Removal of MyWebSearch Bar

What is MyWebSearch?
My Web Search also known as the My Way Speedbar is the Internet Explorer toolbar part of the Fun Web Products suite of utilities such as Smiley Central, Cursor Mania, My Mail Stationary, My Mail Signature, PopSwatter, Popular Screensavers, and the My Way website portal. The toolbar allows easy access to search engine results and a 404 Error Redirector called My Total Search among other things to your browser. This is not to be confused with the IBIS Web Search toolbar.

Although none of these products claim to be spyware, they do slow your computer down. All of the products use cookies to track usage, although they claim not to use cookies or anything else to track personally identifiable information. That being said, I would still recommend uninstalling the toolbar and other Fun Web Products if you feel your computer runs better without them. They are found by most spyware removal tools such as Spybot Search and Destroy, Lavasoft Ad-Aware,although they are deemed spyware safe by Aluria Software who created a Spyware SAFE Certification.

How Do I Know If I Have My Web Search Installed?

You’ll notice the following toolbar in your browser if My Web Search is installed on your computer.

If you run Hijackthis, you’ll also notice the following lines that have been added:

R3 – URLSearchHook: (no name) – {00A6FAF6-072E-44cf-8957-5838F569A31D} – C:Program FilesMyWebSearchSrchAstt1.binMWSSRCAS.DLL

O2 – BHO: MyWebSearch Search Assistant BHO – {00A6FAF1-072E-44cf-8957-5838F569A31D} – C:Program FilesMyWebSearchSrchAstt1.binMWSSRCAS.DLL

O2 – BHO: mwsBar BHO – {07B18EA1-A523-4961-B6BB-170DE4475CCA} – C:Program FilesMyWebSearchbar1.binMWSBAR.DLL

O3 – Toolbar: My &Web Search – {07B18EA9-A523-4961-B6BB-170DE4475CCA} – C:Program FilesMyWebSearchbar1.binMWSBAR.DLL

O4 – HKLM..Run: [MyWebSearch Email Plugin] C:PROGRA~1MYWEBS~1bar1.binmwsoemon.exe

O4 – HKCU..Run: [MyWebSearch Email Plugin] C:PROGRA~1MYWEBS~1bar1.binmwsoemon.exe

O4 – Startup: MyWebSearch Email Plugin.lnk = C:Program FilesMyWebSearchbar1.binMWSOEMON.EXE

O4 – Global Startup: MyWebSearch Email Plugin.lnk = C:Program FilesMyWebSearchbar1.binMWSOEMON.EXE

O8 – Extra context menu item: &Search – http://bar.mywebsearch.com/menusearch.html?p=ZWYYYYYYYYUS

O16 – DPF: {1D4DB7D2-6EC9-47A3-BD87-1E41684E07BB} – http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/nocache/funwebproducts/ei/MyWebSearchInitialSetup1.0.0.8-2.cab

How Do I Remove My Web Search?

First, uninstall the My Web Search option from Add/Remove Programs

1) Click on Start, Settings, Control Panel

2) Double click on Add/Remove Programs

3) Find “My Web Search” in the list of installed programs and click on Change/Remove to uninstall it. You may also want to uninstall any of the following items associated with FunWebProducts.

My Web Search (Smiley Central or FWP product as applicable)
My Way Speedbar (Smiley Central or other FWP as applicable)
My Way Speedbar (AOL and Yahoo Messengers) (beta users only)
My Way Speedbar (Outlook, Outlook Express, and IncrediMail)
Search Assistant – My Way
4) Reboot your Computer and run HijackThis

5) With HijackThis, scan for and fix any of the entries shown above that may be remaining.

6) Next, open My Computer, Drive C, and double-click on the Program Files folder

7) Right-click and delete the folders for:

FunWebProducts

MyWebSearch

8) MyWebSearch should now be completely uninstalled from your computer.

9) There will be some minor registry entries left behind by the uninstall, however these can be cleaned up by running SpyBot Search and Destroy or Ad-Aware SE or left alone.