Overview
Summary:
Vendor Notes:
Alias:
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.
Hijacker: Any software that resets your browser's settings to point to other sites. Hijacks may reroute your info and address requests through an unseen site, capturing that info. In such hijacks, your browser may behave normally, but be slower.
Toolbar: A group of buttons which perform common tasks. A toolbar for Internet Explorer is nomally located below the menu bar at the top of the form. Toolbars may be created by Browser Helper Objects.
Variants:
Similar Pests:
Origins
Group:
Vendor:
By This Group:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
EMail:
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
Platform:
Advertising:
Storage Required:
Browser Performance:
Risks
Privacy Issues:
Yes. Sends URLs visited and terms entered into forms to its controlling servers. If e-mail addresses are configured in Outlook or Outlook Express it will send them to, to be sold for junk e-mail.
Here is the text of a document that is presented to the user:
Access is made available only to those who accept the terms of the following agreement:By accepting this agreement, I certify the following:
1) I am an adult, being at least 18 years of age.
2) I am the owner of this computer, or am authorized by the owner of this computer to install software on this system.
3) I understand that by accepting these terms and conditions, this program will be installed on my computer and my web browser home and search page will be changed in order to allow me access.
4) I further understand that an accessory tool bar will be added to my web browser which will remain visible as long as the software is installed and agree that I wish to use your search engine for my web browsers auto search option and default error page.
5) To insure you always have the latest version and for your convenience this software will automatically update itself from time to time once installed.
6) If you decide to change your homepage at a later date our passthrough toolbar will be installed in your webbrowser. This toolbar will remain active as long as this software is installed on your system.
7) I understand that, by accepting these terms and conditions, bookmarks that may lead to content of an adult and/or sexual nature will be added to my system, which may be removed manually or via un-installation of the software.
8) In order for us to keep this software free from time to time promotional offers from our sponsors will be displayed to you.
9) To prevent your browser from becoming cluttered when our toolbar is installed, any other toolbars you currently have visible will be deactivated. They can be restored manually through the IE view menu.
10) Once installed if you decide to change your start or search page this information will be sent back to our server.
11) Bookmarking to a page on this server/site whereby this warning page is by-passed shall constitute an implicit acceptance of the foregoing terms herein set forth.
12) I understand the standards and laws of the community, site and computer to which I am transporting this material, and am solely responsible for my actions.
13) If I use these services in violation of the above agreement, I understand I may be in violation of local and/or federal laws and am solely responsible for my actions.
14) By accepting these terms and conditions, I will have released and discharged the providers, owners and creators of this software/site from any and all liability which might arise.
By clicking ACCEPT you agree to the terms of the preceding agreement. For general support please email support@wrn.net. For comments or concerns about a website that is promoting this software please email affiliates@wrn.net with all pertinent information. ----- NetPalnow.com Privacy Policy and End User License Agreement PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY
NetPalnow.com (hereafter "Net Pal") and its affiliates and partners understand how important privacy is to our users. We are committed to this policy so that our users clearly and fully understand how their personal information is collected and used.
Net Pal has based this privacy policy on the most stringent privacy guidelines set out by the Federal Trade Commission. Net Pal and its affiliates comply with the Federal Trade Commission's Fair Information Practice Principles.
This policy describes how we protect and use our users' Personal Information. For the purposes of this policy, "Personal Information" refers to individually identifiable information that we collect online and that allows for a user to be contacted. This includes information such as first and last name, location address and email address.
1. Notice
Net Pal is committed to openness and transparency in its personal information practices, and policies. This policy states in detail what personal information we collect and why we collect it.
The Net Pal Web Site
Cookies: The Net Pal website does not install cookies and it is Net Pal's policy not to use them in any way on its website. You are free to browse all of our websites anonymously. The Net Pal Web server automatically logs certain anonymous information about any visitor to the Net Pal website (both registered users and non-users), including the following elements: The URL of the page requested, The time and date of the request; The "User Agent" (the make and model of the Web browser being used, and the version and type of your operating system); The "Referrer" (the URL where you clicked on a link to the Net Pal site); The IP address where a copy of the page you requested is to be sent for display by your browser. We use this information in aggregate to get a better picture of where our visitors come from and how to plan for future needs. The User Agent also is used during your visit to indicate to you whether the Net Pal software will run on your computer's configuration. The URL may contain tracking codes used only for the purpose of auditing advertising. 1. The Net Pal Software
The Net Pal software is a targeting tool that uses artificial intelligence to understand our users' preferences and help our marketing partners reach users with offers that they find relevant and engaging.
The Net Pal software collects the following information:
The software collects and transmits to Net Pal servers the URLs of the Web pages visited on your browser. URLs are the addresses of the web pages that your browser visits (http://www.NetPalnow.com, for example). The Net Pal software collects and maintains information on both current and historical browsing. Net Pal will use this information to build a summary of your interests so that Net Pal can help its partners make relevant and personalized offers to you.
Net Pal and its affiliates' software also adds special relevant offers direct into your favorites folder in Internet Explorer these offers are delivered to you in order to save you the time and trouble of submitting such information to us yourself. We keep the information on clicks and we use this information to allow our partners to reach you with only those personalized and targeted offers and advertisements that may be relevant to your interests. These partners may include direct marketing services providers for promotions and data enhancement, suppression and validation; other direct marketing applications; and lookup and reference service applications. We have undertaken technical measures to make sure that the software never collects credit card numbers, account numbers or passwords.
When you install Net Pal's software, it collects several bits of information about the configuration of your computer. This information includes information about the computer's hardware configuration, such as the amount of free space on your hard drive, and software configuration, such as the version of the operating system, also it collects your default email address. These examples are representative, and the specific information collected may vary from time to time. This information is used to determine whether the Net Pal software is compatible with your computer. It may also be used to help generate a more complete summary of your interests when appropriate. This in turn, will allow Net Pal and its partners to make relevant and personalized offers to you. If an update to the Net Pal software, which may include new features, comes available in the future it will be auto updated when you are on line.
It is possible that, in some instances, the operation of certain third party websites may result in some personal information being included in URL data, which can result in that data being captured in the course of the normal operation of the Net Pal software. Such instances are rare and are the result of poor security practices by these third party websites. In the unlikely instance that such information is captured, it may be stored in our database, but it will not be used or disclosed in any manner inconsistent with our Privacy Policy.
Occasionally, Net Pal may collect information about your interaction with the Net Pal and/or its affiliates and partners software. This may include information such as how often users use the software, or whether users respond to advertisements or offers from Net Pal and its partners. This information is used to assess the effectiveness of our products and services. It may be shared with Net Pal's partners for the purpose of evaluating the success of their marketing programs.
The Net Pal software and cookies: The Net Pal software does NOT use cookies. To learn more about cookies, please read section 3.2 of the Federal Trade Commission's staff report on Enhancing Consumer Privacy Online. {http://www.ftc.gov/reports/privacy/privacy4.htm#N_9_}
Net Pal makes other uses of summary information obtained by combining personal information from many individuals where the name and other identifiers have been removed.
If you become a Net Pal user, you give us and our affiliates permission to use the information we have told you that we collect, for these purposes. We will not use your personal information for other purposes without first obtaining your explicit consent. A single exception to this rule can occur in cases where Net Pal believes in good faith that such use is required by law, including pursuant to a subpoena, court order, legal process or warrant. 2. Choice
Net Pal collects personal information about you only with your consent, and only in ways that are fair and lawful. Net Pal collects only the personal information we commit to collect, and only in the ways it have committed to collect it. Net Pal and Blackstone uses both opt-in and opt-out media. This means that before Net Pal collects any information from you at all, we first obtain your express consent. This includes your consent to this privacy policy and to our terms and conditions of service. As a user, you have the ability to suppress all of the information that Net Pal collects about you. Once you have deleted this information, it is no longer shared or marketed in any way that involves linking with your personally identifiable information. The data may be retained in anonymous or aggregate form, but its connection to you and your identity is completely and permanently suppressed. To suppress this information, please visit our unsubscribe page. 3. Access
Since we are not able to authenticate our users, Net Pal is unable to allow for users to access their own personal information without also allowing strangers who have access to their computers to access it. We believe that this would constitute an unacceptable compromise in privacy protection and data security. As a result, we have opted to provide an anonymous user with the right to anonymously suppress any information that we may have collected about them, but not the right to view that information. To permanently suppress this information, please visit our unsubscribe page. To protect your personal information, it is Net Pal's policy not to grant any anonymous access to that information. All access is provided only through our business development office, and only to authorized partners who exceed our stringent qualification criteria. Access is offered in a carefully controlled way designed to minimize the potential for personal information or data misuse. 4. Security
Our software is designed to work in harmony with the security systems employed by other third party websites. If you visit secure sites, which employ the use of SSL, the Net Pal software will match the security that these sites offer. In other words, Net Pal and its partners will use SSL to encrypt and secure its communication with the Net Pal servers when communicating information collected. The Net Pal software is designed to preserve the general level of security offered to its users throughout the web, but it does not raise it. Users should always check the privacy and security policies of the sites that they visit. From time to time, Net Pal may engage employees, contractors, and other companies to perform work that involves access to personal information. If does so, it will ensure that such parties are contractually required to keep the information confidential and not to use it in any way other than as is necessary to perform their work for Net Pal. Net Pal believes that personal information privacy protection and data security are ongoing processes, which should be kept strictly confidential. Net Pal uses reasonable security safeguards to protect your personal information against such risks as loss, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, modification, or disclosure. Net Pal and its employees use both technical and procedural policies to ensure that your personal information is protected from accidental disclosure or misuse. Net Pal works hard to reduce the likelihood of accidental disclosures and unintended access and modification of account information, but it is impossible to eliminate this possibility completely.
A special note about children:
Net Pal wants to help parents protect the privacy of their children. We do not consider the Net Pal service to be directed to children, and the Net Pal terms and conditions of use expressly prohibit children who are younger than 13 from participating in the service. If your child has inadvertently enrolled in the service, you may unenroll your child from the Net Pal service and permanently suppress all of their personal information from the Net Pal database. Simply visit our unsubscribe page.
For more information on children's privacy online, please visit the Kidz Privacy website, sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission. { http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/index.html }
Additional optional programs Contact-Us Page:
We use our "contact us" pages to collect information about you. In the case of customer support questions, we use the information to help diagnose and address consumer questions. Although we collect this information, we do not combine this with any information we have about your preferences or interests.
Privacy Policy:
Security Issues:
Stability Issues:
Detection and Removal
Automatic Removal:
PestPatrol detects this.
PestPatrol removes this.
Manual Removal:
The software installs netpal.dll into your Windows System directory. Before you can delete this file you will need to deregister it. Enter the following command from the command line for Windows 95/98/Me:
"%WinDir%\SYSTEM\regsvr32.exe" /u "%WinDir%\SYSTEM\netpal.dll"
Or for Windows NT/2000/XP:
regsvr32 /u "%WinDir%\System32\netpal.dll"
After doing this and restarting the computer you can delete the file. You can also delete 'kernellos.dll' in the same directory, which is a data file used by NetPal (and isn't a DLL at all), and the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Destiny.
Kill these running processes with Task Manager:
Unregister these DLLs with Regsvr32, then reboot:
Remove these registry items (if present) with RegEdit:
Remove these files (if present) with Windows Explorer:
Remove these directories (if present) with Windows Explorer:
After following the instructions above, you will still need to restore your original settings and prevent this from happening again.
Research
File Analyses:
- NetPal: m3tsp8.dll · m3tsp8.exe · n3tpa1i.dll · n3tpa1i.txt · netpal.dll