# shopnav: is this spyware? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopnav-is-this-spyware/259767 "2004-08-13T23:53:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vinniepaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@vinniepaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vinniepaz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopnav-is-this-spyware/259767/1 "2004-08-13T23:53:22Z")
whenever i accidentally mistype a URL or i go to a bad link, instead of getting the good ol’ 404 message, i get sent to some page from “[shopnav.com](http://shopnav.com)” with a vaguely related but completely unhelpfull websearch. i went to the shopnav homepage and used their uninstall option but its still happening. is this spyware, and if so, is there any way to remove it? ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopnav-is-this-spyware/259767/2 "2004-08-14T00:07:34Z")
It’s a search hijacker. Here is information, complete with removal instructions [http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/ShopNav.html](http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/ShopNav.html) If you are not comfortable working with the registry, etc., I suggest you download AdAware and/or Spybot Search and Destroy and let them do it. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopnav-is-this-spyware/259767/3 "2004-08-14T00:09:52Z")
According to [symantec](http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/spyware.shopnav.html) it’s spyware (the link has removal instructions)