My Start Incredibar extensions
Like a lot of others, I have had terrible problems with this damn incredibar thing that has somehow gotten onto my laptop. Thanks to the other threads in the forums I have managed to get Firefox back to what I originally had, (remove webassistent, check about:config etc...) but I still have one concern. When I search for incredibar in about:config, I still get a whole load of extensions.incredibar results. I am not very technically literate when it comes to these things but is there anyway I can remove these or are they just remnants that I am better off leaving alone? The incredibar extension doesn't seem to come up in the list under the Firefox Tab. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Vahaolana nofidina
Here's a really detailed guide on how to remove Incredibar (complete w/ screenshots!): http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2012/07/remove-mystart-by-incredibar-uninstall.html
This should fully get rid of Incredibar. This is definitely one of those annoying & difficult ones to get rid of.
Those extensions.incredibar results should be safe to remove. They only are active when the extension is installed. If it's uninstalled, then those settings can't affect anything. Also those kinds of settings get left behind from all kinds of add-ons because there isn't a way to auto remove those settings when a add-on is uninstalled. Hopefully this problem is fixed one day by the Firefox devs.
To erase those settings:
- In the url bar, type about:config and press Enter. If you see the "This might void your warranty!" warning, just click the I'll be careful, I promise! button to continue.
- Type extensions.incredibar into the Search box. Then right-click on each setting that appears in the results below and choose Reset. That will erase the settings from Firefox after you shutdown Firefox.
- You can also do nothing. They are just left behind remnants that don't do anything.
Example screenshot:
About:config Reset menu option
All Replies (20)
Vahaolana Nofidina
Here's a really detailed guide on how to remove Incredibar (complete w/ screenshots!): http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2012/07/remove-mystart-by-incredibar-uninstall.html
This should fully get rid of Incredibar. This is definitely one of those annoying & difficult ones to get rid of.
Those extensions.incredibar results should be safe to remove. They only are active when the extension is installed. If it's uninstalled, then those settings can't affect anything. Also those kinds of settings get left behind from all kinds of add-ons because there isn't a way to auto remove those settings when a add-on is uninstalled. Hopefully this problem is fixed one day by the Firefox devs.
To erase those settings:
- In the url bar, type about:config and press Enter. If you see the "This might void your warranty!" warning, just click the I'll be careful, I promise! button to continue.
- Type extensions.incredibar into the Search box. Then right-click on each setting that appears in the results below and choose Reset. That will erase the settings from Firefox after you shutdown Firefox.
- You can also do nothing. They are just left behind remnants that don't do anything.
Example screenshot:
About:config Reset menu option
Novain'i NoahSUMO t@
Thanks for that, good to know!
I've tried to reset them and they keep coming back. Blasted thing keeps redirecting my browser to their web site.
Hello,
I 've done everything in my power in this matter: Uninstalled both Incredibar and WebAssistant via Control panel, deleted it in Search Manager and Internet Options, removed it from the Add-ons, reset every single relevant extension through about:config, repeated the whole process in Firefox SafeMode after resetting all preferences, but still after every Firefox restart ti keeps coming back! It must be somehow attached to another application (probably the one through which it installed itself) and I have no way to find out which one it is.
Is there a permanent solution? And, besides being annoying, can it damage the system in the long run??
jkelly & nikpanIt, check out my post here:
Removed "mystart.incredibar" by resetting values of related entries in about:config but on restart of Firefox they all return again in about:config
It might help. If you do find the user.js file, please make a copy and send it to the email in that post.
Also I don't believe it can damage the system in the long run since it's not a malicious virus. I believe it's just one of those annoying, difficult to remove toolbars.
I had cleared out the user.js file before posting here. I have since cleaned out many more user settings based on AVG recommendations. I'll see if it pops up this evening.
Just popped up. This keeps resetting in the about:config. I've reset it to clear it, removed the mystart and also modified it by adding underscores and it keeps coming back. I've found a couple of places in the registry but there aren't any values.
{336D0C35-8A85-403a-B9D2-65C292C39087}.ScriptData_WSG_whiteList;{"search.babylon.com":"q","search.sweetim.com":"q","search.imesh.net":"q","www.search-results.com":"q","home.mywebsearch.com":"searchfor","search.mywebsearch.com":"searchfor","search.mindspark.com":"searchfor","search.conduit.com":"q","search.zugo.com":"p","www2.mystart.com":"q","www.mystart.com":"q","www.bigseekpro.com":"q","bigseekpro.com":"q","bigspeedpro.com":"q","search.esnips.com":"searchQuery","search.foxtab.com":"q","search.brothersoft.com":"keyword","search.softonic.com":"q","www.dogpile.com":"q","search.infospace.com":"q","search.iobit.com":"q","search.iminent.com":"","search.facemoods.com":"s","www.plusnetwork.com":"q","www.alothome.com":"q","alothome.com":"q","search.alothome.com":"q","search.chatvibes.com":"q","search.blekko.com":"","www.searchnu.com":"q","searchnu.com":"q","search.icq.com":"q","search.etype.com":"query","isearch.babylon.com":"q","search.utorrent.com":"","search.bittorrent.com":"","search.bearshare.com":"q","search.bearshare.net":"q","searchya.com":"q","int.search-results.com":"q","search.searchcompletion.com":"q","www.adoresearch.com":"q","www.searchcore.net":"q","googosearch.info":"terms","bar.searchqu.com":"q","search.speedbit.com":"q","search.toggle.com":"q","click.searchnation.net":"query","isearch.whitesmoke.com":"q","search.handycafe.com":"q","searchassist.babylon.com":"q","searchnation.net":"query","video.searchcompletion.com":"q","www.searchbrowsing.com":"q","search.anchorfree.net":"q","search.hotspotshield.com":"q","dts.search-results.com":"q","uk.search-results.com":"q","search.chatzum.com":"q","search.phpnuke.org":"q","www.i-mysearch.com":"q","search.smartaddressbar.com":"q","www.search-guru.com":"q","mysearch.sweetim.com":"q","searchgby.com":"","thespecialsearch.com":"q","search.bpath.com":"q","start.funmoods.com":"s","fr.search-results.com":"q","de.search-results.com":"q","it.search-results.com":"q","es.search-results.com":"q","search.imesh.com":"q","search.swagbucks.com":"q","isearch.avg.com":"q","search.avg.com":"q","search.yippy.com":"query","cludr.com":"q","search.vmn.net":"q","www.gigablast.com":"q","www.metacrawler.com":"q","www.webcrawler.com":"q","www.ixquick.com":"","www.search.com":"q","www.excite.com":"q","duckduckgo.com":"q","search.lycos.com":"q","webfetch.com":"q","monstercrawler.com":"q","go.com":"p","hotbot.com":"keyword","home.myplaycity.com":"s","www.findamo.com":"q","search.gboxapp.com":"q","start.iplay.com":"q","home.speedbit.com":"q","home.sweetim.com":"q","search.alot.com":"q","search.searchplusnetwork.com":"q","www.searchqu.net":"","us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com":"p","search.insiteapp.com":"q","somoto.com":"q","blekko.com":"","uk.yhs4.search.yahoo.com":"p","fr.yhs4.search.yahoo.com":"p","suggestor.netliker.com":"","search.netliker.com":"","insta-search.com":"q","www.fast-search.biz":"q","start.facemoods.com":"s","search.coolnovo.com":"","chromeplus.info":"q","in.yhs4.search.yahoo.com":"p","in.yhs.search.yahoo.com":"p","www.searchble.com":"keyword","home.allgameshome.com":"s","forsearch.net":"q","allssearch.com":"q","search.snap.do":"q","us.yhs.search.yahoo.com":"p","uk.yhs.search.yahoo.com":"p","fr.yhs.search.yahoo.com":"p","search.smartsearchbox.net":"","search.seznam.cz":"q","search.funmoods.com":"s","search.avira.com":"q","search.jzip.com":"q","search.findeer.com":"","search-faster.com":"","dnssearch.rr.com":"search","search.rr.com":"q","search.kalloutsearch4.com":"q","kalloutsearch4.com":"Keywords","search.rapidns.net":"SearchQuery","websearch.4shared.com":"q","images.search.conduit.com":"q","search.cpchero.biz":"q","search.kikin.com":"q","www.engine-search.biz":"q","www.mysearchresults.com":"q","search.vdc.com.vn":"SearchQuery","search.charter.net":"search","search-vbc.com":"keywords","search.pch.com":"q","search.pantip.com":"","www.startsearcher.com":"","search.icafemanager.com":"q","aolsearcht10.search.aol.com":"q","search.free.fr":"","www.similarsitesearch.com":"URL","qoqole.com":"q"}|||8641343774814118
Novain'i jkelly16 t@
@Noah_SUMO: O yes, I forgot to mention that; I 'd seen your post about the user.js file but when I tried to relocate it I couldn't find it! Still (now that you did it for me), there is no such file in the Profile folder... Relieved to know that there is no potential damage involved.
@jkelly: I don't quite understand what the list you show is all about - mind you, I 'm no cpu expert!
Anyway, I thank you both for your posts.
Hi After having done everything else I uninstalled Mozilla Firefox and then reinstalled it and so far it seems to have solved the problem. Best of luck
I ended up going to Help, Troubleshooting Information and clicking the Reset Firefox button last night. So far, so good. Had to reinstall all my Add-Ons though.
@jkelly: Me too, it seems to work at last! Thanks to all for your help.
Let's keep in mind for future use what I wrote in my inititial post (Uninstall both Incredibar and WebAssistant via Control panel, delete it in Search Manager and Internet Options, remove it from the Add-ons, reset extensions through about:config) plus Noah's instruction to delete user.js file from Help>Troubleshooting Information> Show Folder>Preferences folder>extensions and (as a last resort) Reset Firefox.
(phhew!) thanx again.
nikpanIt, even though I've not had any issues since resetting Firefox, you may want to download Spybot S&D and check your pc. It did not find it on the first scan but I ran a scan again today and it picked up a couple of dll's and also some registry entries for Incredibar. My guess is the uninstall is set up not to completely remove the program. You can download Spybot from CNet.com.
jkelly is right about the Incredibar & WebAssistant uninstallers not completely removing themselves. And nikpanIt, you are right that you still need to uninstall both those programs thru the Control Panel b/c the uninstallers still delete a lot of the programs files.
I also found out that the left behind files of this program keep recreating the user.js file even after you've deleted it! So that's why user.js keeps coming back for many people.
I've also found a really detailed guide on how to remove Incredibar (complete w/ screenshots!):
http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2012/07/remove-mystart-by-incredibar-uninstall.html
This should fully get rid of Incredibar. This is definitely one of those annoying & difficult ones to get rid of.
Novain'i NoahSUMO t@
If you did all those steps and still have the Incredibar in Firefox, then here is a Complete Removal Guide:
A. Removing All Regenerating Scripts of Incredibar
- Open Your Profile Locations:
- "C:\Users\{USERNAME}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{NAME}.default\
- Search in the Search Bar "PREFS"
- Open all files found in Notepad++
- You will find a Line at the END of each file:
- user_pref("browser.newtab.url", "http://mystart.incredibar.com/...")
- Remove That Line or you can just use the Replace Function to replace the whole line in all of the Opened Files with a Blank Space
- Save and Restart Firefox
- Go To about:config and write "MyStart", right click to the result "browser.newtab.url" and click RESET
- Write in the search bar "Incredibar" and press Enter
- Remove all Entries by clicking them and choosing Delete
B. Removing All Registry Keys:
- Open Regedit by Start>Run>Regedit and Pressing Enter
- Click Edit>Find and Write "Incredibar"
- Delete all Relevant Keys when found
C. Scanning For More Checks
- Download "Spybot: Search and Destroy"
- Install it and Update
- Click Search and let it finish
- If there are any Results select to Clean them
After all these Steps Restart your Computer
Novain'i NoahSUMO t@
Thanks for all your help guys, you 've been great!
Sorry I didn't make it clear enough: after taking the steps I mention, I DID get rid of Incredi(bly hard to kill!)bar and that is why I posted the little summary - as a (sort of) complete yet concise "how to" guide.
Thanx again
I've done all I can to get rid of this demon but to no avail.
Here's my nightmare story: I can’t get rid of this demon in spite of visiting numerous forums and trying the advice of people whom seemed to be able to do so. I’ve gone through my registry using the “Run” feature and typing in “regedit.” I've deleted everything I saw that was a reference to this demon, did a regedit search in the event I'd missed anything, and every instance that was found was deleted. I've used spybot (it found nothing) and the Microsoft Windows Essential Security program as well. The Microsoft program did find some kind of demon called MyCandy and I deleted it but nothing else was found. I don't know what else to do.
When I log onto Firefox now, I no longer am able to have the last tabs I was viewing to load at all. Instead, I get one tab only that opens to my homepage, and when I click on the “x” near the right end of the existing (open) tab, what happens is the new tab opens with the yellow caution logo with an “!” and the words, “Problem loading page.” When I click on the tab, the page opens with the following aggravating message:
Unable to connect
Firefox can't establish a connection to the server at mystart.incredibar.com.
The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try again in a few moments. If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network connection. If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.
SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME! I want to continue using Firefox but this demon that downloaded itself onto my computer is just not going away. I downloaded some freeware and while installing it, I was given the option to decline this hellish mess, I chose the option of NOT downloading it (the Decline option) yet this devilish demon from HELL downloaded itself anyway. I have never had anything like this to happen. I was up all evening and all night last night from the time it attached itself and up to after 6 AM this morning. Went to bed and after getting up I am BACK at my computer again for the past 3 hours again trying to exorcize this persistent monster that has attached itself like a leech.
I thank and praise anyone who will be able to help me exorcize this demonic pest. I'm afraid it may even have some kind of key logger capability.
Novain'i JD.Straw t@
Hi JD Straw After resetting every value for Mystart and Incredibar and reset Firefox as default browser in about: config and uninstalling (in controlpanel-programs) Mystart and Incredibar you also must uninstall and install Firefox again. This will do it,but it's probably wise to run Spybot afterwards to. Best of luck Kenneth28
I truly thank you for taking time to reply to this sordid dilemma. I have tried all of those things you suggested, as well as other suggestions by others, all to no avail. What I have now done to remedy this sad situation is to stop using the "original" Firefox browser and I have downloaded another product I just came across that I'd never heard of before, but which is very similar to Firefox, although not quite as "good" as Firefox. You see, I have been using Firefox since it's initial inception, because it was much, much, much easier to set up and then use than Internet Explorer, which I totally HATE. I began with those Bulletin Boards (DOS era), moved to the first AOL, then Netscape, then Internet Explorer, until Firefox came into existence, then used Firefox exclusively until last night after I discovered and downloaded the "Pale Moon" Browser. I'm currently tweaking and personalizing it and unless Firefox gets its act together, this (Pale Moon) will be my new default browser.
This Pale Moon browser was developed by none other than the same people whom developed Firefox; and I most definitely will be using it until Mozilla or Firefox screws it up just like they have, and ARE doing with Firefox.
My hat's off to you and all the other "victims" whom shared their time and solutions to this disgraceful, opportunistic, malware that was unleashed upon us unsuspecting, loyal, ambushed, "raped" users of Firefox. The best to you, Mr Kenneth, and to all the others whom were duped by this attack. THANKS!!!! You all are just too wonderful!
Novain'i JD.Straw t@
Maybe this will help for those trying to get rid of the Incredibar demon. I basically followed the advice of aggelosy above but since I am still running XP, I had to locate and edit both the prefs.js and the user.js files to rid them of all entries related to incredibar. For XP, you will usually find the script files in C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\default.xxx . Once those were cleaned everything went back to normal after clearing out the entries in about:config and doing a reboot. I also ran the uninstaller for the WebAssistant located in Program Files to be sure it was gone as well rather than just leave it disabled. It is by far one of the most aggravating infections I've had to fight with but I did avoid having to uninstall and re-install Firefox . Hope this helps someone.
Thanks for your tips vinekeeper and thanks also for all the help from everybody else. I'm not good at finding the kind of information on my computer enough to try to get to the prefs and user.js areas. I'd probably end up mistakenly removing something that would cause even more problems that I'd not know how to fix once it's done.
What I've done after running Spybot, deleting every reference to this bug from my registry running the regedit function, then uninstalling and reinstalling Firefox with no results, is I just stopped using Firefox. I found and downloaded something similar to Firefox, called Pale Moon (by Mozilla), and have begun using it. Since it is almost identical to Firefox and works like Firefox and I didn't have to go through the process of learning a new browser, I am going to continue using Pale Moon and uninstall Firefox altogether. Nothing I did enabled me to get rid of that incredibar demon, but I am a bit relieved to learn that it is not a virus. Spybot found nothing when I ran it and I'm afraid of Malwarebytes as it once caused trouble for me.
I ran across a browser called Comodo IceDragon, version 15, that is also built on the Firefox platform. It had some very interesting enhancements so I just might check that out to see if it may be even better than Pale Moon.
Thanks again, guys and the top O' the morning to everyone.