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I will give $10,000.00 to frost pister who can disprove MyCleanPC.

Done. Apparently it's just a poorly written registry cleaner, and CCleaner works better for no charge. You can send the 10,000 USD reward through PayPal to ebay(at)pineight.com.

Oh, and Time Cube's four simultaneous 24-hour days offset by a quarter of a day are just time zones. What do New York, London, Beijing, and Honolulu experience?

I may be wrong, but doesn't Wild Tangent have a rep for being pseudo spyware?

http://www.pchell.com/support/wildtangent.shtml

KFG

Ooh, like the personalized internet assistant, Bonzi Buddy? Or maybe it will be as widely loved as Clippy.

"As for the virus which infects 2000/XP if you connect to a network.. what the hell are you on about?"

Previous rating.

You wiped a computer because of spyware? What would you say if someone wiped their Linux box because Mozilla would not start.

Just about the same thing. I have not found any spyware that could not be removed. Maybe you actually have to look something up on the internet; but I guess it is a better story if "it was so bad that I had to wipe the box!".

Check out:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/files/killbox.php

and ...

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/ 0,fid,23258,00.asp

And read a bit:

http://www.pchell.com/support/spyware.shtml

Not so hard if you really *want* to be able to do it.

It's either the network connection itself (especially on dial-up/ISDN/xDSL) or the server. So, fine.. if I use a browser which takes half a second longer to render a page, so what. I've just waited 30 seconds to get half a page from an overloaded server which lives on another continent. Curious that such other limitations should go without mention at the home of the Slashdot Effect.

How long before Netscape offers a "preferred partner program" where they promise not to blacklist the spyware produced by any of their partners?

Weatherbug wound up on my PC at home. I think it is from when my GF put AIM on the computer. If found some instructions on removing it, though I haven't had a chance to try them yet. It includes info on registry updates that Weatherbug makes and even mentions an alternative product for those who what weather updates. -R

http://www.pchell.com/support/aboutblank.shtml

I hate cool web search and others like that. But mostly, I hate Microsoft for allowing an app to hide a file from me when I'm running as local administrator.

And why the hell does only RegLite show the file? What is it with Microsoft's continuing desire to hide files (and extensions) from me?

Instructions for getting rid of it

As for the fellow below me, its Adware. Spyware, even, but tries to get out of it through a technicality.

Are there any good non-adware PC weather tools? Being a true geek, I sometimes don't look out a window for days at a time. Besides the infamous Weatherbug, what else is there?

Weather Bug

We have it run automatically on users' machines if it locates certain files.

"System Restore" is a feature XP has, where you simply click a calendar to restore your PC to how it was on that day. It's fixed everything I've needed it to fix (dodgy ATI driver installs, crappy shareware, etc.) and can be used by any end user. It even knows when you're doing something that could screw your machine (ie unsigned drivers) and makes a restore point automatically.

That's great, unfortunately it doesn't always work.

It's not perfect, but it's as close as anyone's got to a self-fixing OS. I'm no microsoft zealot but Linux has to achieve that just to stay on par with windows' usability.

That's a very silly statement. Linux doesn't have to implement System Restore to "stay on par". There are many aspects to usability and snapshots will not make-or-break Linux.

So Mr. I Know it All... explain to me why where I live (Italy) the average iLliterate user started using en-masse Messenger with the coming of XP. I've tried for years to convince people that IM was cool and better thatn email for this kind of comms but NADA, ZILCH, NO! But now everybody uses MSN and the only ones I can iChat with are those I evangelized appropriately, for the rest... I'm stuck on that shiteware. Next point: you claim I'm crying foul because Messenger is easily shut up... by who? A geek I suppose. The avg user will (and does) follow the clickety route into MS's embrace: the least resistance wizard. Tell me how does a user behave with a new, unknow UI, in a new unknown OS. Does he/she jump into the mumble jumble preferences or follow the convenient route? Ha! Removing the binary won't help... I'm on a mac but I've read stories of OE not working properly and precise HOWTOs on how to delete the program without damaging the system... (just google for it... or follow the convenient link: uninstall messenger) Can you, in your infinite wisdom explain to me what's a bloody IM got to do with a MUA?! Oh, but now you'll object it's easy to remove on SP1... yeah, that'll make the lawyers happy but the marketshare gulp has been swallowed. Go watch some TV...

If you can't find something on your own system because it's hidden so well, it's spyware.

Here is the link to a Gator removal page which states:

Although the above instructions will remove the Gator E-Wallet information, you may still have GAIN (Gator Advertiser Information Network) software installed.

The next paragraph states:

Unfortunately, GAIN can only be removed by uninstalling the GAIN supported application. You cannot uninstall GAIN directly. Once the GAIN supported application has been uninstalled, GAIN will uninstall itself as well.

Here's the relevant page:

PC Hell

And here's the link for Gators own site which tells you THEY will find out what spyware (drop dead fuckwads) may be installed on your system:

Gator.

You have to click the link down the page which gives you a nice popup and more instructions.