What is ISTBar and How Do You Remove It?
ISTBar is a malicious browser helper object that installs itself into Internet Explorer and disguises itself as an Internet Explorer search toolbar. In addition to its identity as a browser helper object, ISTBar also contains files that can hijack your browser by changing home pages, or Web pages you are browsing, and modifying your browser settings.
How ISTBar Works
ISTBar is typically installed through a drive-by download in an ActiveX control. A drive-by download is a file that is installed in ActiveX which activates itself when you click on a Web page. The file installs itself when you use the ActiveX control to view the Web page. The file is usually delivered in the form of a Trojan downloader and usually hides out on affiliate sites. ISTBar installs other parasites along with the toolbar in Internet Explorer.
IST Bar contains malicious files that spy on all of your browsing activity so it can list websites in your search results that are related to sites you visit during your browsing experience. This means when you type in a search you do not receive unbiased content in your search results. Instead you get a list of sites that ISTBar wants you to view.
Because ISTBar is a Trojan downloader it will also show pornographic advertisements on your PC without your consent, connect itself to the Internet, and remain in the background of your PC for the purpose of spying on all of your activity. It also adds bookmarks in your browser that lead to additional advertisements and has the ability to update itself over the Internet.
How to Remove ISTBar
The manual removal process gets quite involved so if you are thinking of trying this route, make sure you backup your PC before beginning the process. This is because ISTBar removal involves working with the registry files in your PC's registry and one wrong move could render your computer useless.
To remove ISTBar manually you must first use the Windows Task Manager to remove all of the processes of ISTBar. The task manager can be accessed by pressing the CTRL key with the ALT key and then adding the Delete key to pull up the Task Manager window.
Once you remove all of the ISTBar processes from the Windows Task Manager, you must use the Registry Editor to remove all of the registry values associated with ISTBar and then use the Windows Command Prompt to unregister all of the ISTBar .dll files.
To perform complete removal you will have to identify all of the files in the registry that are associated with the ISTBar. If you want to ensure complete removal of the program you can also deploy a spyware scanner that is designed to remove browser helper objects and browser hijackers like ISTBar. The scanner will find all of the files that are associated with ISTBar and remove them for you.