StealthWatcher Threat Level:

StealthWatcher is a commercial keylogger that may record every keystroke you make while being “invisible” to your main system by running as a low level system process. StealthWatcher may take screenshots of your computer activity at preset intervals, and then share or email these screenshots to whoever installed the software. As StealthWatcher may record all your keystrokes as you type, your email and instant messenger conversations may be spied on. StealthWatcher may be a severe violation of your security and privacy, putting your financial and personal data at risk.

Do I Have StealthWatcher?

You can search your computer manually, but it might take hours to find StealthWatcher’s hidden files. To save time, I recommend you automatically scan your PC for StealthWatcher and other spyware. Why not? It’s free.

Free StealthWatcher Scan, with SpyHunter

You can easily detect StealthWatcher with SpyHunter’s FREE spyware scanner. And if you’re really infected with StealthWatcher, you can buy the full version of SpyHunter to remove StealthWatcher and other spyware. Or you can use my instructions below and remove StealthWatcher for free.

I’m a big fan of SpyHunter. Here’s why: SpyHunter offers live support on the phone, and if SpyHunter doesn’t automatically remove StealthWatcher, you can get a custom fix for your computer.

Get Rid of StealthWatcher Manually

Manual removal of any spyware can be difficult. When you manually remove StealthWatcher, you have to fiddle with your registry and risk destroying your PC. It’s highly recommended you use an automatic spyware scanner to make sure you’re infected with StealthWatcher. Also, I recommend you backup your system any time before editing your registry.

To remove StealthWatcher manually, you need to delete StealthWatcher files. Not sure how to delete StealthWatcher files? Click here, and I’ll tell you. Otherwise, go ahead and…

Remove StealthWatcher processes:

Delete StealthWatcher DLLs:

Remove StealthWatcher registry values:

Detect and Remove StealthWatcher files:

Note: In any files I mention above, “%System%” is a variable referring to your PC’s System folder. Maybe you renamed it, but by default your System folder is “C:\Windows\System32″ on Windows XP, “C:\Winnt\System32″ on Windows NT/2000,” or “C:\Windows\System” on Windows 95/98/Me.

Relatedly, “%UserProfile%” is a variable referring to your current user’s profile folder. If you’re using Windows NT/2000/XP, by default this is “C:\Documents and Settings\[CURRENT USER]” (e.g., “C:\Documents and Settings\JoeSmith”).

StealthWatcher changed your homepage?

Click Windows Start menu > Control Panel > Internet Options. Next, under Home Page, select the General > Use Default. Type in the URL you want as your home page (e.g., “http://www.homepage.com”). Then select Apply > OK. You’ll want to open a fresh web page and make sure that your new default home page pops up.

Recommendation:

To save time and avoid risking destroying your computer, I highly recommend you use a spyware scanner, such as SpyHunter, to detect StealthWatcher and other spyware, adware, trojans, viruses, keyloggers, and more that can be hidden in your PC. It’s also recommended before you manually remove StealthWatcher you backup your system.

Free StealthWatcher Scan, with SpyHunter

Automatically detect StealthWatcher and other spyware on your PC with SpyHunter’s FREE spyware scan.

How to delete StealthWatcher files in Windows XP and Vista:

1. Click your Windows Start menu, and from “Search,” click “For Files and Folders…“
2. A speech bubble will pop up asking you, “What do you want to search for?” Click “All files and folders.”
3. Type any file name in the search box, and select “Local Hard Drives.”
4. Click “Search.” Once the file is found, delete it.

How to stop StealthWatcher processes:

1. Click the Start menu, select Run.
2. Type taskmgr.exe into the the Run command box, and click “OK.” You can also launch the Task Manager by pressing keys ALT + CTRL + DELETE or CTRL + Shift + ESC.
3. Click Processes tab, and find StealthWatcher processes.
4. Once you’ve found the StealthWatcher processes, right-click them and select “End Process” to kill StealthWatcher.

How to remove StealthWatcher registry keys:

Your Windows registry is the core of your Windows operating system, storing information about user settings, system preferences, and software, including which applications automatically launch at start up. Because of this, spyware, malware, and adware will often bury their own files into your Windows registry so that they automatically launch every time your start up your PC.

Because your registry is such a key piece of your Windows system, you should always backup your registry before you make any changes to it. Editing your registry can be intimidating if you’re not a computer expert, and when you change or a delete a critical registry key or registry value, there’s a chance you may need to reinstall your entire Windows operating system. Make sure your backup your registry before editing it.

1. Select your Windows menu “Start,” and click “Run.” An “Open” field will appear. Type “regedit” and click “OK” to open up your Registry Editor.
2. Registry Editor will open as a window with two panes. The left side Registry Editor’s window lets you select various registry keys, and the right side displays the registry values of the registry key you select.
3. To find a registry key, such as any StealthWatcher registry keys, select “Edit,” then select “Find,” and in the search bar type any of StealthWatcher’s registry keys.
4. As soon as StealthWatcher registry key appears, you can delete the StealthWatcher registry key by right-clicking it and selecting “Modify,” then clicking “Delete.”

Computer acting funny after you’ve edited your registry and deleted StealthWatcher registry keys? Just restore your registry with your backup.

How to remove StealthWatcher DLL files:

Like most any software, spyware, adware, and malware may also use DLL files. DLL is short for “dynamically linked library,” and StealthWatcher DLL files, like other DLLs, carryout predetermined tasks. To manually delete StealthWatcher DLL files, you’ll use Regsver32, a Windows tool designed to help you remove DLL and other files.

1. First you’ll locate StealthWatcher DLL files you want to delete. Open your Windows Start menu, then click “Run.” Type “cmd” in Run, and click “OK.”
2. To change your current directory, type “cd” in the command box, press your “Space” key, and enter the full directory where the StealthWatcher DLL file is located. If you’re not sure if the StealthWatcher DLL file is located in a particular directory, enter “dir” in the command box to display a directory’s contents. To go one directory back, enter “cd ..” in the command box and press “Enter.”
3. When you’ve located the StealthWatcher DLL file you want to remove, type “regsvr32 /u SampleDLLName.dll” (e.g., “regsvr32 /u jl27script.dll”) and press your “Enter” key.

That’s it. If you want to restore StealthWatcher DLL file you removed, enter “regsvr32 DLLJustDeleted.dll” (e.g., “regsvr32 jl27script.dll”) into your command box, and press your “Enter” key.

Freeware or Shareware:
Did you download and install shareware or freeware? These low-cost or free software applications may come bundled with spyware, adware, or programs like StealthWatcher. Sometimes adware is attached to the free software to “pay” developers for the cost of creating the software, and more often spyware is secretly and maliciously attached to free software to harm your computer and steal your personal and financial information.

Peer-to-Peer Software:
Do you use a peer-to-peer (P2P) program or other application with a shared network? When you use these applications, you put your system at risk for unknowingly downloading an infected file, including applications like StealthWatcher.

Questionable Websites: Did you visit a website that’s of questionable nature? When you visit malicious sites that are fishy and phishy, Trojans, spyware, and adware may be automatically downloaded and installed onto your computer, sometimes including applications like StealthWatcher.

It’s important to practice safer online habits to prevent being infected with StealthWatcher . You may want to scan your computer for the latest version of StealthWatcher and other security threats.

Slow computer performance: It only takes one or two spyware parasites like StealthWatcher to cause your computer to slow dramatically. If your PC takes longer than usual to reboot or if your Internet connection is unusually slow, your computer may be infected with malware.

New desktop shortcuts or switched homepage: Malware like StealthWatcher may change your Internet settings or redirect your default homepage to another web site. Malware may even add new desktop shortcuts on your PC.

Annoying popups on your PC: Malware may bombard your computer with popup ads, even when you’re not online. Malware may stop your regular Internet activity and track your surfing habits and gather personal information about you, putting your financial and personal information at risk.

Because of keyloggers stealth methods, keyloggers, even when installed without malicious reasons, may put your personal and financial information at risk. It may be a good idea to remove StealthWatcher and other keyloggers.

Some keyloggers may also fall under the category of spyware. Spyware is any software or malware (”malicious software”) used to spy or track your computer activity. While some spyware is legitimately and intentionally installed by parents or employers to monitor Internet activity on a computer, spyware may be installed maliciously. Often spyware may come bundled with downloads of free software or come in the form of a cookie via a website, and this spyware may track your Internet activity or may steal secret account usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal and financial information.

Keylogger Prevention

There are no easy ways to prevent keylogging from your computer. The best way to prevent being spied on through a keylogger is to use your common sense and some of the keylogger prevention methods below.

» Use Anti-Spyware Software: Most anti-spyware software is able to detect and remove keyloggers, whether the keylogger is commercial or not. It’s always a good idea to use anti-spyware software to regularly monitor your system for keyloggers and other spyware.

» Use a Firewall: Using a firewall can protect you and your computer from keyloggers that are spread maliciously through worms, viruses, and Trojans

» Monitor the Programs Your Computer Runs: Whether or not motivated by keylogger prevention, you should always watch which programs are installed on your PC and which are running regularly. If your computer is located in an area easily accessed by other people, watch for devices connected to your USB ports. Keyloggers may easily be installed this way.

» Use a Network Monitor: A network monitor will alert you whenever an application on your PC attempts to make a connection to the Internet. This can help you prevent the keylogger from contacting the anonymous attacker and sending him or her your personal information

» Automatic Form Fillers: Automatic form fillers, including those intergrated into your browser, can help prevent the damages of keylogging as the programs let you access sensitive accounts without typing your user information. In order for this to work, you’ll need to create passwords in a way that is invisible to keystroke logging and screenshots.

» Web-Based or On-Screen Keyboards: On screen keyboards, mostly used for financial websites, can help protect you from keyloggers stealing your username and passwords. In these web-based keyboards, you typically use your mouse clicks to “type” a password on an on-screen keyboard. It is still possible for a keylogger with a fast screenshot feature to capture this information.

Using the above methods can help protect you from keyloggers, but keyloggers can be almost impossible to detect. You may want to scan your PC for keyloggers regularly, especially if you share your computer with anyone or if it is in an area that may be accessed by other people.

"StealthWatcher" keywords: Keyloggers

"StealthWatcher" was posted on Sunday, August 19th, 2007 at 12:08 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.