Viewpoint Media Player adware/spyware???

**JohnL** · 2005-02-04 13:14

I have Windows XP on my computer. The past few days a popup comes up in the lower right hand corner of the screen that says my recently downloaded Viewpoint Media Player needs to be updated. There is only a update button on the pop up. The only way you can close the pop up is to reboot the computer. It will dissappear after rebooting for a while, then pop up again. How can I know for sure if this is part of some of my micosoft updates, or adware just waiting for me to push their update button so they can take over my computer? thank you for the help...John

**HansV** · 2005-02-04 13:47

A Google search for "viewpoint media player" (in Web or Groups) suggests that it is adware/spyware; it is certainly NOT from Microsoft. If you add remove to the search string, you'll find instructions on how to get rid of it.

**DocWatson** · 2005-02-04 15:10

Viewpoint Media Player is apparently installed when you download and install recent versions of AOL Instant Messenger. Removal using control panel may not be complete. After using the Add/Remove utility it disappears then but returns immediately after rebooting and logging on to AOL.

If you're using AOL 8.0 or above (I have no clue what exactly they're at now) do this:
1.) Close down all your AOL apps.
2.) Uninstall Viewpoint Media Player using Add/Remove Programs.
3.) Go to C:Program FilesAOL 8.0Jiti and delete Viewpoint.exe

**JohnL** · 2005-02-04 15:29

Thank you for both of the answers. I do NOT use AOL and have no idea how I got it...I have not installed it on the machine. If I go into the control panel, then the add/delete feature, I find Viewpoint Media Manager (uninstall) in the pane along with the other programs. Do you feel it is safe to go ahead and try to uninstall it from the add/remove feature of Windows XP. I can't afford to mess up this computer as it is one here at work and we have replaced the hard drive in the computer once and I have a fear that if we had to reinstall Windows XP again, Microsoft would not register it again...thanks, John

**HansV** · 2005-02-04 15:31

Create a system restore point, then uninstall through the control panel. If things go wrong, you can go back to the restore point.

**JohnL** · 2005-02-04 15:42

Hans, I'm not really sure what you mean about a system restore point, or how it is done...thanks, John

**DocWatson** · 2005-02-04 16:10

You should take a look at these sites for more information on this one.
http://www.auditmypc.com/process/viewmgr.asp
http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintas...ibrary/ViewMgr/
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/libra...yer/index.phtml

It looks like it's safe to remove using Add/Remove Programs, but you should be sure that you are getting everything the program put on your system before you start removing things. I'd suggest reading about this program and then trying to determine how it got onboard and then go after it. Since you don't have AOL, check into what other programs bundle or load Viewpoint Software as part of their install process. HTH

<font color=red>edited by Doc to add</font color=red> Don't believe any claims by vendors on any of these sites that they can remove this for you or go to any of their online scanning sites. The information about the program is useful. The "help" from the advertisers is not !!! <img src=/S/hmmn.gif border=0 alt=hmmn width=15 height=15>

**HansV** · 2005-02-04 16:35

Click Start | Help and Support...
From the window that appears, you can ask information about system restore points, and also click System Restore to create or load system restore points.

**JohnL** · 2005-02-04 17:46

Thanks to everyone. I finally went into the control panel, choose add/delete and removed the Viewpoint. HOWEVER, it did not remove the program,,,just the listing in the add/delete pane. I then rebooted, did a search for Viewpoint and found the files and the dll listed. I then deleted all of them and rebooted. The computer seems to function OK without any problems and also is faster than it was before going from one screen to another...don't know if that is a coincedence or not...Thanks again to everyone. John

**JohnGray** · 2005-02-04 20:10

Probably now well worth having a read of <post#=296439>post 296439</post#>, and perhaps downloading, installing, updating and running AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy.

If you haven't got them already!

John

**bill_bright** · 2005-02-07 13:38

I went round and round with this subject here - http://castlecops.com/postt77740.html - when you got a few minutes, read through it and see how naive and ignorant some folks can be - I am surprised I have any hair on my head left.

Bottom line - It is included with AOL's Instant Messenger - not their browser - and yes, it is spyware.

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