How to completely remove FROSTWIRE?

Helene · 09-14-2009, 02:11 PM

My son installed frostwire without telling me. Since that time I have problems with my computer.

I did try to uninstall and did not completely.

As suggested I did try with Revo Uninstaller and Revo does not find Frostwire but Frostwire is still in my system.

Anyone can help please with the removal?

Thanks

Hélène

**koala** · 09-14-2009, 02:47 PM

Hi Hélène, welsome to TSF

What kind of problems are you having with your computer?

What makes you think there are still parts of Frostwire left over after uninstalling? Any registry entries or program shortcuts? Any 'missing program' errors at startup?

The usual way to uninstall programs (including Frostwire) is through Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs, or Programs/Features in Vista.

Did you close it down, disable the 'run at Windows startup' option and then reboot before uninstalling?

If your son used it to download any software, run some antivirus and antispyware scans.

Helene · 09-14-2009, 03:10 PM

Thanks for the reply.

Computer is much slower since then.

I still have Frostwire on my desktop and also in Program Files in computer.

When I try to unistall the conventional way, Frostwire is not on the list of programs anymore. Can't find it with Revo either.

Did run Kaspersky.

Still trying to find a way to uninstall.

Hélène

**koala** · 09-14-2009, 03:31 PM

The Frostwire on your desktop is problably just a shortcut. Right-click it and select Properties to see if it's a program (exe) or a shortcut. If it's a shortcut, you can safely delete it. If it's the actual program, have you tried deleting it?

When you say it's in Program Files, do you mean the folder in Windows Explorer or the shortcut when you hit the Start button? Again, check to see if it's just a shortcut or an exe.

If there's a Frostwire folder, what files are in it?

Do you know what software your son downloaded using Frostwire? Did he install and run any of it?

Did Kaspersky scan for only viruses or for both viruses and spyware?

Helene · 09-14-2009, 04:01 PM

After clicking on the Frostwire shortcut on the desktop it did open Frostwire.

He did not tell me where he downloaded from.

I did c: program files and found Frostwire still there.

There is a lot of files in it like:

clink, daap etc.: it says it is executable files

The Frostwire Application button is there also.

I did a full scan in Kaspersky. I have the Internet Security 2009 version.

Should I download Ad-Adware or anything else?

Thanks

**koala** · 09-14-2009, 04:34 PM

Just to confirm it's definitely not listed in Control Panel > Programs & Features, is this method below the way you've already tried?

From http://www.frostwire.com/?id=faq#ins7

Quote:

Q: How do I uninstall FrostWire?
A: On Windows XP:

* 1. Shutdown FrostWire completely if it's running
* 2. From the "Start" menu in Windows, select "Control Panel"
* 3. Select "Add/Remove Programs"
* 4. Select "FrostWire"
* 5. Click "Change/Remove"

On Windows Vista:

* 1. Shutdown FrostWire completely if it's running
* 2. From the "Start" menu in Windows, select "Settings" > "Control Panel"
* 3. Select "Programs and Features"
* 4. Select "FrostWire"
* 5. Click "Uninstall/Change"

A Wizard window will appear, just follow it's simple instructions to finish uninstalling.

It wouldn't do any harm to run another scan, either Ad-Aware or an online scanner like Panda, HouseCall 6.5, CA Threat Scanner or ESET. Note: you don't need to download any of the online scanners, just run them from your browser.

Hold down Ctrl and Alt and press the Del key to bring up the Task Manager. Click the Processes tab, then click the Image Name column header twice to re-order the list alphabetically. If Frostwire is listed, click it once, then click the End Process button to stop it. If it was running, does stopping it here make your computer feel any quicker?

Check in the Frostwire options to see if it's set to run at startup. If so, disable it and reboot. Then if there's an uninstall exe in the Frostwire folder, run it after rebooting.

Did he say if he used Frostwire to download any software? Any programs he downloaded might have been infected, which could cause your computer to feel slow.

If you'd like our security analysts to check your computer for infections, please follow these instructions and start a new thread in the Virus/Trojans/Spyware forum where an analyst will help you as soon as possible.

Helene · 09-14-2009, 05:03 PM

I am going to an exercise class and once back will follow the great instructions. I will keep you updated. Thanks.

Dommie13 · 01-17-2011, 04:04 PM

Hi,
i am also having the same problem as Helene and i have read through your instructions but i am unble to to shut it down. Is there anything specific i have to click to shut it down? I have tried deleteing it but it keeps coming up saying it is inuse and that you can't delete frostwire. Please help!

Thanks, Dominica

**koala** · 01-17-2011, 06:53 PM

Hi Dominica,

Did you do the Task Manager thing in post#6? This will stop the Frostwire process running, and then you should be able to uninstall it the usual way.

Dommie13 · 01-18-2011, 09:34 PM

Hi, thanks for replying,

Sorry, but which Task manager?
Nothings seems to stop it from running!

**sandman55** · 01-18-2011, 11:11 PM

Here is an excerpt from koala's post also right clicking on your tool bar at the bottom of the page brings up a menu where you can select task manager then you can follow the rest of koala's instructions also read the rest of his post to see if any of it applys to you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by koala

Hold down Ctrl and Alt and press the Del key to bring up the Task Manager. Click the Processes tab, then click the Image Name column header twice to re-order the list alphabetically. If Frostwire is listed, click it once, then click the End Process button to stop it. If it was running, does stopping it here make your computer feel any quicker?

Dommie13 · 01-19-2011, 03:52 PM

Thankyou,
I have done that and when i finished that, frostwire automatically came up and started running again and when i go to my control panel and go to the add or remove programs, when i look for frostwire it is not there, but its still on my computer.
What can i do now?

**koala** · 01-19-2011, 04:07 PM

When Frostwire is running after you've ended the process in Task Manager, go back into Task Manager and end it again. Does it keep restarting each time you do this?

Do a search for frostwire.exe to find its location, then rename it. It doesn't matter what you rename it to, as long as it's different to the original filename, for example oldfrostwire.exe

Also, look in the Windows Startup folder to see if Frostwire is listed there.

Dommie13 · 01-19-2011, 07:32 PM

Yes, i have tried ending it i think 4 times now and it still keeps reloading. I found the folder for frostwire but it has files to do with frostwire but it doesn't have frostwire in it its self but i renamed it anyway. The only place i can see it is in the tool bar at bottom right.

**koala** · 01-19-2011, 07:37 PM

Right-click the icon down at the bottom right and see if there's an Options menu. In there there should be an option to prevent the program auto-starting.

There should also be an Exit or Close option.

How To Search for Files and Folders in Windows XP - How To Search for Files and Folders in Windows XP - Find the exe file and rename it. This will prevent it from restarting each time.

Dommie13 · 01-19-2011, 10:53 PM

I have done that many times now and it still keeps restarting after saying it has just shut down. And when i look for it, it comes up saying where to look but when i look in that folder like i said before there are files to do with frostwire but the frostwire its self is not in it, the only place i see it coming up is at the bottom right.

**Nistlerooy** · 01-19-2011, 10:57 PM

You could try booting into Safe Mode and uninstalling it. That might have some success. Or you could try a program like Revo Uninstaller. koala is good and I don't want to jump in on the middle of this here, so I'd let him direct you.

**koala** · 01-19-2011, 10:58 PM

Right-click frostwire.exe in the Task Manager window and select 'Open File Location'. If the exe is not where you've been looking in the Frostwire folder, 'Open File Location' will take you to the folder where it's running from.

Have you right-clicked the icon in the bottom right?

EDIT: Jump in, Nistlerooy.

Any chance it could be an infected file? It shouldn't be this difficult to locate and uninstall, and it shouldn't be restarting after the process has been manually stopped.

**Nistlerooy** · 01-19-2011, 11:10 PM

I wouldn't think that it's infected. I mean, it could be patched, but it's unlikely. Frostwire itself isn't malicious...from what I know of it...so I doubt that it would regenerate the exe automatically. A delete/removal from safe mode might help by stopping all "non-essential" processes.

Another option would be to download the setup file again, do a new install to repair the broken stuff, and try it again. Screen shots of things like the tasklist might also be useful. A batch file is always an option.

I'm just throwing different ideas out there.

-Taylor

**sandman55** · 01-20-2011, 12:55 AM

When you right click the frostwire icon then go to properties then under the shortcut tab click find target it will open the folder and the .exe file will be highlighted then you will have the .exe file that is opening frostwire and you can do as koala suggested by right clicking it and renaming it here are some screen shots of my picasa to give you an example

You will see in the first shot under Target the path to the .exe file ("C:\Program Files\Google\Picasa3\Picasa3.exe") Also you will see the same in the address of the second file. So if you can locate it this way you might be able to follow koala's instructions. I hope this helps.