# WildTangent - spyware?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 14, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984 "2003-12-14T20:11:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ultraviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ultraviolet)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984/1 "2003-12-14T20:11:29Z")
I’ve just recently started using SpyBot, and when I do a scan, one of the problem files found is called “WildTangent”. The description given in SpyBot says “Threat : unknown”. It also says that its functionality is “visualization for media players”. Is this related to RealPlayer? Is this really spyware, since its threat level is listed as unknown? The file also keeps coming back. I run a scan, select fix listed problems, and the next time I scan, it’s back again. Does anyone have any information on this?
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984/2 "2003-12-14T20:21:49Z")
Definitely spyware, and nasty, since it reinstalls itself when you remove it. Spybot cannot remove it because it does not kill running processes, so it is reinstalled.
AdAware may do a better job, since it can kill the processes, but last I checked it did not detect this.
There are manual cleaning instructions at [http://www.pestpatrol.com/pestinfo/w/wildtangent.asp](http://www.pestpatrol.com/pestinfo/w/wildtangent.asp)
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984/3 "2003-12-14T22:03:12Z")
I had this problem. It came with my computer as part of some pre-installed games. I just uninstalled all of them.
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### Author:  [@Ultraviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ultraviolet)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984/4 "2003-12-14T22:51:38Z")
I have now uninstalled the pre-installed games that came with my computer as **Mr. Blue Sky** recommended. If that doesn’t kill the damn thing, I will try the manual cleaning process that **RealityChuck** pointed me to. Thanks, guys!
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### Author:  [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984/5 "2003-12-15T00:06:24Z")
WildTangent is a plugin allowing 3D Accelerated DirectX games and applications to be embedded into a webpage.
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984/6 "2003-12-15T04:05:07Z")
A while ago when I got a worm, I talked to a tech guy on the phone who had me read the names of all the processes running on my system. He then looked them up, to figure out what they were. His database said that WildTangent is adware.
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### Author:  [@factorylife5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/factorylife5)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984/7 "2003-12-15T06:27:39Z")
Someone tell me about the effetiveness of earthlink’s anti spyware, anti adware versions… and if it can/will remove adware and spyware.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildtangent-spyware/218984/8 "2003-12-15T15:22:35Z")
I don’t know about what Earthlink uses, but both Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy are free and usually do a good job.
A second thought – Spybot probably will clean WildTangent. The key would be to unplug your Internet connection, run Spybot, reboot, run Spybot again, and then reconnect.