# Comet Cursor **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 30, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181 "2000-06-30T17:06:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/1 "2000-06-30T17:06:14Z")
How the hell does the Comet Cursor keep winding up installed on my system? In case you’re not familiar, the Comet Cursor is a little program that changes your mouse pointer into some other kind of icon. In addition to this, it sends out marketing information, like the kinds of pages you’re visiting, to certain sites. In the past, I’d get a Microsoft certificate asking me if I wanted to install the damn thing (never did, of course), but now, whenever I check Add/Remove Programs in the Windows control panel, it’s there, installed without my knowledge or consent. Is there any way I can block it without shutting off all Java and Active X controls? ---
**Author:** ![Baglady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Baglady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baglady)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/2 "2000-06-30T18:15:03Z")
> [@](#): > > How the hell does the Comet Cursor keep winding up installed on my system? …whenever I check Add/Remove Programs in the Windows control panel, it’s there, installed without my knowledge or consent. Have you uninstalled both the Comet Cursor desktop application **and** the Comet Cursor web browser extension? You need to do both, according to their [instructions](http://www.mycometcursor.com/help/index.html#uninstall). "Select ‘Comet - My Comet Cursor desktop application’ to uninstall only My Comet Cursor or select “Comet - Comet Cursor web browser extension” to uninstall both My Comet Cursor and the Comet Cursor web browser extension…’ ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/3 "2000-10-10T04:28:59Z")
I can tell you exactly where I got it. At Opalcat’s [http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/people/](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/people/) I clicked on Alphagene’s profile and it did it. Opalcat, Are you aware that this is happening? I reiterate that people that do this kind of thing should be hanged by the balls. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/4 "2000-10-10T04:36:45Z")
I hate this Comet Cursor. I had to search for all files and delete every instance of Comet Cursor I found. I run Zone Alarm and even with that it installs itself if a webpage has it. Why do people do this? Why? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/5 "2000-10-10T04:38:23Z")
Oops, sorry for the double post. Maybe our kind and friendly moderator can clean up (rather than hanging _me_ by my softest parts) 🙂 **Double post deleted.** [Edited by UncleBeer on 10-11-2000 at 11:02 AM] ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/6 "2000-10-10T04:48:26Z")
I am really messed up. I intended to post on this other thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=41664](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=41664) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/7 "2000-10-10T05:52:19Z")
My larger reply is on the other thread, but I want to point out that he did NOT get CC from [http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/people](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/people) but rather from [http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/profiles](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/profiles) which is the old system, which is slated for deletion at the end of the month. I toyed with CC for a few months over a year ago, and any profiles created during that brief time will have the code on them. I agree it’s annoying, which is why I stopped using it rather quickly. ---
**Author:** ![momerath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@momerath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/momerath)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/8 "2000-10-10T11:58:14Z")
You can also get it if you’re silly enough to install Realplayer. Especially if you aren’t careful about how many options you accept. But then, you never know what you’ll get if you aren’t careful, eh? ---
**Author:** ![paulad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/977dab/32.png) [@paulad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulad)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/9 "2000-10-11T15:51:24Z")
Hello. My name is Paula and I work at Comet Systems. I’ve just posted a response to these messages, as well as those in the thread " Comet Cursor Hijack", on the latter board. So rather than duplicate, I’d appreciate it if eveyone would head over to that particular thread. If you have any further questions after reading my reply, please send me an e-mail and I’ll be happy to discuss your concerns. [PaulaD@cometsystems.com](mailto:PaulaD@cometsystems.com) ---
**Author:** ![paulad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/977dab/32.png) [@paulad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulad)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/10 "2000-10-11T16:08:21Z")
Just wanted to give everyone the link: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=41664](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=41664) Thanks ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/11 "2000-10-11T16:08:46Z")
Thank you Paula, for taking the time to address our members concerns. This is truly a class act, as well as a generally unexpected one from a software company. Below is a hyperlink to the thread in our **General Questions** forum which contains Paula’s full response and recommended course of action for anyone having problems with the Comet Cursor. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=41664](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=41664) ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-cursor/24181/12 "2000-10-11T16:09:54Z")
Damned simultaneous posts. Anyway, thanks again.