Detecting and removing spyware

There are a bunch of free apps on the Web that will help you scan your computer for adware
and spyware. There are two programs I recommend that you use to scan your computer. Each
of these programs has its own database of adware and spyware that is updated frequently. To
make sure that no spyware and adware goes undetected, it is a good idea to scan your computer
with both programs. The first app is called Ad-aware, which is published by Lavasoft.
This is a great program that has a basic version available for free when used for personal use.
The second app is called Spybot S&D, which is developed by Patrick M. Kolla and is also
free.Using these two apps to detect and remove spyware and adware from your computer will not
only rid your computer of those annoying programs, but will also speed up your computer and
free up disk space. Follow these steps to get started using Ad-aware:
1. Visit www.lavasoft.de and download a copy of the basic version of Ad-aware that is
free when used on personal computers.
2. Once you have Ad-aware installed on your computer, start it up by clicking the Adaware
icon on your desktop.
3. When Ad-aware is loaded, the first thing you should do is update the data files. This can
be done by clicking the globe icon, as shown in Figure 13-1.
4. Then, on the Webupdate screen, click the Connect button. It will tell you if a new
update is available. If one is, just click OK and it will be downloaded and installed.
5. Now that Ad-aware is updated, you are ready to scan your computer. Just click the Start
button in the lower-right corner of the window.
6. Select Perform Smart System-Scan on the Next screen and click Next. The scan will
begin.
7. Once the scan has finished, you will hear a sound. Click the Next button again to view
the results.8. The Scanning Results screen will be shown, which lists any instances of spyware and
adware on your computer, as shown in Figure 13-2. Scroll through the list and uncheck
any objects that you do not want to remove. Then, click the Next button again.
9. You will be asked to confirm that you want to delete the items on the list. Click OK
to continue removing the files and registry entries associated with spyware and
adware.
The files will be quarantined as a backup just in case you experience any problems with the
operating system after you remove the files and registry entries. You are now finished with
using Ad-aware and can close the application.
You are now ready to get Spybot Search & Destroy installed and set up on your computer so
that you can ensure that you have removed all spyware and adware from your computer.To do
that, just follow these steps:
1. Visit Spybot’s Web site at www.spybot.info and download a copy of Spybot Search
& Destroy.
2. Once Spybot S&D is installed on your computer, start it up by expanding the Spybot
Search & Destroy folder and selecting Spybot S&D (easy mode). The first time it is run,
you will have to select the language that you want to use and will be shown a few legal
disclaimer screens.3. When Spybot loads, you will want to update its data files as well. This can be done by
clicking the Search For Updates screen located in the middle of the screen.
4. Check all of the updates that are shown on the screen and click the Download Updates
button, as shown in Figure 13-3.
5. Once Spybot has finished downloading and installing the updates, it will restart itself.
When that happens, you are ready to begin scanning your computer.To begin scanning,
just click the Check for Problems button.
6. Once scanning has finished, you will be presented with the Results screen. Click the Fix
Selected Problems button, as shown in Figure 13-4, to remove all of the selected search
results.
7. When all of the entries in the search box have check marks, Spybot is finished cleaning
your system. You may now close Spybot.
Your computer has now been scanned and cleaned with two great spyware cleaning software
apps. As you can see, Spybot picked up on some things that Ad-aware missed. Using both of
these programs together will allow you very good detection and removal of spyware on your
computer.