How do I disable the "Text Enhance" affiliate platform that is present on all my web surfing
When I use the Firefox browser to surf the web, on nearly every web page I visit an invasive advertising platform creates anchor links on the web pages (anchor keywords with two hyperlinks under the anchor word) which when clicked takes the viewer to an advertisement. Most of the links seem to be part of an advertising platform owned by "Text Enhance," which I have contacted to complain about. They sort of played dumb. I said I thought it was the result of some malware from which they were the sole beneficiary and they assured me they didn't instigate it. I went to the Warrior Forum and some members suggested it sounded like it came from one of your extensions or plugins. My security and technology consultant scrubbed my computer and they deleted some of your extensions and plugins and the problem went away. But two weeks later, it's back and it's pervasive. Even words in my online banking accounts are showing these text links.
Aside from security concerns, my biggest fear is that they are stealing traffic from the websites I publish--websites where I'm trying to sell either my own or affiliate products. And that upsets me greatly.
I'm sure I'm not the only web user experiencing this problem. If other web publishers are also getting their traffic stolen and directed to a competing site, you can bet that there will be a class action lawsuit on the horizon for Mozilla. So I suggest you get to the bottom of this situation and rectify it, because a lawsuit will be the inevitable result.
I don't mean to alarm you because I use Firefox as my primary browser. However, I checked IE and Chrome and Chrome is exhibiting the same situation. So I'm not really sure how this is happening, and that's why I'm contacting you about it.
Please let me know if you know how to de-activate this invasive pest.
Regards, Tom O'Boyle toboyle9@yahoo.com
Modified by toboyle9
Chosen solution
I eliminated it by removing the StartNow toolbar via: Tools > Add-Ons > Extensions
Edit: Please also see these great answers by EmailyDesarno
EmailyDesarno's post on page 2:
I searched Google and forums and they all say to go here to remove text enhance.
Most also say opting out will only bring you more spam, so I would not do that if experts are saying not to.
Sooo.. go to this website, it has the most info on this and I found it useful, I have no connection to them it's just to help. http://botcrawl.com/how-to-remove-text-enhance/
EmailyDesarno's post on page 3
DO NOT OPT OUT
That will cause more spam, it is not a solution.
I've already said it, all the solutions you need to remove Text Enhance are here:
http://botcrawl.com/how-to-remove-text-enhance/
Read this answer in context 👍 37All Replies (20)
Hi ChrissyMoon. I have had AdBlock Plus installed for some time and it hasn't stopped Text Enhance although I am yet to try the Element Hiding helper. I will do so shortly. In the mean time I also disabled shockwave flash and yes, it is stopped the text enhance from showing in my machine but I wonder if visitors to my site can still see the pop-ups?
BUMP... I also noticed that all of the pages/files that are infected (on my site) also show up as a different color in my site building software.
glendene - Visitors to your site will see the pop-ups if they have the "Text Enhance" program on their machine. You could always add a message to your sites warning them that they may have this annoying "infection", and advise them to check through their list of programs / add-ons / extensions for anything they don't recognise. Not the best solution. :(
Modified by Wynter
ChrissiMoon - Download CCleaner (free); click on Tools and Uninstall - this will list all your programs (much faster than Windows). If the Text Enhance appeared only recently then click on the 'Installed date' tab, scroll to the bottom, to the most recently installed, and look through every program for any you don't recognise.
I have found out how Text Enhance keeps showing up it is part of the new Adobe Shockwave Flash. The only way to disable it is to go into Add-ons click disable then go to Opinions then Contents, Load images automatically then click on Exceptions copy paste http://textsrv.com in the and click block.
I will never buy any product advertized by Text Enhance!
Text Enhance is NOT part of Adobe Shockwave flash BUT it does run on flash script. It's not at all necessary to disable flash though it will cause Text Enhance to go away, Text Enhance will still be on your browser. DO NOT opt out of Text Enhance at all, DO NOT. They will use your information, send you spam, etc. There are easy solutions to remove Text Enhance. Read this blog there are tons of info for every browser, etc.: http://botcrawl.com/how-to-remove-text-enhance/
MichaelBear's is absolutely the best advice. The solution is to go to Add/Delete and delete the offending add-on. The only problem seems to be that this is not the same for everyone and you have to figure out which is the right one to delete. If I could remember how I found out which one I had to delete, I would tell you. I know I did not have to guess. I knew what to delete before going to Add/Delete. Maybe someone else could help with this.
Modified by MaryPat
The only way I can get rid of text enhance it to disable Shockwave Flash 11.2.202.233. Every time I enable it even though I have blocked Text Enhance in content and privacy as soon as I enable Shockwave Flash it is back. I have tried everything and the only thing I can think of it is embedded in Shockwave.
I think I am rid of Text Enhance I disabled Face Theme and that seems to have done it.
Why doesn't any of the Anti-Malware programs pick it up or the virus or spyware programs. This is one nasty piece of Malware.
Text Enhance is NOT embedded into Shockwave. Text Enhance uses flash to run. Just like if you were to watch a video on YouTube. You don't actually download that video on YouTube to watch it, just like you do not actually download Text Enhance.
THE ONLY WAY TO REMOVE TEXT ENHANCE IS IN YOUR EXTENSIONS OR ADD-ONS. - And to stop downloading suspicious files, torrents, and programs.
It is not in your program files, it does not exist in your computer's directory - therefor anti virus can not pick it up.
Read that blog a few comments up and you will have no reason to ask any questions.
I agree, they probably do work for text enhance! - opt out doesn't work!
I've tried going through the plug ins/add ons and the only one that works (obviously) is disabling flash, which is fine for a while until I need it!
I'm not sure what else to do, I've been vigorously searching through forums, but nothing seems to work. I've cleared the cookies from my browser, and the cache, too.
If anyone knows anything else to try - i would welcome suggestions!
waw707 - Have you checked through your programs list for anything you don't recognise?
I also had this problem and although I never clicked on the links it did irritate the hell out of me.
I removed it by clicking on Firefox (up in the top, left hand corner of my version), then Click Add-ons. A new tab opens called Add-ons Manager. To the left on this page are four options...Get Add-ons, Extensions, Appearance and Plugins. Click on Extensions and you will find a list of the extensions added on to your Firefox. I found the extension BCool in my list. Click on Remove. Close Firefox and restart it and those annoying blue underlined links in any web page you browse will be gone. Good luck
waw707, et al., see my earlier post on this thread for a solution that worked for me. Also there are obviously at least several names for the add on, so it may be hard to identify, but a list of what names its been found under should help most people: So far codec-c, codec-m, and BCool have been identified as the culprits. Anybody find any others they are sure of?
Also check out Michael Bear's posts and the blog linked. Thanks MB!
Modified by macfox111
No, the link works. I just tried it for OPT OUT (be sure to check the box) and reloaded the pages and it works...
I searched Google and forums and they all say to go here to remove text enhance.
Most also say opting out will only bring you more spam, so I would not do that if experts are saying not to.
Sooo.. go to this website, it has the most info on this and I found it useful, I have no connection to them it's just to help. http://botcrawl.com/how-to-remove-text-enhance/
I tried to copy and paste but there's too much stuff.
Modified by EmailyDesarno
Thanks. I did that opt out thing and it worked **for a while** but then the bloody thing did exactly as you described. So, I went to the site you suggested. We will see what happens. There was no reference to textsrv or textenhance in my add-ons or extensions in Firefox, but there was a cookie, so I removed it and chose the option to not track my system. We will see how that works out.....
I removed BCool about a week ago and it worked for some some. But one website I recently went on had the horrible 'Text Enhance' again so I looked in my Cookies and found Textsrv(dot com) and deleted it. Will have to see if it works.
What we need is a list that we can update as we find the culprits for this annoying malware!!!
Modified by taffy222
There is a list on that website
I just installed ABP and Text Enhance no more!!! Thanks, WOOOO WOOO!