Spyware

Try this:

http://pinurl.com/pcsecrets

I have been using "SuperAntiSpyware" for removal of that anoyance on my Windoze boxes.

Another way is to format your HD and start again (guessing you don't want this deep) but there are many who do reformat their systems and reload all their software when things take a slowdown.

There are several free registry cleaners out there that do as good a job. Go to Major Geeks.com and have a look. (Yes their web site looks kind of corny.) There is even a Microsoft product out there that'l do it. It does a good job but my pick of the litter is CCleaner or something like that. Not only will it clean your registry, it will also get rid of cookies and temporary I-net files. I use it about once a week and am always amazed at the number of files it finds and removes, typically 160M or more.

[ ... always amazed ...]

Yea, that's what first got me convinced of using a registry cleaner. The first time I let Registry Booster take a look at my computer, there were literally hundreds of problems. After that first cleaning, I also use it about once a week and am amazed at even that often, there are a couple of dozen problems that need correcting.

Thanks, and kind regards ...

ZoneAlarm seems to work good.

McAfee I have used but I think ZoneAlarm is better. I don't even want to hear about another that is frequently Free with Vista and other software, it had it's operating files destroyed first and then the bug went after the OS of the other software on the computer. Had some stuff get past McAfee and CounterSpy. I have run up to 5 software at once and still got bugs, then the virus/spyware software starts to kill each other, last one standing is apparent best !

Microsoft has a Virus Scan software for free download, and then Virus removal software. Microsoft also has Microsoft Base Line Security to do an overall check-up.

http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

There was another software mentioned on here on another thread but it is way too techie for most of us. i.e. it wants me to decide what is OK. I put spyware and virus software on my computer that is supposed to know what is OK and what is not.

I also use Registry Booster 2 as it keeps the registry in order which speeds up the PC along with regular Defrag.

Lately there are emails that when you click on them to delete them, they start something and usually the PC dumps them, I think.

I also have found that if I create a second log-in and limit the log-in to the specific task software (i.e. burning CD/DVD) that needs computing power, then set-up the start file so the computer only loads a minimum of software to burn the CD/DVD and the burn is almost done in an instant.

i.e. eliminate all the background stuff and get like new computer performance !

Have you tired the System Restore to remove the spy ware.

Yes spy ware can be used for your own good. I use 007 spy ware to see what my kids are up to online. I press a couple of keysd and enter a password then every web site the visit, every keystroke is recorded, and every email they read is right there for me. I don't play here their mental and physical saftey is more important than their privacy.

Addaware 2008 or Spybot search and destroy work in most cases. I'm not sure about spybot, but addaware is a free download. I use it often for some pretty serious infestations.

Good advice.

I got 'hooked' on both Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware a few years ago, and they both work great. I had to un-install Ad-Aware, however, because I purchased a product called Registry Booster (also great for the past year +) and it, unfortunately, is not compatible with Ad-Aware.

For 'free', however, you can't beat Spybot and Ad-Aware.

Kind regards ...

I had the first version of SpyBot and it never got updates, was useless, then had new version of SpyBot but it got eliminated by a more powerful anti-virus, anti-spyware, and it is gone along with Spyware Doctor, which I think it was the software that had a good fragmented file repair routine I used to clean up all my fragmented files. Defrag sucks at that and for all I know creates more fragments...

Great list ... good advice.

Thanks ...

Contrary to what others have said: Yes, you can manually remove a lot of spyware from your computer. There are web sites out there that give explicit instructions on what files to delete and what registry entries to edit/delete. This is all presuming you can find the exact spyware that is there. Just google the spyware name.

However, why bother? Everybody who replied listed excellent anti-spyware software, most of which is free, and all are effective. Though I have no qualms about registry editing, I prefer to let the anti-spyware programs handle it for me.

Good luck.

Well, you could go 1 step further and say the "Ultimate Removal Tool" is called "Format C:" That would get rid of almost all spyware and the virus that is commonly called Windows

Hello,

Yes have been formating C, but found to be temporary solution.

Best regards,

itskar

You're preaching to a long time member of the Linux tabernacle choir!!

Format c: Install Linux

Linux GUI is coming close to the apperanace of Windows, you can get the GUI to perform like windows too (not running Windows programs directly) you just have to decrease the performance of the CPU (throttle it back) and suck the memory dry, and it will perform close to the memory hogging windows.

Personally I prefer Linux, Gone from the olden days of RedHat, and building the kernel from "make config" and flipping options manually, and building it over a day on the old 486DX2 CPU, thats after spending 3 hours downloading the kernel tar.gz file across the 14,400 modem

If the problem resides within "\Windows", a Restore will work. There is no need to reformat. The restore should also take care or "registry" problems as well as the corrupt one is rolled back.

The advantage to "Restore" to previous over a clean sweep is that your data remains. This should be backed up in any case however.

Nobody ever mentions fdisk: /MBR (new versions of Doze probably have a new name for this). Sometimes a virus goes for the master boot record. I guess everyone here assumes only one partition (C:). This is a mistake. Create other partitions and install other OS's in them. I usually have at least six per disk. (You are limited to four primary partitions, but you can have extended "logic" partitions).

For spyware, the two best that are not themselves considered spyware are:

Ad-Aware

Spy-bot-S&D

as others have posted.

Some of the others mentioned may be OK. I haven't tried them all so I can't say first hand.

Good luck!

First, when you say "spyware" you probably only mean that your spyware protection application is flagging something it considers have the characteristics of spyware...such as web logging. This Does Not necessarily mean that anything sinister is afoot. But it could.

Here's something I do...

• Open start menu and then open Search.
• Select: Search Files and Folders.
• Select: C (or your operating system) drive.
• In Files/Folders name box, type: Cookie. Then wait until search ends.
• When the search list has populated, click the Views tool and select Details.
• Look in search result list for the "Cookies" folder with your nickname. Open that folder.
• If details don't show, use Views tool to show them.
• Now you can see a list of cookie files and see details which will identify them and their properties such as when they were written or modified. Perhaps you will see a file name the same as the one blocked by your spyware protection when you got a notification.
• Right click and delete any file indicated by your spyware protection block notice.
• Do the same for other files as suits your fancy. In fact you can delete them all if you like. Proviso: You may find some files which, by their names, will seem to have been written by your ISP service. These can generally be left intact but, if you delete these you might encounter some loss of funtionality...until you shut down, reboot, and then sign on once again. Then everything should function normally.

If there are cookie files which you recognize as Web sites which you want to remember you, you can leave those intact, too.

If there are Web sites at which you have established sign-on credentials and asked that your sign-on credentials (name and password) be remembered, you should leave those alone, too...but if you delete them, then you will have to enter name and password the next time you want to enter those sites...because you will no longer be remembered. So be careful you know your site credentials before deleting those site's cookies.

Finally, if you don't know or are having difficulty getting your spyware protector to delete blocked files...please advise.

Dear Cowanon,

Thanks for taking time and giving valuable tutorial. I shall try it and inform you any problem there.

Kind regards,

itskar

The redirecting virus is very harmful for your PC and for your data. Spyware programs are really very dangerous for your PC. Here you have few tips on how to stay protected from spyware, malware and other virus.

http://www.removepcthreats.com/protect-your-organization-from-spyware-viruses-malware