HELP! have unauthorized or hidden program can't get rid of

[TequilaChaser]

HELP! have unauthorized or hidden program can't get rid of

I found a program this morning I am unable to delete, uninstall or remove from my computer......

it was not in the install/remove programs folder in control panel on my windowsXP OS, but I did see an Icon in Control Panel called:
Akamai NetSession Interface Control Panel

after doing a google search, I found the following website ( and FAQ ):
http://www.akamai.com/html/misc/akamai_client/netsession_interface_faq.html

I followed the uninstall question(instructions), but it was to no avail, it would not uninstall...it did however point me to the location of this installl:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Akamai\AdminTool.exe

it does not show up anywhere else on my PC, but I can see it keep connecting in my network connections in ESET SS4.......

I went in and made a rule to block everything going & coming to the following remote ip host:
96.17.157.1

thru

96.17.157.255

but even after doing so, it still is connecting and bypassing my rules.....

so next I call their toll free number: 1-877-325-2624 to www.akamai.com ( akamai industries )

and was sent to voice mail by the phone answerer, then sent to tech ( then to automated ) by the 2nd call, 3rd call they hung up on me.....

they did ask me, had I downloaded anything from Apple or Adobe lately, I told them none that I am aware of..... then that was when they hung up.....


now, the only thing I have attempted to download and install, was History Channels Dogfights game....

this also coincides with the Date & time I downloaded and installed the game.but I also uninstalled it within 5 minutes of the finished install...... everything else seems to have been removed uninstalled. but nowhere in any way did it say anything in regards to the above hidden software, net connections, backdoor crap.....

so anyone got any ideas on how to block this from connecting to the internet, or getting it off my dang PC?

TC

[TequilaChaser]

well, for now anyways, I went to that Akamai folder in the common files folder... highlited all 17 different files and sent them to ESET's quarantine.....

this has stopped all attempts of it wanting to connect to anything..... heh.......

fired off an email to Akamai industries support....

and also one to the History Channel games/downloads area...... to their support

since everything points to June 13th at 4:56 pm when it was originally created for the files, and that was when I was downloading that History Channel dogfights game...

I bet I never hear from either of them about it though.....



edit: rebooted my pc..... all settings i made in ESET seem to have ben for not..... it is back doing the same thing

connecting to 96.17.157. 1 thru 80  everytime I kill the connection, it pops back up in a few seconds.....
it shows it connecting to a HTTPs port 443  ...... I tried to block that as well all ESET port settings from 7 thru what is it 17700 or some # ( all of them )

only other thing I can think of is doing a system restore. but I hate those and with all the recent AH patches, and reconfiguring of 5 PC's in the house I kind of have slipped on backing this particular HD up for about a month now......

guess I am up the creek....

this is completely blowing my mind right now......

[cattb]

 I became curious and I found this, but I don't know if it will help you. Someone with similar problem shows how they uninstalled the program.
http://artheido.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/uninstalling-akamai-net-session-interface/
http://artheido.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/uninstalling-akamai-net-session-interface/

[TequilaChaser]

I became curious and I found this, but I don't know if it will help you. Someone with similar problem shows how they uninstalled the program.
http://artheido.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/uninstalling-akamai-net-session-interface/
http://artheido.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/uninstalling-akamai-net-session-interface/

thanks cattb, I tried that method via the akamai website, but it did not go into as much detail as the website you found..

this is the part that got me also ( copy & pasted from the weblink ) you listed:

For me, it was ‘LEGO Universe’ (beta). What annoys me is that the installer had no mention of such a leeching application being bundled with it. The patcher uses it to download updates.

same thing got me as well, except I was as mentioned downloaded & installed "The History Channel's DogFights" game.... by Kuma Games

nothing I read mentioned or asked for acknowledgement/agreement to install this akamai Netsessions Interface control panel


I did mine the old fashion way. I went back to the date it said files were created... did a complete thorough check searching for every file created from the date listed and manually went thru and ridded myself of every file . did a Registry scrub and also added (3) special filters in ESET that for the last 1/2 hour or so has showed nothing trying to connect to akamai's deploy HTTPs connection...

maybe I should have waited a little longer to catch this reply.. but it was driving me freaking nuts.....

seriously, THANK YOU, for finding this....... u must have better searching techniques than myself. ROFL....

 

[cattb]

 Should be a law, if software comes with other bundled software or hidden software the user or admin should be prompted for authorization before the installation. Something like what you have or had would drive me bananas also.

[DREDIOCK]

Try Easycleaner and see if it lets you get rid of it  in teh "startup" there.

Handy little program

http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm

Also, Just a thought. See if it is listed in Services and if you can disable it there.

[Wayout]

Could try this program. It's worked well for me in the past.  Just be careful when you get to the part that removes entries in the registry, make sure you only check the highlighted entries.

http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html

[TequilaChaser]

Thanks ya'll for the offers..

cattb found exactly the info I needed, although I had already blocked the problem temporarly....

went back and used the Dos command uninstall -force   and that finished the problem by removing any left over traces along with the Akamai control panel icon in my control panel in winXP...... then just deleted the admintool.exe file.....  all is good.. all is clean.....

am a Happy Camper again........

thx again cattb........  

edit: to add:

I got a return phone call from Akamai Industries, tech fella told me, Apple products, Itunes, some Adobe software, History Channel's games/features/videos, along with Flash ads, javascript & flash usage, news feeds, interactive webpages, etc... on different websites all use this download manager/P2P connection controller.... either self downloaded or downloaded without User knowing a thing..... clicking the Video or Flash movie etc, is considered giving consent to them.... bypassing the EULA, so they say......

also, if it is Client end based version ( CSD version ) it will ask you to agree to the EULA, but if it is NetSession Download Manager ( DLM ), you will not be asked for authorization to it being installed ( wahla itunes, Adobe, History Channel , etc... )


he directed me to this page ( copy & pasted info of that page below ): http://client.akamai.com/demos

The Akamai NetSession Interface is the engine for two Akamai services and two sets of demonstrations and code examples:


Client-side Downloads (CSD) demonstrations

NetSession Download Manager (DLM) demonstrations




Similarties and Differences

CSD and NetSession DLM both use the Akamai NetSession Download Manager (DLM) API library, a JavaScript library that provides for embedding the NetSession Interface into web pages to enable single or multiple file downloads. The DLM API uses the Akamai NetSession Interface as its download engine and takes advantage of NetSession's download verification, multiple download streams, and large file capabilities. The DLM API and the NetSession Interface support peer-to-peer download capability.

Client-side Downloads offers the ability to offload a significant portion of edge delivery onto a managed and secure network of clients - using peer-to-peer delivery - to provide a lower cost download solution that respects the clients. Good uses may include software downloads, patches, and updates, background software and drivers, and downloadable video and games used by about a thousand or more people.

NetSession Download Manager is best used when unique files go to only a few users, for dynamic content that may have unique bits for each user, or streaming video.

The end user experience is similar for each. The CSD end-user is asked to agree to a EULA (end user license agreement) before the client is installed.

from what I was told, I had the Netsessions version DLM, andnot the client version CSD........

hope noone else runs into this situation......

but I do know alot of you on Aces high boards use itunes, Flash video, javascript, ad infinium.....   

so Internet Surfer beware.....

[Hungry]

TC Thank you, the net benefit of this is that I went through my root C directory and program files for the first time in (hangs my head in shame) lets just say a long time.