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Spyware, viruses, & security forum: How bad is Coupon Companion and how can I remove it?

by: MyUnhappyPC February 22, 2013 2:41 PM PST

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How bad is Coupon Companion and how can I remove it?

by MyUnhappyPC - 2/22/13 2:41 PM

Many of us were "gifted" Coupon Companion by CNET, so this seems a reasonable place to look for answers. There are 80+ entries in Feedback Forum, but the only removal advice I found on CNET.is to use control panel and to delete browser add-ons and extensions. http://download.cnet.com/2701-2023_4-2006-8.html

I thought CC was just a nuisance, until I looked into removal. On zimbio they say it 'changes browser settings and modifies registry entries secretly'., and that it 'gathers personal information like browsing habits, online banking details, IP address and delivers it to remote hackers.' If true, CC is more than a nuisance What is really known about Coupon Companion?

If CC is as bad as that, the simple CNET removal suggestions seem unlikely to do a complete job. McAfee VirusScan + AntiSpyware Enterprise 8.8 did not stop it, and Malwarebytes did not find it on my PC. Next thing I plan to do is update and run Spybot S&D or SuperAntispyware. What is the wisdom here about removing CC?

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I've Removed It Easily From a Couple Different Comps..

by Grif Thomas Moderator - 2/22/13 3:24 PM

In Reply to: How bad is Coupon Companion and how can I remove it? by MyUnhappyPC

I first uninstalled it from the "Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs" section.. (Or Control Panel-Programs and Features if you're using Win7), then I went into each of the browsers "Add-ons" sections and eliminated it from there.. Fairly easy removal and it seemed like it was gone..

Have you tried all the suggestions in the link below?

Google Search for "uninstall coupon compainion"

Hope this helps.

Grif


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Yes, but . . .

by MyUnhappyPC - 2/22/13 7:19 PM

In Reply to: I've Removed It Easily From a Couple Different Comps.. by Grif Thomas Moderator

Thanks Grif,

Yes, I've searched with Google, and some suggestions are as simple as what you did (same as on CNET), but others say you need to remove specific registry entries, or more.

Malwaretips advises (after the steps you did) removing CC registry keys with Adwcleaner, then running Malwarebytes to get rid of remaining CC files, and a final cleanup of files with HitmanPro.
Does this make sense?

Malwarebytes has a thread taking a user through an even longer series of steps. I guess I am trying to be cautious, not wanting to do an incomplete job, but not wanting to download something malicious in the process.


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Then Go For It, If You'd Like...But...

by Grif Thomas Moderator - 2/23/13 6:22 PM

In Reply to: Yes, but . . . by MyUnhappyPC

If Coupon Companion doesn't raise it's ugly head, and it's removed from all locations, a few registry entries won't cause an issue.. Still, running Malwarebytes to clean out some of the junk is usually not a bad idea. It's something I do routinely anyway.. I also use Hitman Pro and it's a good program... but is it really necessary? I doubt it....but heck, run them anyway. See what they turn up.. Unfortunately, both programs take quite a while to finish a full system scan though....

Hope this helps.

Grif


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CC is gone, and still gone

by MyUnhappyPC - 2/24/13 3:51 PM

In Reply to: Then Go For It, If You'd Like...But... by Grif Thomas Moderator

Grif,
I did uninstall CC from control panel and deleted the add-on in Firefox. I did quick scans with Malewarebytes Ant-Malware and SuperAntiSpyware. I let the full scans run over night, or when I was out several hours. The system seems clean. I don't know if I'll run Adwcleaner and HitmanPro, or not.

Thanks


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(NT) Good Job !

by Grif Thomas Moderator - 2/25/13 5:20 PM

In Reply to: CC is gone, and still gone by MyUnhappyPC


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