Windows Active Desktop in spybot scan

[ToniD]

Hi,
I have successfully used the thread http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?P=3541 to remove smithfraud from my pc. At least I dont see it showing up in spybot. (thanks so very much)
What I do see showing in in the scan is Windows Active Desktop. I am not sure what to do with this so I just leave this alone. Please advise if I am doing the right thing.
I see another thing keeps showing up in spy bot scan called Avenue A. I always delete but it just returns again.
Any advise on this is greatly appreciated.

[spybotsandra]

Hello,

The items under ActiveDesktop are supposed to be a dword.
0 = no restriction, 1 = enable restriction
See this page for a description:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=528&highlight=ActiveDesktop

Spybot-S&D will target some of them if they are a dword of 1 or a reg_SZ of 0 or 1.

You can use a reg import to just delete.

NoChangingWallpaper
NoComponents
NoAddingComponents
NoDeletingComponents
NoEditingComponents
NoCloseDragDropBands
NoMovingBands
NoHTMLWallPaper

Or you can safely delete the ActiveDesktop entry.

Please do also have a look at this link in our forum:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=353&highlight=desktop
Hope it helps.

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

[ToniD]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I am not comfortable with those settings suggested for changing windows activedesktop setting. If its not that dangerous I will not play around with it.
What about the other 2 things though Avenue A and Fast click, they keep coming up after deleting them all the time.
Here is the scan from from spybot.

--- Search result list ---
Windows.ActiveDesktop: User settings (Registry change, nothing done)
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1060284298-842925246-2146996883-500\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\NoHTMLWallPaper!=W=1
Avenue A, Inc.: Tracking cookie (Internet Explorer: Tommy) (Cookie, nothing done)
FastClick: Tracking cookie (Internet Explorer: Tommy) (Cookie, nothing done)

Thanks again
ToniD

[md usa spybot fan]

ToniD:

"Avenue A, Inc." and "FastClick" are tracking cookies. Tracking cookies are third-party cookies and track users cross domain (site to site) profiling the user's surfing habits. If any transaction occurs where the user gives any personal info, then the tracking becomes personally identifiable. While tracking cookies may not be as insidious as some other malware, they are definitely spies.

If want to blocking the same tracking cookies that Spybot detects so that they will not be stored on your system:
Go into Spybot > Immunize.
Look in the last section labeled "Permanently running bad download blocker for Internet Explorer".
Check the following:
"Enable permanent blocking of bad addresses in Internet Explorer"
There is also another alternative. You can also block tracking cookies in your browser and even the ones that Spybot's IE Resident does not block. The following article explains how to block them:
Why do other anti-spyware applications detect so many more tracking cookies?
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/37.html