The information in Virtual Grub Street's computer postings is the result of thousands of web searches. It can not, however, possibly be complete. The subject is vast and constantly changing. Moreover, vendor uninstall tools and other freeware removal tools do not necessarily remove all of an infection from your computer. Vendor uninstall tools, for instance, may silently leave cookies or other tracking software installed. It is suggestible to follow up a removal with one or more adware scans and/or to do an inspection using a HijackThis log. The information on the page is not guaranteed correct and any use you may choose to make of it is entirely at your own risk.


Intro. The EliteBarfix.bat removal tool was created by Michael J. Cermak, Jr.'s Tech Support Guy forums. The forum was founded in 1996 and is well known throughout the web tech community.

The tool consists of a simple MS-Dos program designed to remove key files and registry entries associated with SearchMiracle.EliteBar. It works on all standard Windows systems, Windows 95 through XP. It must be run in Safe Mode.

File Size. 3KB.

File Type. MS-Dos.

Most recent update. 04/19/05.

EliteBarfix.bat is thus far only used by the experts of TSG forums. It is used in conjunction with either CCleaner or Cleanup and either the Ewido Security Suite or Pocket KillBox anti-trojan program. The three-pronged attack (EliteBarfix.bat + cleaner + anti-trojan) is followed up with a separate removal of search-hooks, hijack target-pages, and, in the case of a multiple infection, other miscellaneous files. Run alone, this tool it does not entirely remove any EliteBar infection.

Downloads. EliteBarfix.zip can be downloaded from the following location: http://attachments.techguy.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=57317.

Other VGS Freeware/Trialware Information Pages:

• Ad-Aware;
• CCleaner;
• CleanUp!;
• Elite Toolbar Remover;
• EliteBarfix.bat;
• Ewido Security Suite;
• HijackThis;
• LQfix;
• Nailfix.exe;
• Pocket KillBox;
• SpyBot S&D;
• SpyWall
  (Captured first place in the 2006 Enterprise Security category of Datamation's Product of the Year awards.).

Also see:

• PokaPoka.exe + Nothing = YupSearch (October 19, 2005). What do people mean when they say they have "YupSearch" instead of "EliteBar"?
• LQfix Information Page (October 15, 2005) There's a new tool in town!
• Elite Toolbar Remover Information Page (October 17, 2005).
• How to Remove PokaPoka. (October 12, 2005) Does your EliteBar variant include PokaPoka.exe?
• EliteBar Removal Tool Updates to 2.0.1. (September 21, 2005) The EliteBar Removal Tool now comes in two flavors and two generations!
• SearchMiracle.EliteBar Then and Now (September 21, 2005). Hijacks, heroes, updates and links.
• EliteBar Removal Tool Updates to 2.0.0!!!!! (September 15, 2005). Includes expanded list of infections removed by the removal tool.
• More on Variant ADW_ELITEBAR.D. (May 27, 2005). "It is a standard XP with two top-end commercial anti-virus programs. Moreover, one of the anti-virus programs -- Trend Micro's PC-Cillin -- we already know..."
• Diabolical new EliteBar variant Strikes the Web!!!!or the one the EliteBar Removal Tool can't remove (May 22, 2005).
• EliteBar Removal Tool Updates to 1.3.0!!!!! (May 20, 2005). Includes expanded list of infections removed by the removal tool.
• Key File Index (May 18, 2005).
• Adware & Malware Identifier Index (May 9, 2005). "The following is an in-progress index of some of the more common malware toolbars/browser helper objects at large on the Internet."
• Is Google Associated with a SearchMiracle Knock-Off? (April 27, 2005). "A question begs the asking: How does NetNucleus generate revenue from its Mirar Toolbar search directory if it enters search terms in the Google Search Engine?"
• HijackThis vs. the Elitebar Removal Tool (April 23, 2005). "While this approach may provide some limited, and temporary, relief, SearchMiracle will soon be back in full force."
• EliteBar Removal Tool Alert: Update V.1.2.2.!!! (April 18, 2005). "The new variants of the malware also completely conceal the presence of the EliteToolbarRemoverV10.exe, so that if you are opening the archive you can only see the readme.doc file that is attached to that and you cannot see the *.exe even if though it is really there!"
• HijackThis vs. SearchMiracle/EliteBar (April 11, 2005).
• How to Remove SearchMiracle/EliteBar (February 27, 2005).
• Online Bibliography (Regularly updated) A bibliography of Gilbert Wesley Purdy's work on the Web and elsewhere including computer topics.

Labels: Computer Security, Freeware/Trialware