I was visiting Wikipedia a couple of days ago when I happened upon the image to the right. “Ah, a new feature, how nice.” I thought. Then a click took me to a dead standard Bing search. The “What’s this?” text didn’t activate anything. I thought “well that is odd, Wikipedia is now accepting paid links”. Then it turned up again and again, on other sites. Whenever there’s a graphic, there’s my little orange and black friend from Bing.
So it’s pretty obviously malware presumably installed recently on my computer in some software or via a virus. Thanks Microsoft (if it is behind this, though it seems too incompetent even for the great fading monster of our computer screens, so perhaps it’s not responsible).
Anyway if anyone has any idea how I get rid of this, I’d be grateful. I’m on a MacBook Air.
Hi Nicholas,
A bit of research suggests you have the “Bing Bar” installed. I presume you’re using Windows even though on a Macbook Air? If so, you can just remove it using the standard Programs and Features icon in Control Panel.
Thanks very much Steven,
But no I’m in Mountain Lion 10.8.4. I haven’t installed any Bing bar.
Seems to be a common occurrence.
Link
Well, it’s good to hear that Mac users can be blighted by unwanted crap too. :)
Given all the comments that the recent Farhad Marjoo (I hate trying to remember how to spell his name) column from Slate (and reprinted in the SMH) got when he wrote about how he was going to back to his iPhone because he didn’t like the way most Android phones came with stuff he didn’t want (an odd argument, to say the least) I think Troppo would be as good as place as any in the Australian blogosphere for an Apple/Android phone/tablet confrontation.