Overview
Summary:
FavoriteMan is an IE Browser Helper Object. Every so often it connects to its controlling servers, which may direct it to download and install other programs and add entries to the IE Favorites menu.
Unsolicited commercial software installed by this pest may include:
- Transponder/VX2
- NetPal
- ClickTheButton
- ezCyberSearch toolbar
- SideStep
- BargainBuddy/Adp
- NewDotNet
- IGetNet
- HotBar
- n-Case (180solutions)
- Mail.com Alerts (which also comes bundled with BargainBuddy/Apuc)
- various homepage hijackers
Alias:
See Also:
Category:
Browser Helper Object: (BHO). A component that Internet Explorer will load whenever it starts, shares IE's memory context, can perform any action on the available windows and modules. A BHO can detect events, create windows to display additional information on a viewed page, monitor messages and actions. Microsoft calls it "a spy we send to infiltrate the browser's land." BHOs are not stopped by personal firewalls, because they are seen by the firewall as your browser itself. Some exploits of this technology search all pages you view in IE and replace banner advertisements with other ads. Some monitor and report on your actions. Some change your home page.
Browser Helper Object: (BHO). A component that Internet Explorer will load whenever it starts, shares IE's memory context, can perform any action on the available windows and modules. A BHO can detect events, create windows to display additional information on a viewed page, monitor messages and actions. Microsoft calls it "a spy we send to infiltrate the browser's land." BHOs are not stopped by personal firewalls, because they are seen by the firewall as your browser itself. Some exploits of this technology search all pages you view in IE and replace banner advertisements with other ads. Some monitor and report on your actions. Some change your home page.
Downloader: A program designed to retrieve and install additional files, when run. Most will be configured to retrieve from a designated web or FTP site.
Variants:
Similar Pests:
Origins
Group:
Vendor:
By This Group:
URL:
Date of Origin:
Distribution
Distribution:
Prevalence:
Clot Factor:
The "Clot Factor" is a measure of how much a pest "gums up" a machine by adding registry entries, files, and directories. As more objects are placed in a machine, manual removal becomes more difficult and more error-prone.
Growth:
Operation
Advertising:
Storage Required:
Browser Performance:
Risks
Privacy Issues:
Security Issues:
Stability Issues:
Detection and Removal
Automatic Removal:
PestPatrol detects this.
PestPatrol removes this.
Manual Removal:
FavoriteMan/F1 is the only variant to offer a removal feature: go to Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, choose 'F1' and click 'Remove'.
The software can be found in the System folder. On Windows 95/98/Me this is the folder called 'System' in the Windows folder; on Windows NT, 2000 and XP it is called 'System32'. Look for one of the filenames listed above.
Before you can delete the program file, you must deregister it. Open a DOS command prompt window (under Accessories in the Programs menu from 'Start'). On Windows NT, 2000 or XP, enter:
regsvr32 /u "%WinDir%\System32\favorite.dll"
On Windows 95, 98 or Me, instead enter:
cd "%WinDir%\System"
regsvr32 /u favorite.dll
Change the filename 'favorite.dll' to match the variant
you have: ofrg.dll, favorite.dll, lwz.dll or F1.dll.
After doing this and restarting the computer you can delete the file. You can also delete the data file favboot.dll, FavMan.dll or SysLdr.dll in the same folder (it isn't a DLL at all), and the settings in the registry in the entries 'Counter', 'Server' and 'Object', hiding in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows.
Unregister these DLLs with Regsvr32, then reboot:
Remove these registry items (if present) with RegEdit:
Remove these files (if present) with Windows Explorer:
Research
File Analyses:
- FavoriteMan: aess2.dll · atpart~1.dll · atpartners.dll · emesx.dll · im64.dll · in10b6s.dll · lwz.dll · mbr32.dll · mpz300.dll · sysldr.dll
- FavoriteMan.FOne: fone.dll · pdfzzy.dll
- FavoriteMan.SpyAssault: ss32.dll