HSA - removing the service

[Lincoln]

I was following Dexter's guide for HSA removal when I hit a snag. When I select properties for the service RPC Helper it tells me that a required entry in the registry is missing or an attempt to write to the registry failed. I suspect this may be a result of AdAware, since their last update seemed to take a swipe at HSA (although it still failed). Can I safely continue with the guide since it seems the service is not running? (The stop button is disabled, but the play/start button is enabled).

//edit: Also note, for the sake of my reputation, that I am doing this for my roommate, not my own system. ;)

[Dexter]

Keebs,

check to ensure that the service is not running by using the Active Services script file in Post #2 of the guide. If the phoney service is not running (it will be easily identifiable by the strange characters after its' name) then you should be good to continue the guide's removal process.

Dexter...

[Lincoln]

Thank you sir. :) I'll continue this evening.

[Lincoln]

This POS has taken the game up a notch. Not 30 seconds after I used the services scan on HJT (because the active services script wasn't working) that thing corrupted notepad! It closed in the middle of me using it! The ante just went up a notch, and I'm not sleeping until my roommate's computer is clean :rarr: :rarr: :rarr:

[Dexter]

Yep, that's the nasty version of it Keebs. Let us know if you need some help. Your roommate is lucky to have you :)

Dexter...

[Lincoln]

Thanks for the excellent guide, Dexter. My friend's computer is now clean as can be :)

...and I printed Prime's article for him to read. I'll consider one more educated user as payment ;)



An interesting note: HJT missed two entries I told it to remove - both of them exe files. When I manually browsed, I found identically-named dll files for each of them. Obviously those were quarantined as well.

Also, AdAware apparently removed the registry values as a part of its scan - hence my earlier question.

//edit: I just found "VegasRed_install.exe" in his root C: folder. Wonder where this all came from... :banghead:

[Dexter]

Keebs,

glad that someone else from the site could benefit from our guide :) Also point the roommate to Page 4 of the Omegakiller guide for more info on how spyware gets on their box.

Dexter...