And your browser of concern is.....?

Have you researched Incredibar on Google? There appears to be recent offerings available.

DA

My Browser is Mozilla Firefox, Windows 7. Incredibar takes charge of searches and steers the results to sites that pay them for hits. It ruins most of the Google results.

Bus driver you can run the script in the second post at Kaspserky to rid yourself of this pest. Kaspersky is a very reputable security company.

Or you can do it manually if you wish by going to this site by Safer makers of Spybot Search and Destroy - or install and run Spybot Search and Destroy.

Googling 'incredibar' gets 493,000 hits (about). Reading this site might help you decide if it's a DIY job.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read and Weep

Owbist - looks like we passed in the dark. Unintentional.

Google will present a report with the sites listed by most often viewed. On this subject you shouldn't have to go passed page one.

DA

Google will present a report with the sites listed by most often viewed

It used to be that way but as I understand it Google now accepts payments for better spots. Money talks

mxyplx don't let it worry you, been there and done that myself on more than one occasion. Help was offered, that is the main thing.

O,

Really. That's something I've missed in my readings. I'm gonna keep my eyes open for more on this. I have mixed feelings on the commercial aspect.

I understand the need to generate income to operate. However, in my mind it was better when you could just rely on the viewing history. With more views a greater chance of an unfamiliar site having credible information.

Thanks.

DA

Thanks for your replies and efforts to help me. I have had only scattered minutes to deal with this. This does not show up in my programs at all. It was "installed" 9-21-2012 and the only thing now in the program list even near that date is "CoolYouGadget" which is impossible to uninstall. I think this problem is beyond my ability re: computers.
There should be a law that requires programs to be as easy in uninstall as to install. I am writing my Congressman.
Incredibar is from Perion Newtwork LTD, 15809 Bear Creek Parkway, Suite 320, Redmond WA 98052,CEO: Josef Mandelbaum.
Also at 4 Hanachoshet St, Tel Aviv Israel. I suppose it is fortunate for them and me that they are over 3000 miles from me. If local, the matter would be resolved in person, for sure.

I have a different understanding of Google's search result ranking.

-Google employs hundreds and hundreds of very smart, well-educated PhD types to develop and refine the search software. Search results are intended to be ranked in the order of relevance to YOU, based on dozens of changing factors.

-Links that are paid for are presented separately and are clearly identified as being ads.

-"Money doesn't talk" in Google's business in the way you mean, that's an odd comment. It's not possible to buy a high search result. You can buy a prominent ad placement, but again, the two are different and clearly identified

Last comment, maybe just semantics but not subtle. They don't need to generate income to operate, it's the reverse. They operate to generate income. Charities and governmental activities need to receive funds to operate, with the operation being the objective. Businesses operate to produce profits, with profit being the objective.

bus_driver, have you looked at other posts on this forum regarding unwanted tool bars, search engines, and the like? There are a number of them floating around and they are a mess to get rid of. I suggest you go to the Lanzdown Malware removal forum and ask for help there. The helpers have specialized tools to scan your computer and rid you of these pests. It may take several days to get it all done, but if it can be done, they can do it. I urge you to seek help there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Malware removal help

Snidely, not wishing to hijack bus driver's thread here but I only reported what I read at least 2 years ago. Yes Google now tailors a search to the computer in question, I understand that but there is also the desire to be the biggest and best in the industry. You may have noticed lately all the big boys are spending huge sums suing each other in an attempt to reach the top of the pile. This is on the hand helds but that is the direction we are headed.

owbist,
Google's search technology began as a Stanford grad school project of the two founders over 15 years ago. The methodology has been significantly refined and improved upon over the years but it hasn't changed in substance since the early days.

There's nothing new about IP (intellectual property) lawsuits, it's been a constant here in Silicon Valley, as long as there's been a Silicon Valley, Maybe you've taken notice of the Apple/Samsung matter because it's gotten a lot of coverage, but there are tens of thousands of others going on at any one time. Just as an example, did you know that AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) sued Intel in a "bet the farm" suit in the 1980s over access to microprocessor code? AMD won, if they'd lost, the company wouldn't exist today.

It works in both directions, companies sue to stay in business, others sue to put a competitor out of business. Small bits of knowledge and ideas can have great value. Google ultimately paid Stanford hundreds of millions of dollars to license the search technology developed by the founders as grad students.

I view this "My Search" and "Incredibar" as being vandalism to my computer. Just as I do not want the tires on my car slashed nor graffiti on my house, I do not want this on my computer. There are laws against some of those things. Would you join with me and communicate with your Senators and Congressman in Washington get this crap controlled?

Here is the CEO of that company.

Here is a link that might be useful: Perion CEO

bus_driver, I can understand your anger and frustration, but this is not the only company that does this sort of thing. It is happening to more and more of us. Something that you downloaded voluntarily had this as an unwanted "add-on", and now your problem is getting rid of it. Several of us have made suggestions for where you can go to get help, but if you will not follow these suggestions, no one on this forum can help you.

Forget your Congressmen and Senators.

have you run a fully updated malwarebytes scan? if not do so now.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (Win) - Detecting and Removing Malware

try also running this online scan
FREE Online Virus Scan

report back on results

I did download and run Malwarebytes yesterday. It found 19 problems and supposedly corrected them. No change in the MyStart or Incredibar.
I will try the other suggested item.

Okay I'm going to also suggest going to LzD and let's see what comes up in the scans.
You will need to register there and start your own thread telling what has happened, don't follow instructions given for any one else. I am there also, if you need help let me know.
This is the area to post to.

Here is a link that might be useful: LzD

One question that no one has asked is this: what e-mail program are you using? Is it by any chance Incredimail? Mr.Perion is CEO of that company. If you use Incredimail, you probably got the tool bar that way. Just a shot in the dark, but if that's the connection, stop using Incredimail and use some other mail client. That might solve your problem. But I second RC's recommendation; in fact, I recommended the same to you several days ago and even gave a link to take you to Lanzdown. If the Incredimail connection has nothing to do with your problem, then use either the link that I posted or the one just posted by raven.

Windows Live Mail, with Windows 7. Never have used Incredimail and all this started on the 21st.
I have limited confidence in my ability to properly apply the advice given to me thus far. It may take some time until it can be done.

Yes, it may take some time, but if you will follow the link to Lanzdown and register there, just tell them what has happened to your computer. You will be given step by step instructions to follow (at your leisure). Just follow the instructions given exactly, and, even though it may be a drawn-out process, you will get the help you need. Just relax, take a deep breath, and know that help is there for you. Good luck to you!

Incredibar is not a virus, antivirus programs won't detect it. Maybe only Spybot, I've heard it detects this toolbar as adware or potentially unwanted app. I had to remove it manually since my all time favorite antivirus malwarebytes said 'everything's fine' when I ran a full system scan.

Incredibar removal for IE and Chrome was fairly easy. But it messed up FF pretty badly. Could fin't out how to change search engine because it's not that easy. You have to deal with FF settings and edit about:config keyword URL thing or something which isn't that cool when you are not computer savvy enough (me) :)

Anyway, for anyone out there who need help removing incredibar I suggest reading this blog entry: Remove MyStart by IncrediBar (Uninstall Guide)

It has saved me many hours of my life :)

By they way, there's also removal guide by Perion: here but it's incomplete.