BleepingComputer.com: nswatchdog.exe diagnosis and removal

OK. I've seen some talk around about nswatchdog.exe so here's the guts. You get it as part of the Nielson Ratings software download but you don't know it until too late. If you go to Programs and Features in Vista only the initial download will uninstall. Unbeknownst to most there is an .exe file (nswatchdog.exe) that will install in System32. I found it when my memory was up a whoppping GB. That's what it was eating! I ran Autoruns and found nswatchdog.exe, did a little research and found it was associated with Nielson ratings. So, I jumped to the Registry and deleted it. I then went to system32 and tried, in vain, to delete the file. So I remamed it and tried again. Vista said I didn't have permission. I then hit it with MBAB's FileAssasin and that didn't work. I then set the permissions to only me on the computer. Wham. As soon as I did that, I got a PopUp IMMEDIATELY and it said "Sorry you're discontinuing Nielson..." blah, blah and boom...the .exe file disappeared. What bleeps-sorry. Delete that if you want. If it wasn't for the overt memory usage I wouldn't have thought to run Autoruns. I did go BACK in the registry and it was gone in all software classes. The RAM went from 38% to 20% (I have 4GB RAM) on reboot and there is no evidence that I'm being mined at this time. I love Bleeping Computers so I thought I'd share this info-no telling what these guys are snitching from unsuspecting PC's.

Some people are just amazing idiots. Instead of creating viruses, they should create good programs. This could also get them profit without being illegal. This just angers me more that a lot of the other crap i have to deal with in life. I couldn't go to work one day when i got sick. That fruserated me. I love my job. But when a virus had infected my computer at work, 3 WEEKS] went down the drain.

Thanks for the good info seaspine! Helping to keep us all a bit safer.