Unwanted add-ons installed along with AOL Instant Messenger
By JOHN TORRO
Published October 11, 2004
Q. I have a problem with my computer that was caused when my granddaughter put in AOL Instant Messenger. Now every time I open the computer, it pops up also with Netscape, which I understand is part of it, and also WeatherBug. It is driving me batty. I called Road Runner, and they said they couldn't help me. They said call AOL. They said get on the AIM Web site, but that didn't help either. My granddaughter thought she could get rid of them, but she didn't succeed.
A. You are correct. It looks as if AOL Instant Messenger is automatically installing parts of Netscape and also WeatherBug. These are options that you can choose not to include when first installing AOL IM, so keep this in mind for future reference. You should be able to remove most of these two add-ons from the Control Panel Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove programs. Find, select and remove them. You also should download and run Ad-aware (and/or Spybot). You can find these programs at www.lavasoft.de and www.safer-networking.org respectively. Choose the free versions. That should take care of any remnants left behind by either of these, plus a whole lot more that is most likely on your system.
About Blank differs from About:Blank
Q. Your column (Sept. 27) mentions about:blank. Why is this dangerous if it is listed in your choices in Internet Explorer? I was told it helps keep out hackers trying to take over your machine. I have been using it for a month, and it is not taking over my computer as the reader suggests. You can go in and change it at any time.
Q. About:blank page: Isn't it a choice page you can select under Tool/Internet Options, though it says there: Use blank?
A. What that reader and I were referring to is a particular piece of spyware/malware called About Blank, which prevents the PC user from changing the home page. It's not to be confused with the "Use Blank" button under Tools, Internet Options, General tab, which allows you to set your home page to the benign About:Blank.
How to delete Wild Tangent
Q. I took your advice and downloaded Ad-aware, Spybot and then Windows XP Service Pack 2. Now when I turn on the computer, I get this box on the screen: Error Loading C:\Program Files\WildTangent\Apps\CDA\CdaEngine 0400.d11 The specified module could not be found. I checked my Add/Remove Programs, and the program Wild Tangent is listed. Should I remove this program? Spybot listed this as a problem, but when I clicked Fix Problem, it could not complete the action due to the missing module. Wild Tangent has something to do with Windows Media Player.
A. Yes, you want to remove this as follows. Open Control Panel, click Add/Remove programs, Select the WildTangent Web Driver and click Remove. Then select the WildTangent Updater, click Remove. Next, select the WildTangent GameChannel, click Remove and reboot. After it's uninstalled, open your Windows directory and delete the WT folder (if it is still there) and then delete the c:\program Files\WildTangent directory.
Opening more than one window
Q. I was interested in the question about an Internet Explorer setting leaving open more than one window (Sept. 27). I too want more than one window to appear on the Quick Launch toolbar while I am in Internet Explorer. Sometimes I need to toggle back and forth between sites to compare info, and I would like to have the Home page still available. But IE allows only one open window at a time. I did what you suggested but I still could get only one site at a time to appear. Can I try anything else?
A. What this setting controls is when you have a browser window open and you click on a shortcut (from somewhere other than the open browser window such as a desktop shortcut or an embedded Web address in an e-mail) a new window of Internet Explorer starts opening to the target URL. The instructions provided in that column should do the trick. Here they are again: Through Internet Explorer menu, click Tools, Internet Options, then the Advanced tab. Scroll down to the Browsing settings, find "Reuse Windows for launching Shortcuts" and make sure it is not selected. Click OK. If you want to have this same effect from an open browser window, instead of clicking on the link, right-click the link and choose "Open in New Window." This will open the target link in a separate window of the browser.
- Send hardware and software questions to personaltech@sptimes.com or Personal Tech, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Questions will be answered only in the column. John Torro is a Microsoft Certified systems engineer and Microsoft Certified solutions developer. He has been writing for Personal Technology since 1997.
