C-3.ote

Has anyone else encountered this mysterious program, which may or may not be anything to do with my W2K OS?

It has appeared in the list of programs in my Add/Remove Programs. These are some of the things which are odd about it:-

1. So far as I know, it has nothing to do with any program, which I have installed

2. Add/Remove Programs will not let me remove it

3. The size of the file is blank in Add/Remove Programs

4. Using the Search Files and Folders produces nothing

5. Microsoft's Knowledge Base has not heard of it

6. Even my usual fallback, searching Google, produces just a single mention but no explanation

Have aliens landed?

 

Aliens sounds about right.

From Here

Then I found http://www.otecom.net/

How about Project: Open Translation Engine (OTE) has a product whose name matches the filetype for your mystery app. Since C-3 is a security thing - hardened military systems mostly - that seemed like an outside possibility.

Any of these ring a bell?

If not, have you done recent spyware/malware scans on the PC to make sure you aren't dealing with a critter?

 

Thanks, Newt, but these do not ring any bells

I should have mentioned that I started my "investigations" with Ad-Aware and Spybot

Apart from trying to identify this alien, can you suggest why Add/Remove Programs will not let me remove it?

 

My guess is you can't uninstall it because it
- isn't properly installed
or
- doesn't really exist

Have you set to show hidden and system files then done a search for just .ost and just C-3? Maybe also a good idea to use a tool like Agent Ransack for the search. Lots better than WE.

Are you seeing any bad effects or just annoyed at having a phantom program show up and refuse to leave?

Two other general suggestions
- do get and run the Microsoft Antispyware app. It is finding and killing some critters that the other main-line spyware removal apps don't see.
- download Hijackthis (quicklinks again) and scan then post a copy of the log here if you see anything you aren't 100% positive about.

 

Thanks again, Newt, for your good advice

I had already set to show hidden and system files, but searching against just parts of the name did not help, nor I'm afraid, did Microsoft Antispyware (I am impressed by this); Agent Ransack or Hijackthis

I use the Uninstall Wizard of Norton Clean Sweep (part of Systemworks)to remove programs that defeat Add/Remove Programs but, as it did not show the alien, it could not remove it

Fortunately, I have not noticed any ill effects and it is just a case of annoyance with an uninvited guest, who refuses to leave!

 

I have identified the uninvited guest, though he still won't leave!

Like most discoveries, it was accidental, not deliberate.

I have recently downloaded Picasa and, as is my way with interesting downloads, I was blundering about, without bothering to read how it works. To import images from somewhere to somewhere else (there's precision for you) I clicked on a button named Select Device. Lo and behold, it brought up the name of my printer and also "Olympus C-3.OTE Twain Software"

Yes, I have an Olympus digital camera, though haven't used it for ages. The software is part of the long-forgotten "kit" that came with.

My experience may reassure other puzzled Olympus owners