Removing MySearch Toolbar - S4BAR.DLL

This section provides a tutorial example on how to remove MySearch toolbar - S4BAR.DLL.

Symptom: When MySearch toolbar is installed on your computer, an extra toolbar shows up on your IE browser as shown in this picture:

IE Add-on - MySearch Toolbar
IE Add-on - MySearch Toolbar

MySearch toolbar offers you a quick way to perform a Web search with 3 default search engines: google.com, yahoo.com, and ask.com. However, it does take away space from your browser window to make a "bar" to displays icons for you to invoke its functions. I want to remove it.

IE Add-ons List: Click IE Tools > Manage Add-ons, I saw:

My Search Bar   Toolbar                 S4BAR.DLL
My Search BHO   Browser Helper Object   S4BAR.DLL

HijackThis Report: In the report, I saw:

O2 - BHO: My Search BHO - {014DA6C1-189F-421a-88CD-07CFE51CFF10}
   - C:\Program Files\MySearch\bar\1.bin\S4BAR.DLL
O3 - Toolbar: My Search Bar - {014DA6C9-189F-421a-88CD-07CFE51CFF10}
   - C:\Program Files\MySearch\bar\1.bin\S4BAR.DLL

Quick Research: I did a Google search with "MySearch Toolbar" and got about 4000 matches. One of them has the following description - http://digitalhub-tips.com/spyware/remove-mysearch-toolbar-spyware/:

Description: This product is fairly benign as it is a basic search 
toolbar and it is not dangerous. It is bundled with many different 
products, however, and a lot of our users have no idea how they got 
it. The user may not mind this toolbar but if they are unaware of 
how it was installed they may want to remove it.

Vendor: Ask.com

Threat Level: Low Risk

What I Did:

1. Looked at IE > Internet Options > Programs > Manage Add-on, and disabled:

My Search Bar
My Search BHO

2. Went to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs, and removed "My Search Bar".

3. Restart the computer.

4. Delete C:\Program Files\MySearch\

Result: MySearch Toolbar is gone!

Table of Contents

 About This Windows Security Book

 Windows 8: System Security Review

 Windows 8: System Security Protection

 Windows 8 System Recovery

 Windows 8 Defender for Real-Time Protection

 Windows 7: System Security Review

 Windows 7: System Security Protection

 Windows 7 System Recovery

 Windows 7 Forefront Client Security

 Norton Power Eraser - Anti-Virus Scan Tool

 McAfee Virus and Malware Protection Tools

 Spybot - Spyware Blocker, Detection and Removal

 Keeping Firefox Secure

 Keeping IE (Internet Explorer) Secure

 Malware (Adware, Spyware, Trojan, Worm, and Virus)

 HijackThis - Browser Hijacker Diagnosis Tool

IE Add-on Program Listing and Removal

 What Is an IE Add-on?

 List of IE Add-on Programs

 Removing Google Toolbar

 Removing Yahoo! IE Services Button - yiesrvc.dll

Removing MySearch Toolbar - S4BAR.DLL

 Removing NetZero Toolbar - Toolbar.dll

 Removing Windows Messenger Extra Button

 "Conduit Search" - Malware Detection and Removal

 "Tube Dimmer", "Scorpion Saver" or "Adpeak" Malware

 Malware Manual Removal Experience

 Vundo (VirtuMonde/VirtuMundo) - vtsts.dll Removal

 Trojan and Malware "Puper" Description and Removal

 VSToolbar (VSAdd-in.dll) - Description and Removal

 PWS (Password Stealer) Trojan Infection Removal

 MS08-001 Vulnerability on Windows Systems

 Antivirus System PRO

 References

 Full Version in PDF/ePUB