How to Get Rid of the Mywebsearch Toolbar

The Mywebsearch toolbar might seem harmless enough. You might not even realize how it appeared on your Internet Explorer toolbar. When you install certain free software, such as that for special emoticons or cursors, the toolbar is installed as well. Sometimes called "My Way Speedbar," the toolbar will slow down your system and uses cookies to track your computer usage. If you want to get rid of this potential spyware, you will need to take several steps, as follows.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Windows OS
• Spyware removal software

1. Click "Start" and then "Control Panel." Depending on what version of Windows you are using, you may need to click "Start," point to "Settings" and then click on "Control Panel." Make sure your Control Panel is in Classic View and click on "Add/Remove Programs." If you are using Windows Vista, click "Start" and type in "Programs and Features."

2. Look for "My Web Search," as well as "My Way Speedbar" and "My Way Search Assistant" in the list of currently installed programs. If you find any or all of them, select them one at a time and click "Remove" or "Uninstall." If you see a prompt asking whether you wish to uninstall the program, click "Yes."

3. Open "My Computer" (or "Computer," if you are using Windows Vista). Double-click "Local Disk (C:)" and open the "Program Files" folder. Look for folders named "FunWebProducts" and "MyWebSearch." If you see them, right click each one and select "Delete."

4. Click "Start" and "Run." In the "Open" box, type "regedit" and click "Go." In the Registry Editor, expand the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" folder. Next, expand the following folders in order: "SOFTWARE," "Microsoft," "Windows," "CurrentVersion" and "Run." If you see a file named "MyWebSearch Email Plugin," right-click it and choose "Delete."

5. Run your spyware-removal program. If the program finds any remaining files belonging to "Mywebsearch Toolbar," remove them. Restart your computer after the scan is complete.

Tips & Warnings

• Think twice before downloading "freeware," such as smileys or screen savers. They often bring spyware along with them.

• Do not attempt to edit the Windows Registry (Step 4) unless you are confident and comfortable doing so. Deleting the wrong file could cause your computer to stop working completely.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Lavasoft: Download Ad-Aware Spyware Removal
• Safer Networking: Download Spybot Spyware Removal