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A peer-to-peer file-sharing program causes problems but you can get rid of it
Q Something called Bearshare intermittently appears in the toolbar of Internet Explorer: this seems to override my Ask.com home page and I am then no longer able to access Ask.com and other websites.
I have found the Bearshare application file but when I try to delete it, Windows tells me I cannot do so. Any ideas?
Brian Lakeland
A Bearshare is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing program that you probably installed accidentally, perhaps along with some other downloaded software.
It isn’t considered to be malicious software as such, but its Mediabar ‘feature’ is an intrusive presence in Internet Explorer and its habit of replacing your browser home page with its own is annoying.
We have also seen reports of some versions of the software causing all manner of Windows problems, including the inability to run programs other than the web browser.
As you have discovered, Bearshare and Mediabar resist removal when Windows is running normally.
To get rid of them, first restart your PC in Safe Mode (by pressing the F8 key when your PC is starting up) and remove both programs using Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel (Uninstall a program in Vista/7).
Restart as normal and perform a full scan of the PC using a spyware-removal tool such as Ad-Aware Free - this should erase all remaining traces.
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Missed some!
I still strongly recommend going into the "program file" via the (C) drive and removing the folder as well. Bearshare is a real nasty piece of software, I very much doubt this was downloaded accidentally?? I would also not use Ask.com for anything, far to hazardous and often misleading searches! Also why use the horrible IE, are you insane? I would actually advise uninstalling Ad-Aware, far too bloated!
Posted by C_3PO, 05 Jul 2011
real solution
i had this problem and what worked for me was uninstalling a program called ilivid, one called something like windows.ilivid and another called imesh from control panel/uninstall programs. then i started firefox and after changing the homepage back to google one last time i closed firefox, started it up again and couldn't believe it was finally back to good old google homepage. hope this works for everyone.
Posted by ray, 24 Mar 2012
Help
I have already uninstalled the program but I'm still having a problem with the bearshare popping up. I have no idea what to do and know youve already explained it Im just not good with computers
Posted by Jamie, 27 Mar 2012