* FTAnalyzer-Census lookup utility-and doubleclick

[Peter_H_Williams]

Is this OK here or should it be posted on te FTAnalyzer website?

In the space of the last week the Census enquiry utility within FTAnalyzer using my subscription to FindMyPast has stopped working. The Firefox address that FTAnalyzer creates is preceeded by the string "https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/2960 ... 2306xxxx;b?". If I switch to using my subscription to Ancestry this doesn't occur.

I am aware that Google tracks everything it can, and as a consequence I only use Firefox with Ixquick as a search facility, I have a hosts file to block the worst advertising servers and daily 'clean' my computer with three different Adware cleaners. I try and avoid anything connected with Google.

Once this occurred I searched the Registry and deleted all keys containing "doubleclick" and "awin1" which seems to be associated with it. I also uninstalled FTanalyzer, downloaded a new copy and reinstalled it.

Does anyone have a clue as to how I can 'hose' this menace? It has happened before and I could only eradicate it by installing a fresh OS plus all my software (I upgraded to Windows 10). The fact that the Ancestry site still works whilst FindMyPast doesn't might be a clue as to where this menace is lurking.

Am I the only one who has been troubled by this problem? I find that difficult to believe.

Thank you, Peter

[tatewise]

I have moved this posting to General Forum, as it not a Research problem.

Peter, what anti-virus product do you use?

Have you run a full scan, or possibly a boot-scan, or run a standalone AV product scan?

Also I suggest you reset your router to saved settings if possible, or alternatively factory settings and re-enter your configuration details.
Change the router Admin password to something longer and stronger than before.
Also change your WiFi security code to something longer and stronger than before.

[DonF]

If you Google <g> "ad doubleclick net" you will find many tips on removal. The following site is fairly comprehensive - note that an anti-malware tool like Malwarebytes is not necessarily sufficient on its own.

Anyway, try https://malwaretips.com/blogs/ad-doubleclick-net-virus/

[Peter_H_Williams]

Mike

Thank you for the suggestions. I use Kaspersky Total Security. I used to use Trend Internet Security and before that AVG. Currently I have 580 days left with Kaspersky so I probably wouldn't change. I haven't found any AV that is effective against Malware (as in intrusive advertising). So I scan with Malwarebytes, Hitman Pro and Superantispyware Professional (subscribed) and Adaware and Spywarebot (free). The three paid for subscriptions go back a couple of years and all stem from trying to 'repair' FTAnalyzer and the intrusive doubleclick menace. FT analyzer stopped working for me 2 years ago because of Doubleclick and I spent weeks trying to eradicate it - all unsuccesful. (Don, thank you for the link, I tried everything on the web before but I will give your link a go) Finally I got rid of Google Chrome and stopped using Google as my search engine and changed to using using Ixquick as my search engine.

Within the house and office the network is hard-wired with WiFi used for phones only. I have been using Roboform for 5 years and 2 years ago went to first 12 digit and now using 15 digit random generated passwords. Mike, I have changed my router password to a new 15 digit random string. It could be a weakness, I should change it more often.

When Windows 10 arrived I reinstalled everything and got rid of Doubleclick. FTanalyzer worked again hooray! But in the last week it's got broken again for the FindMyPast website.

My real question is - why FindMyPast and not Ancestry? I know that both websites use advertising cookies. I can see that by a scan after first cleaning cookies, then going again to them and rechecking. Does anyone have any knowledge of the process, how does that string, redirecting the Census query to Google Servers get added? I guess if I hadn't blocked the Google servers with my Hosts file FTanalyzer would simply report to Doubleclick and then go off to the FindMyPast Website and FTanalyzer would work. Does anyone know if I'm right?

I gather we are all worth about $95 a year to Google in advertising terms. I would rather pay $95 per year like I pay for the BBC licence and not have to suffer advertising. I don't see myself as a 'commodity' to be sold

I'm told you can't describe Doubleclick as a Virus because it's regarded as a legitimate method of harvesting information by tracking what Internet users do. I complained to Trend and Kaspersky and was just told "it's not a virus" it's a legitimate business. I think my problem is that I want to stop it. I have nothing to hide but I deeply resent any intrusion into what I see as my business. We are all fodder manipulated (given half a chance) by banks politicians and international business for power or profit, and I don't like it.

It's probably an age thing - I'm could be becoming a grumpy old man!

[Peter_H_Williams]

Don

To report back on the procedures outlined in your link. I followed them through. Adaware found a link in the Registry to my Firefox search engine (Ixquick) which I allowed it to delete but otherwise nothing, and since I have been using all the antimalware programs bar one, perhaps that wasn't surprising. Then, almost as a postscript it said if none of these work try Zemana AntiMalware. That found 3 bits of software that I downloaded from Nirsoft, two for use in combination with MS Outlook and one a search for USB 'ghosts'. All free, which I acknowledge is hardly ever a free lunch. I uninstalled and deleted all traces, they would have been installed around the time FTAlanalyzer stopped working but were passed by Kaspersky. I was optimistic.

I emptied the recycle bin, rebooted and re-ran Zemana Antimalware to make sure the PC was clear. The https://ad.doubleclick.net link remains when I use FTAnalyzer. I'm persuaed that the Nirsoft might be responsible. It's not a virus, and companies like Trend and Kaspersky regard Google's 'Doubleclick' company as legit. No doubt Nirsoft get a kickback from Google for linking in a bit of Google code. You only have to search the web to see that Google offer kickbacks to software developers who incorporate their code.

Unless and until FTAnalyzer sell their software and offer to the buyer a means of circumventing Google Doubleclick there may be no solution. One of my questions remains unanswered. Why does FTAnalyzer work with Census links on the Ancestry site but not with FindMyPast?

Thanks Don for your suggestion.

[tatewise]

Peter, we recently had an infection actually affecting our router, which sooner or later affected all devices using that router, and substituting an advert web address for the intended web addres was a 'feature'.

I tried all the usual anti-malware scans, but the only thing that worked was to reset the router to factory settings, reload the known good settings, and change the Admin password.

Have you tried resetting the router?

[Peter_H_Williams]

Mike

You were right! I'm still baffled by how it has happened, because initially I drew another blank.

Resetting the Home router a Draytek 2860 and reconfiguring it didn't solve it. I must have missed a step or did something wrong, it couldn't have been wiped. The fact that Ancestry worked and FindMyPast didn't was really bugging me. The clue had to be there (it wasn't but it gave me the resolve to keep pressing on) With time on my hands I then swapped the router for a Draytek 2960 from the office and the problem is sorted.

Thank you ever so much for the lead.

Happy New Year