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Download.com users are no strangers to the frightening world of spyware. Each week, we'll share a new reader tale of spyware woe, so check back frequently for each terrifying episode.
See you in hell, 180search Assistant
(8/31/05)
180search Assistant killed my computer. I received an AIM message from a friend that said, "Click here to see the photos." Well, that buddy and I had taken photos at a party the week before, so I opened the link. At that moment, a boatload of antiviral and antispyware warnings came up. I ran every antispyware application I had, and each found 180search Assistant. This piece of malware reinstalled itself every time I deleted it, warning me, "A third party is trying to remove the 180search Assistant."
Every time I rebooted my computer, my antispyware programs found 180search again. When I tried to run the system restore, I found the spyware had completely disabled that feature. Programs stopped working, and in time my computer couldn't even find enough CPU power to boot up. I had to completely reformat everything, and I lost 900 MP3s, 1,000 family photos, and years worth of documents.
See you in hell, 180search Assistant. I'll assist your searches if I ever see you again.
--Mark
Texas, U.S.A.
The 180search Assistant has long been a bane of Web surfers, but it sounds as if you contracted a particularly nasty variety that made itself invulnerable to antispyware programs.
It's a crying shame you lost all that data, but it does give us an opportunity to point out the importance of regularly archiving your important files. We recommend all users with a large library of documents routinely archive them using a backup utility. That way, if you do eventually have to bite the bullet and reformat, you'll at least have the satisfaction of knowing spyware didn't cost you valuable data.
--Download.com editors
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