I have been through the documentation and this forum but I am not confident that I understand the results of my scan. Two questions.

1. I sometimes see "res://shdoclc.dll/hardadmin.htm" appear at the bottom of my browser screen. Google results suggest this is a "browser hijack." When I run a Ad-Aware 2007 scan, however, I get 0 critical objects. Does that mean I shouldn't worry?

2. Even when ad-aware finds 0 critical objects, it often identifies tens of privacy objects, tracking cookies with tai 3, and mru objects with tai 0. I am blindly clicking "ad to ignore" and going on my way. Is that what I should do?

Cheers,

Stu

Hi Stu,

I'm not a malware expert, so I will ask someone else to look at your first question.

With regards to your second question regarding Privacy Objects:

• - MRUs are a list of Most Recently Used items, rather like the list of recent documents in MS Word. Although some people want to remove these, I personally can't see the point and therefore do not have "Scan for MRUs" selected in my AAW 2007 settings.
• - Cookies are harmless text files that can't hurt your system. That said, there are many users who do not wanting tracking cookies collecting information about your individual surfing habits and therefore deleting any that are found is a personal choice that I would recommend.

Putting all Privacy Objects into "Ignore" is therefore pointless - if you are going to scan for them, remove/delete them from the scan results or change your settings to no longer include searching for these items.

I would suggest opening AAW 2007, clicking on the "Scan" tab and then select "Quarantine & Ignore". On the "Ignore" tab, select every item and click "Delete". This will put all previously ignored Privacy Objects back into detection and will allow you to remove them in your next scan if you leave your settings as they are in your current configuration.

Also, please note the difference between tracking cookies and so-called first-party cookies which websites use to record your settings/preferences/history when you log-in - these are actually needed for many sites to function in the way that you wish them to. AAW 2007 does not scan for this type of cookie.

Regards,

Spike

Hi, Spike,

Thanks for your reply to Stu. I've just installed the AAW 2007 and am floundering, and the above was certainly one of my first "flounders."

The intricacies of Quote are nother learning curve.

Books Alive

Thanks, Spike, for helping me understand how this works. You have over 2,000 posts . . . wow.

Now if someone can help me with my malware question, I'll be real happy!

Cheers,

Stu

Hi Books Alive,

Glad to have been of service

It may pay you to read the Help File (click on the ? symbol) as well as the AAW 2007 Product Manual.pdf - please remember that some of the advanced features are only available in the licensed Plus & Pro Versions.

Regards,

Spike

(PS: If, after reading these, you should still have any particular AAW 2007 configuration questions, please do not hesitate to post back)

Hi Stu,


I asked one of our very experienced malware experts to have a look at your first question, whose response was that whilst not being sure of the relevance of res://shdoclc.dll/hardadmin.htm appearing in your browser is, that alone doesn't suggest malware being present.

Unless your homepage actually becomes hijacked, opening your browser to an unrequested/unknown page or unless you start getting all kinds of weird pop-ups or other unaccountable behavior, I wouldn't worry. As you said, your scan results do not show any detected critical objects.


I have used AAW for many years and am quite familiar with it - also have some free time to volunteer here.

Besides, its not really the number of posts that matter, but the quality of them and how helpful they are...

Regards,

Spike

Re: shdoclc.dll/hardadmin.htm

That entry doesn't indicate a browser hijack.

Shdoclc.dll (the Shell Document Object and Control library) is a resource-only library that is used by Internet Explorer to store localized items such as menus, dialog boxes, and strings. It is a library used by Windows applications to add basic file and networking operations

HardAdmin.htm is a page that explains a feature called Enhanced IE Security present in Windows Server 2003

Is that machine being used as a server or a workstation?

Is it part of your home network or business network?

Since Server security isn't my specialty, I would suggest you consult the
Windows Server 2003 Security Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en

Should be covered in there