Is Microsoft producing Malware?

Something strange happened to me today. I used MSN Search. What's strange about that is that I didn't MEAN to use MSN Search, I wanted to use Google, but when I typed my query into the address bar in Maxthon, an MSN result page came back.

Perturbed by this, I opened up my search settings inside Maxthon to confirm that Google was still my default search query. Everything looked fine. I tried the query again - and again got an MSN result instead of a Google result.

So... after a little digging around, I ended up in IE options and found, under the "Programs" tab, a section called "Manage Add-ons". In there I found an Add-on called "SearchAssistantOC" linked to the "shdocvw.dll". When I disabled that "add-on", my default search returned to Google instead of MSN.

So now I'm left wondering... how did that "add-on" end up on my system? I don't recall upgrading or installing anything lately, except Microsoft OneNote and the "Office Update" updates.

Does anyone know much about "SearchAssistantOC" and how it ended up on my system?

Comments

[Frank Arrigo]

i found a good write up about this at

http://www.sawtoothdistortion.com/Articles/Uninstall180Search.html

[Cameron]

Thanks Frank, but the site you pointed to seems to be related to "180 Search Assistant" which, it states, is unrelated to the Microsoft file I have on my system. I quote:
"When searching for "searchassistant" you will come across some entries with values that contain:

"SearchAssistantOC"
"SearchAssistantOC.SearchAssistantOC.1"
"SearchAssistantOC.SearchAssistantOC"
Etc.
These keys belong to Microsoft, not 180solutions, and do not have anything to do with 180 Search Assistant."

[Tony Schreiner]

Search Assistant ships with XP, and along with Search Companion (the dog) is the default search in IE.

These can be changed, but there are a couple different registry keys for hooking searches (search explorer bar, auto search, etc.). Something must have inadvertently reset one of the keys to the defaults, that's all.

[Cameron Reilly]

Thanks for that explanation Tony. I'll put it down to an honest glitch associated with my OneNote install.

[Clint Williams]

I finally found this 180 search assistant today on my hard drive while hunting something and DELEATED IT through add remove programs. i AM USING ONLY WIN.98 BUT IT CAME UP AFTER INSTALLLING MS EXPLORER THE LAST TIME FROM BELL SOUTH NET SERVICE. HOPE IT STAYS GONE. THANKS FOR THE HELP.

URL changed to:
http://www.xonatech.com/Articles/Uninstall180Search.html

[Matthew Doucette]

We are now, finally, "Xona.com". The URL is permanately changed to:
http://www.xona.com/2004/07/18-2.html. I hope our article helps.

[firease]

I thought "searchassistantOC" is a rogue Add-ons.