|
Description:
MyWay Speedbar is a downloaded 'helper'
addition for Internet Explorer. It searches Google,
Alta Vista, Ask Jeeves, AlltheWeb and LookSmart and
provides banner advertisements, popup windows and contextual
advertising from the advertisers. It installs directly
on your web browser.
How do you get it?
My-Way Speedbar can be downloaded from the My-Way site
or bundled with filesharing programs such as KaZaa.
Details:
My-Way Speedbar is a 'Browser Helper
Object' meaning that it will load whenever Internet
Explorer starts, shares its memory and performs actions
in any available windows. It can also detect events,
create windows to display additional information on
a viewed page, monitor messages and actions. There are
many exploits of this technology which search all pages
you view in IE and replace banner advertisements with
other ads, monitor and report on your actions, etc.
How does it Violate
Privacy?
My-Way takes great
pains to clarify any potential privacy concerns with
using their browser helper but fail to mention what
information they are collecting while you're using their
Speedbar. From their FAQ:
• The Speedbar
DOES NOT track, collate or aggregate any information
about a user when the
user is NOT on the My Way service.
(Notice that it doesn't say what they do when
you're on the MyWay service?)
• The Speedbar DOES NOT collect information
stored on your user system and DOES NOT upload information
from your computer system to My Way.
• Does the
Speedbar track where I go on the Internet?
No, the Speedbar does not monitor or report back to
My Way with information about where you are traveling
when you leave the
My Way service or what you
do on other Web sites.
(Although they do not collect stored
information, it isn't clear exactly what information
they are monitoring and or collecting while you're
using the 'MyWay Service'. Does the "MyWay Service'"
mean while you're using the Speedbar?)
Are there any known
security issues?
Not at this time.
Stability problems:
- Some internet explorer buttons may take up to 10 seconds
to appear when the Speedbar is installed
"Microsoft has
reported a significant bug with versions of Internet
Explorer between 5.0.0.0 and 5.00.2919.0. If your Internet
Explorer version number is within this range and your
computer's operating system is Windows NT or Windows
2000, you should upgrade to the latest version of Internet
Explorer. The bug in these versions may prevent you
from successfully using the Speedbar. "
On certain occasions
when using Internet Explorer 5.0, you might notice the
Speedbar is not visible when you re-launch the browser.
Terminating
MyWay Speedbar:
For Windows 98 and up:
- Click on Start > Settings > Control
Panel > Add/Remove Programs
- Scroll through the program listings
until you find the entry for "MyWay Speedbar"
and then click "Remove". This will clean
out most of the installed program.
- Click on "My Computer".
- Navigate to the main directory structure
where the MyWay Speedbar was installed. Usually this
is "C:\Program Files\". If you can't find
it click on Start > Search > For Files or Folders
and type in "MyWay".
- Delete the folder "C:\Program
Files\MyWay"
- Click on Start > Run and type "regedit",
then click "OK".
- Scroll down to the folder named: 'HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT"
- Move to the sub folder "Interface".
MyWay inserts two registry keys here, both of which
can be removed by deleting the folders:
Interface\{0494D0D4-F8E0-41AD-92A3-14154ECE70AC} Interface\{0494D0D6-F8E0-41AD-92A3-14154ECE70AC}
- Move to the sub folder "TypeLib".
There is another registry key here, that can be removed
by deleting the folder:
TypeLib\{0494D0D0-F8E0-41AD-92A3-14154ECE70AC}
- Restart your Computer
to allow the new registry settings to take effect.
Ad-Aware can also remove the MyWay Speedbar and all
registry keys.
|
