Manual Removal Guide for 2Search

The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "2Search" manually.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.

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Threat Details:

Categories:

• adware

Description:

It contacts servers and downloads additional bad software. It installs an Browser Helper Object which loads on every Internet Explorer startup and displays alternative webpages which are similar to the entered user´s adress.
It also logs user´s surfing bahavior in a log file.

Removal Instructions:

Autorun:

Please use Spybot-S&D, RunAlyzer or msconfig.exe to remove the following autorun entries.

• Entries named "svchost" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\svchost.exe".
• Entries named "2Search" and pointing to "*\main.exe".
• Entries named "svchost" and pointing to "*\svchost.exe".
• Entries named "2Search" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\main.exe".

Installed Software List:

You can try to uninstall products with the names listed below; for items identified by other properties or to avoid malware getting active again on uninstallation, use Spybot-S&D or RunAlyzer to locate and get rid of these entries.

• Products that have a key or property named "2search".
• Products that have a key or property named "the guard".
• Products that have a key or property named "Startup".

Files:

Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.

• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\get.exe".
• A file with an unknown location named "get.exe".
• A file with an unknown location named "2search.dll".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\date.dat".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\defaultne.txt".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\getst.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\main.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\plugin.dll".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\svchost.exe".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\feeds\default.sst".
• A file with an unknown location named "plugin.dll".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\plugin.dll".
• A file with an unknown location named "007guard.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\The Guard\the007guard.ocx".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\The Guard\the007installer.exe".
• A file with an unknown location named "access.ocx".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\2search.dll".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search\main.exe"filesize=32768,resmd5=RT_DIALOG|102|0A86053410A921EB18F4864CFD07AD1E".
• A file with an unknown location named "svchost.exe".
• A file with an unknown location named "main.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\access.ocx".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\install.exe".
• A file with an unknown location named "install.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\BHO\bho.dat".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\BHO\er.dat".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\BHO\uninstall.exe".
• The file at "<$LOCALSETTINGS>\Temp\_uninsep.bat".
• The file at "<$LOCALSETTINGS>\Temp\ibho.log".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\2search.exe".
• A file with an unknown location named "2search.exe".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If 2Search uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins.
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!

Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D to remove them.

Folders:

Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.

• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\The Guard".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\BHO".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\2search".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\BHO".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If 2Search uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins.
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!

Registry:

You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.

• Remove "\THEGUA~1\THE007~1.OCX" from registry value "" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20048BB3-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}\InprocServer32\".
• Remove "The007Guard.The007GuardCtrl.1" from registry value "" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20048BB3-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}\ProgID\".
• Remove "\THEGUA~1\THE007~1.OCX, 1" from registry value "" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20048BB3-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}\ToolboxBitmap32\".
• Remove "007installer Control" from registry value "" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20048BB3-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}\".
• Remove "\THEGUA~1\THE007~1.OCX" from registry value "" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20048BB4-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}\InprocServer32\".
• Remove "007installer Property Page" from registry value "" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20048BB4-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}\".
• Remove "<$PROGRAMFILES>\The Guard\the007guard.ocx" from registry value "" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{20048BB0-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}\1.0\0\win32\".
• Remove "<$PROGRAMFILES>\The Guard" from registry value "" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{20048BB0-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}\1.0\HELPDIR\".
• Delete the registry key "{4508E20C-ACAD-11D2-9FC0-00550076E06F}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "GoogleCatch.clsIESpy", plus associated values.
• Delete the registry key "{18DCC723-38E0-4294-B113-55ACFABD1161}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{9C33138E-0581-4C28-A943-BC238A68208C}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{4508E20A-ACAD-11D2-9FC0-00550076E06F}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{F79A1360-2754-43F3-8297-8A39408BE2BF}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "IEsearch.clsIESpy", plus associated values.
• Delete the registry key "{0EB61AF8-0B15-48B6-A971-1F206F2E3D5E}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{68E774CB-72D1-4A52-B55B-C0B1011E013B}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{4508E20C-ACAD-11D2-9FC0-00550076E06F}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\".
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "The007Guard.The007GuardCtrl.1", plus associated values.
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "STOPLITE.StopLiteCtrl.1", plus associated values.
• Delete the registry key "{44D98FFB-8B7F-48B4-A14D-EDF0E3253A94}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{0A93F67A-EB94-443B-8BCD-830E57C6462B}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{20048BB3-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\".
• Delete the registry key "{20048BB3-DB68-11CF-9CAF-00AA006CB425}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\Distribution Units\".
• Delete the registry key "{9125F250-EB4F-49FE-AE17-C17665873A5C}" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\".
• Delete the registry key "{9125F250-EB4F-49fe-AE17-C17665873A5C}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry value "bho.dat" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BHO\files\".
• Delete the registry value "er.dat" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BHO\files\".
• Delete the registry value "plugin.dll" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BHO\files\".
• Delete the registry value "Installed" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BHO\".
• Delete the registry value "LastUpdateTime" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BHO\".
• Delete the registry value "ModId" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BHO\".
• Delete the registry value "Started" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BHO\".
• Delete the registry value "DllVer" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BHO\".
• Delete the registry value "uninstall.exe" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BHO\files\".
• Delete the registry key "{9125F250-EB4F-49fe-AE17-C17665873A5C}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\".
• Delete the registry value "<$PROGRAMFILES>\BHO\uninstall.exe" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\List\".

If 2Search uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer, RootAlyzer or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins.

There are more registry entries that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D to remove them.

Final Words:

If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,

1. Please read these instructions before requesting assistance,
2. Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.