya's Discount Guaranteed Curses - Save $$$").

You will pay.

[Berkut]

Originally posted by Jackmannii
You will pay.

...the lowest price in town!

[Daikona]

the Google toolbar is *full* of spyware.

[Q.E.D.]

Originally posted by Daikona
the Google toolbar is *full* of spyware.

No, it isn't.

[fushj00mang]

The google toolbar is not full of spyware, it IS spyware. Granted, only Google itself uses the information, but spyware is spyware.

[Q.E.D.]

Technically, it's not spyware, since you agree to having the information sent to Google as part of the user agreement when you install it. They make no effort whatsoever to hide the fact that information about sites you visit is sent back to them.

[Nanoda]

Yeah, but if either of you couldn't completely get rid of it in under 30 seconds, I'll eat my RAID array.

[Daikona]

Sorry, sorry. Misremembered there. I feel a right git now. 99% of those "download this toolbar!" things are chock full of it, my brain hiccupped on this. Carry on >_<

[Q.E.D.]

You might have been thinking of the notorious Alexa Toolbar. That thing was chock full o' crap.

[Mr2001]

You can turn off the spyware portions of the Google bar if you don't need a What's Related button, PageRank graph, etc.

[E-Sabbath]

security.kolla.de

Spybot Search and Destroy.

Get it. Update it. Use it.

[Jackmannii]

The Google toolbar did not implant itself on my computer like a deranged remora and begin regurgitating pop-ups and pages full of crappy links, while concealing its true intentions behind a facade of "useful programs".

And it does block pop-ups. Some of them, anyway.

[dakravel]

Secure IE so it doesn't automatically download _EVERYTHING_, or use another browser such as Opera. That'll cut down on spyware being installed without you knowing.

[Ferret Herder]

Originally posted by Q.E.D.
Technically, it's not spyware, since you agree to having the information sent to Google as part of the user agreement when you install it. They make no effort whatsoever to hide the fact that information about sites you visit is sent back to them.

I installed it this past week, and it gives you the option before or during download to select whether or not you will send info back to Google, plus you can opt to turn it on/off later via a prominent Options button on the toolbar. I'm not sure if it was always this way, but it is now at least.