Search protect ...

[Slavi]

So earlier today I found a course in wireshark, downloaded a .bin image and decided to install powerISO to run the file and see what is inside. As soon as I installed powerISO, I noticed a new software program "Seach project" was installed as well, my immediate action was to re install it from the control panel. Then I checked the web and I am not sure whether to worry or not, apparently it downloads/installs files or programs by itself. It was on my pc less than 1 minute but still it could've done quite some things .. i realized it because my default search engine was changed on my browser. So after resetting back to default settings and removing it, + avast doesnt find any malicious software on my pc, should I be worried about search engine being on my pc? Also, i deleted powerISO right away as well ... and I am pretty sure than I did customized installation, and there was nowhere mentioned about search project being installed ...

[mike_2000_17]

Be careful with all this freeware / shareware / crapware programs like PowerISO. The Windows landscape is full of such non-sense software that you can get for free, but it usually comes with a bunch of other programs that piggy-back on its installation, such as a browser toolbars, default search-engines, fake anti-virus software that just scans your HD for "interesting" information, and so on...

I would not worry too much at this point, I think you have detected the issue quickly enough and you took the right steps. There is, of course, a chance that your system is still infected by something. But I think that the kind of crap-ware that comes in this sort of unsophisticated manner (through a freeware installation) is generally not malicious (because it's so easy to trace back to whoever put together the installer). That crapware is generally aimed at people who are less savvy about these things and won't even notice the added programs and will use them (e.g., as default search engines, or anti-virus scanner, etc.), which is how the companies behind those programs make their money. In other words, it's not spyware or malware or viruses, because those malicious programs are generally installed by more covert and less traceable methods.

When you are looking for some free software for a particular task (such as burning or mounting a disc image), you should do more research before picking the software you install. Look for open-source software first. Then, you might look for free trials of some commercial software, if it's just for a single use or short time. Otherwise, if you are considering some piece of freeware, make sure to make some google searches to see whether this is a legitimate, crapware-free, application.

To me, the real solution is to avoid Windows altogether, because as long as you are using Windows, you will never be free of all this hassle, because the Windows software ecosystem is rotten at the core. If anything, you can get a Linux emulator for Windows, like Cygwin, which you can use to install most Linux open-source software, which can do most of the things you would ever need. Or you can install Linux on a dual-boot or within a virtual machine. By the way, mounting a disc image can be done with the mount and umount commands in Linux/Unix, and they are fundamental commands, no need to install anything extra.

[Slavi]

I only have windows because I couldn't ever make skype to run on my Kali Linux 64 bit (debian distro) ... first thing i ever do on it other than skype and already makes me go back to linux :D

Thanks for your answer mike, I just hope there isn't anything that I wouldn't want to have available on my system. Didn't detect unknown background processes either but was a bit confused of the crap ware, usually when I do custom installs I only get the program itself without BONUSware :)

[Reverend Jim]

I've been using Virtual Clone Drive for years. It works great, is free, and does not install any crapware.