Manual Removal Guide for TOPicks

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

If this guide was helpful to you, please consider donating towards this site.

Threat Details:

Categories:

• spywaresuspicion

Description:

Privacy policy seems fair, but page for Terms of Service cannot be found. But one factor of their formula is: "Re-visits: How many times users return to this site". This indicates some sort of tracking and user-specific data storing (because without it, it would be impossible to track revisits).

Privacy Statement:

Personally Identifiable Information
TOPicks doesn't collect or sends any personal identifying about you. By using the Software, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information by us, as outlined in this privacy policy. We may change this policy from time to time. If so, any such changes will be posted on this page, so that we may keep our users informed of our information collection practices.
[...]
Data Feedback
TOPicks relays on aggregated surfing data to identify the best sites in the web. For this purpose TOPicks sends data about your surfing events. This data doesn't include any personally identifiable information and is just used as statistical data. You may instruct TOPicks not to send this data by un-checking the "Send user's feedback data" checkbox.

Links (be careful!):

Company: http://www.topicks.com/
Privacy Policy: http://www.topicks.com/privacypolicy.htm

Removal Instructions:

Autorun:

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

• Entries named "ToPicks Starter".
• Entries pointing to "ToPicks\Bin\Idhost.exe".

Files:

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

• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Topicks\Bin\HtCheck2.dll".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Topicks\Bin\TpBar.dll".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Topicks\Bin\Topicks.reg".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Topicks\Bin\TpReg.dll".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Topicks\Bin\IdmUP.dll".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Topicks\Bin\IdHost.exe".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If TOPicks 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!

Registry:

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

• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "HtCheck2.CheckPage", plus associated values.
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "HtCheck2.CHelpObj", plus associated values.
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "IdiumUpdater.IdiumSysUpdater", plus associated values.
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "ToPicksReg.ToPickReg1", plus associated values.
• Delete the registry key "{0352960F-47BE-11D5-AB93-00D0B760B4EB}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{1717A4A5-D63A-4F70-B373-AE4AA46D1236}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{5C40012E-44CA-11D7-8411-0002A5F9D08E}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{CBDB0279-9D76-48AC-ABD3-8CB9A4D73D4A}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{5C40012D-44CA-11D7-8411-0002A5F9D08E}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{5C40012F-44CA-11D7-8411-0002A5F9D08E}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{C809EE32-C648-459B-9A99-5CB20F61DCFC}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{DAE6416E-491D-11D5-AB93-00D0B760B4EB}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{EB29CD69-7020-4D1D-A0BE-72130DFBA9F7}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{49D25A3F-28EF-4F38-BF7F-BC5FE6D39FA7}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{5C400120-44CA-11D7-8411-0002A5F9D08E}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{DAE64161-491D-11D5-AB93-00D0B760B4EB}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{0352960F-47BE-11D5-AB93-00D0B760B4EB}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Browser Helper Objects\".
• Delete the registry value "{80E81A0E-9741-4FBC-8EE3-3B78C04ADA1D}" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser\".
• Delete the registry value "{80E81A0E-9741-4FBC-8EE3-3B78C04ADA1D}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\".
• Delete the registry key "ToPicks" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\".

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

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.