ABetterInternet

· Overview ·
· Origins ·
· Distribution ·
· Operation ·
· Risks ·
· Detection and Removal ·
· Research ·

Overview

Alias:

 Spyware/BetterInet [Panda], Spyware/Loome [Panda], Trj/Downloader.L [Panda], Trojan.Win32.Agent.ay [Kaspersky], TrojanDownloader.Win32.Stubby.a [Kaspersky], Win32.BettInet [Computer Associates], Win32.BettInet.C [Computer Associates], Win32.BettInet.F [Computer Associates], Win32.SillyDl.CS [Computer Associates], Win32.SillyDl.DE [Computer Associates], Win32.SillyDl.EJ [Computer Associates], Win32/BettInet.F!Dropper [Computer Associates], Win32/SillyDL.70656!Trojan [Computer Associates], Win32/SillyDL.78336!Trojan [Computer Associates], Win32/SillyDl.81920!Trojan [Computer Associates], Win32/SillyDl.CS!Trojan [Computer Associates], Win32/TrojanDownloader.Stubby.A trojan [Eset]

Category:

Adware: Software that displays popup/popunder ads when the primary user interface is not visible or which do not appear to be assocaited with the product.

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.

Similar Pests:

 Adware · Browser Helper Object

Origins

Vendor:

 BetterInternet, LLC

Mailing Address:

 459 Broadway 4th Floor New York, NY 10013

EMail:

 contact@abetterinternet.com

URL:

 http://www.abetterinternet.com

Date of Origin:

 January, 2003

Distribution

Prevalence:
  • ABetterInternet: 0.4%
    • More Info

    Clot Factor:
  • ABetterInternet: 8

    • 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:
  • ABetterInternet: Insufficient data to report growth
    		•

    Operation

    Storage Required:
  • ABetterInternet: at least 6993 KB
    		•

    Browser Performance:

    		 Likely to slow performance of Internet Explorer.

    Risks

    Privacy Issues:

    		 [EULA] http://www.abetterinternet.com/policies.htm

    Detection and Removal

    Automatic Removal:

    PestPatrol detects this.

    PestPatrol removes this.

    Manual Removal:

    		 Follow these steps to remove ABetterInternet from your machine. Begin by backing up your registry and your system, and/or setting a Restore Point, to prevent trouble if you make a mistake.
    Stop Running Processes:

    Kill these running processes with Task Manager:

    Remove AutoRun Reference:

    Go To the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
    If you find the value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run\belt, delete it and reboot the machine immediately.



    Unregister DLLs:

    Unregister these DLLs with Regsvr32, then reboot:

    Clean Registry:

    Remove these registry items (if present) with RegEdit:

    Remove Files:

    Remove these files (if present) with Windows Explorer:

    Remove Directories:

    Remove these directories (if present) with Windows Explorer:

    Research

    File Analyses:

    More Info:
  • AllTheWeb, AltaVista, AOL Search, Ask Jeeves, Google, HotBot, Lycos, LookSmart, MSN, Yahoo!
    		•

    Research By:
  • Benjamin Googins
  • PestPatrol's Pest Research Center
    		•

    Last Revised:

    		 April 25, 2005