MyWay Search Assistant
What is MyWay Search Assistant?
MyWay Search Assistant is a potentially unwanted application that runs in the web browser as a toolbar and web extension. The web extension is primarily designed to take control of the user's browser in order to modify the search provider and redirect web searches to the search engine partner the publisher has a revenue relationship with. In doing so, the toolbar performs a number of behaviors in order to maximize the potential of a user to click on sponsored advertising through search. It is typically installed via a bundled offer within a 3rd-party distribution.
Functionality of the toolbar includes:
- Changing the web browser's default home page to the affiliate search portal.
- Changing the browser's search provider, built-in search box as well as the address bar.
- Ability to modify the 'new tab' functionality to launch the modified search portal page.
- Adds an alternative error page, DNS error and 'page not' found functionality.
- Adds additional functionality that is designed to protect the search and home page settings.
- May 'inject' advertising in the form of context ads, links and pop-ups.
About (from Mindspark Interactive Network)
My Way offers not one, but FIVE of the Internet's leading search providers. Choose from Google, AltaVista, Ask Jeeves, LookSmart and AlltheWeb as your My Way primary Search Provider. On My Way we give you choices. The choice to use our own features, or to establish direct, one-click access to features and services that... Read more
Overview
- Possible malware installed by this program
- Loads into the web browser
- Typically distributed through a pay-per-install bundle
- Hijacks the web browser's home page
- Hijacks the browser's default search provider
- The wisdom of the crowd agrees, you should remove it!
Warning, multiple anti-virus scanners have detected possible malware in MyWay Search Assistant.
| desrcas.dll (1236c9c8c9db725e3c09c355b375058c) has been flagged by the following 28 scanners: |
| Anti-Virus software | Version | Detection |
| AhnLab-V3 |
2013.01.27 |
Win-Adware/MySearch.86016 |
| Avira AntiVir |
7.11.58.208 |
SPR/MySearch |
| Antiy-AVL |
2.0.3.7 |
AdWare/Win32.PurityScan.gen |
| avast! |
2014.9-130925 |
Win32:Adware-gen [Adw] |
| AVG |
2014.0.3571 |
Generic |
| Bitdefender |
1.0.20.1340 |
Adware.Mysearch.E |
| Comodo Security |
15060 |
UnclassifiedMalware |
| Dr.Web |
9.0.0.0268 |
Adware.MyWay.66 |
| Emsisoft Anti-Malware |
8.13.09.25.02 |
Adware.Mysearch |
| eSafe |
7.0.17.0 |
Win32.SPRMySearch |
| ESET-NOD32 |
7.7936 |
a variant of Win32/Toolbar.MyWay |
| F-Prot |
v6.4.6.5.141 |
W32/Mywebsearch.C.gen |
| G Data |
13.9.22 |
Adware.Mysearch |
| IKARUS anti.virus |
t3scan.1.3.5.0 |
not-a-virus.AdWare.MyWayWebSearch |
| Jiangmin |
KV130925 |
AdWare/MyWay.z |
| K7 AntiVirus |
13.158.8156 |
Unwanted-Program |
| Kaspersky |
14.0.0.4029 |
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.MyWay |
| Kingsoft AntiVirus |
331020.18219 |
Win32.Troj.MyWay.aw.(kcloud) |
| McAfee |
5600.7209 |
Artemis!1236C9C8C9DB |
| McAfee-GW-Edition |
7.7209 |
Artemis!1236C9C8C9DB |
| MicroWorld-eScan |
14.0.0.804 |
Adware.Mysearch.E |
| NANO AntiVirus |
0.22.8.49711 |
Riskware.Win32.MyWay.okldy |
| nProtect |
13.01.26.01 |
Adware.Mysearch.E |
| Panda Antivirus |
13.09.25.02 |
Application/MyWay |
| PC Tools |
2013 |
2446 |
| Rising Antivirus |
23.00.65.13923 |
Trojan.Win32.Generic.11EA1795 |
| VIPRE Antivirus |
15234 |
My Way Speedbar (not malicious) |
| ViRobot |
2011.4.7.4223 |
Adware.MyWay.86016.B |
View all 28 all detections
MyWay Search Assistant has been found to be bundled with 3rd party software. If you have not purposefully installed this, you should be safe uninstalling it.
Program details
Displayed publisher: MyWay
URL: info.myway.com/index/id/terms.html
Help link: help.myway.com
Installation folder: C:\Program Files\mywaysa\srchasde
Uninstaller: MsiExec.exe /X{E7559288-223B-453C-9F06-340E3BE21E39}
(The Windows Installer is used for the installation, maintenance, and removal.)
Language: English (United States)
Files installed by MyWay Search Assistant
| Program module: | desrcas.dll (Malware detected) |
| Name: | MyWay Search Assistant for Internet Explorer |
| MyWay Search Assistant |
| Path: | C:\Program Files\mywaysa\srchasde\desrcas.dll |
| MD5: | 1236c9c8c9db725e3c09c355b375058c |
Behaviors exhibited
Internet Explorer BHO
- desrcas.dll is installed in Internet Explorer as a Browser Helper Object with the class of {4D25F921-B9FE-4682-BF72-8AB8210D6D75}.
Internet Explorer URL Search Hook
- desrcas.dll is loaded in Internet Explorer as a URL search hook using the CLSID {4D25F926-B9FE-4682-BF72-8AB8210D6D75} and is used by IE to redirect the address of an unknown typed URLs.
How do I remove MyWay Search Assistant?
You can uninstall MyWay Search Assistant from your computer by using the Add/Remove Program feature in the Window's Control Panel.
- On the Start menu (for Windows 8, right-click the screen's bottom-left corner), click Control Panel, and then, under Programs, do one of the following:
- Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall a Program.
- Windows XP: Click Add or Remove Programs.
- When you find the program MyWay Search Assistant, click it, and then do one of the following:
- Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall.
- Windows XP: Click the Remove or Change/Remove tab (to the right of the program).
- Follow the prompts. A progress bar shows you how long it will take to remove MyWay Search Assistant.
- If for some reason uninstallation fails, please install Microsoft's uninstall fixer utility which will help fix problems with programs that can't be uninstalled at support.microsoft.com.
How do I reset my web browser?
If your web browser homepage and search settings have been modfied by MyWay Search Assistant you can restore them to their previous default settings.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer and click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then click Reset. Select the Delete personal settings check box if you would also like to remove search providers, Accelerators and home pages. When Internet Explorer finishes applying default settings, click Close, and then click OK.
- The changes will take effect the next time you open IE.
Mozilla Firefox
- At the top of the Firefox window, click the Firefox button, go over to the Help sub-menu and select Troubleshooting Information.
- To continue, click Reset Firefox in the confirmation window that opens. It will close and be reset.
- When it's done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click Finish and Firefox will open.
Google Chrome
- Open Chrome and click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.
- Select Settings. In the "Search" section, click Manage search engine. Check if (Default) is displayed next to your preferred search engine. If not, mouse over it and click Make default. Mouse over any other suspicious search engine entries that are not familiar and click X to remove them.
- When the "Show Home button" checkbox is selected, a web address appears below it. If you want the Homepage button to open up a different webpage, click Change to enter a link.
- Restart Google Chrome.
OS VERSIONS
Win XP 67%
Win 10 11%
|
|
USER ACTIONS
 |
Uninstall it 79%
Keep it 21%
|
|
|
COUNTRY POPULARITY
75.00%
United States
|
Windows
Which Windows OS versions does it run on?
| Windows XP |
88.89% |
|
| Windows 10 |
11.11% |
|
Geography
75.00% of installs come from the United States
Which countries install it?
| United States |
75.00% |
| United Kingdom |
16.67% |
| France |
8.33% |
About Mindspark Interactive Network
Mindspark is a business unit of IAC that focuses on interactive products and web portals and operates IAC's interactive products and web portals such as Life123, Myway.
Publisher URL: www.mindspark.com