CoolWeb Home+Search Hijack

[Barkleyworld]

I just wanted to thank you for the EXCELLENT instructions I found on your site for removing the Home Search hijack malware. This is one of the most insidious bugs I have had to remove lately, and apparently (at least to my knowledge) a new version because the multiple R0, R1, and BHO files were different names. Also, the only service I had running was the Workstation NetLogon Service, and it was hidden in the Registry with an unrecognizable garble for a file.
I am running a MICRON Millenia 450, 2.3gH, 120mb HD, 512mb RAM, with Norton Systemworks and Norton Personal Firewall. I also routinley run AdAware. However, none of these programs will prevent a hijack attempt that I am aware of. Can you recommend a good frontend program that will detect and acknowledge hijacking in real-time?
Again, you guys are life savers. Thank you so much!

[Dexter]

Thank you for your feedback. :)

The new MS Anti-spyware tool has some real time monitoring / prevention built in to it, if you are using Windows XP you can get this through Windows update.

To absolutely prevent hijacking, try Spybot S&D, and enable the "Tea Timer" feature. (You can download this from our security downloads site, see the link in my signature. It monitors when something tries to change your registry settings, and alerts you. This can get annoying, but it certainly makes it hard for a program to install or change your settings.

Or download any other registry monitoring program, it will achieve the same thing.

Dexter...

[Straight_Man]

I do this one step simpler-- very good solid AV software with trojans and etc detected also, HJT once a week, and Registry Mechanic 4.

AV has caught nothing, nor HJT, Nor Spybot S&D, for quite a while on my own machine (5-6months, though I am surfing on Linux now and get email in Linux box also), but I find that if you delete the files and registry entries that you know are bad from HJT's info and checking here, then do an AV run, and then run Registry Mechanic 4.0, that is the most streamlined approach thta is very good, though NOTHING is perfect.