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Parasite - Netsetter (MarketScore) removal instructions:Description:
MarketScore (also known as NetSetter or ossproxy) is a proxy service which claims to
increase the speed of your Internet connection. It will run at startup on your machine to
ensure that all traffic is routed through MarketScore's proxies. (I'd like to make a very
blunt statement at this point.... it doesn't work. In fact, it just plain sucks.)What it does:
There are a variety of so-called download accelerators or net boosters out there. They promise to
speed up your connection by routing your requests through a proxy server that caches the current
state of some of the more popular web sites. For instance, let's say you want to look up Yahoo's
page. In your browser's location bar, you type in www.yahoo.com and then hit enter. This is where
the proxy server steps in. What it is supposed to do is determine whether or not it can deliver its
own copy of Yahoo's page to you faster than Yahoo can, then respond accordingly. The thing is,
even when this is working like it should, I've never noticed any significant difference in the rate
at which I'm able to call up various pages. MarketScore is even worse, because it appears to try
and route ALL of your web traffic through their proxy, even email. I ended up with this software
on my machine once, and so have several friends of mine. The result was the same for each of
us. Our Internet connections either came to a grinding hault or became painfully slow once the
MarketScore program was installed.
Distribution:
- Privacy Violation: Yes. EVERY web connection you make, including secure connections,
will go through the MarketScore proxy, where it will be logged and analysed on behalf of
their customer companies.- Security Issue: Unconfirmed. There is a required update feature, but it is unknown whether
or not this still happens without consent from the end user.- Stability Problems: Won't work if you also use a different proxy (like a firewall). Will flat
out kill your internet connection if you try to delete associated components manually.
This program is installed through ActiveX via MarketScore's website, and heavily pushed by the
vendor affiliates. It's known to come bundled with a variety of programs that promise to give you
something for nothing. Some of these include file sharing programs (which are usually used to
download music), instant messengers, download assistants, or firewalls. A good rule of thumb is
to keep in mind that any programs that you're able to download for free MUST be benefiting the
software vendor, somehow. The program will usually include some form of information gathering
software, also known as spyware, that will keep tabs on your web browsing habits. Your profile
is then sold to a variety of marketers who will study the sites you're visiting to figure out what
kind of advertising you might respond to. Once this happens, the junk mail starts pouring in
and the pop-ups start to explode all over your screen any time you get online. MarketScore is
currently the most infamous example of spyware.Removal:
There is a hidden uninstall feature that you can run from the DOS prompt.Windows 95/98/ME users:
Click on your Start button, move up to Programs, then click on MS DOS Prompt.
Type in the following command, "%WinDir%\SYSTEM\NSCheck.exe" /uninstall
Then hit enter.Windows 2000/XP users:
Click on your Start button, move up to Programs, slide over to Accessories,
the click on Command Prompt.
Type in the following command, NSCheck /uninstall
Then hit enter.Just in case this doesn't automatically put your settings back to normal, you'll
want to perform the following steps.1. Go to your Control Panel and double-click on Internet Options.
2. Click once on the Connections tab up top.
3. Highlight your dialup connection in the large white field, then hit Settings.
4. Clear the proxy server address out of the white field, and remove the check
next to Use automatic configuration script.
5. You'll also want to open your registry editor. (Click on Start, then Run. Type
in regedit, then hit OK.) If you see an item labeled Netsetter in any of the
following directories, delete it by highlighting it and striking the Delete key
on your keyboard...
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE
6. Finally, you'll want to disable the nscheck.exe file on startup. Click here to
learn how to disable startup items on your computer.SpyBot Search & Destroy is also a handy little program you might want to run.
The latest version effectively removes MarketScore and many other spyware
applications from your system.
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