please help

From: Lee (anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 04/30/04 

Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 04:42:01 -0700

After making sure I had all of the Windows security
patches installed, I mysteriously and all of a sudden had
a program called Lycos Sidesearch in my computer which is
an exe. file. I have found so far no way to uninstall
this annoying thing. If I use their method, I have to give
them permission to use my information and to allow them to
throw up advertising. I refuse to do this. How is it
that this came to me? Is this a sort of virus. Everything
runs slower now waiting for all the pop ups that this has
brought. I even went to add/remove programs and asked it
to remove it. It didn't. I am afraid that just deleting
it will remove files from other programs since after
investigating it, I have seen dll files for it. How did it
just get into the computer. I know that I did not open any
emails that I am not familiar with. I never do. There must
be an answer. And to Lycos Sidesearch.....if you do not
have a product that no one wants, is it right for you to
force it upon others? If people to want your product, then
make it better. Instead of being just downright crass and
rude. That is not helping you at all.
If anyone has an effective method of getting rid of this,
please post an answer