Spyware Removal.

1) Remove Unwanted / Suspicious Program.

The First thing that you should do is Remove / Uninstall, Unwanted or Suspicious Programs from your System.  To do this Follow the Instructions:

• Click Start
• Click Control Panel
• Double Click on Add or Remove Program.
• Select the Unwanted / Suspicious Program and Click on Remove.

2) Clearing the Startup.

The first thing that you should do is to stop unwanted programs from running in the background.  There is a Tool in Windows that allows us to do that and it is called the "System Configuration Utility" (MSCONFIG).

Now most of the time with Infected Computers, the Normal Mode is Really Difficult to work with and so the best place to start would be to restart the Computer in the Safe Mode.

To Start your Computer in Safe Mode, do the Following:

• Turn your Computer Off.
• Now As Soon as you Turn the Computer On, Keep tapping the F8 Key (Present in Top Row) on your Keyboard
• It will give you a screen that says "Windows Advanced Options"
• Here You will Have Options to Select Either "Safe Mode" or "Safe Mode with Networking".

Once in the Safe Mode,

• Click Start and Click Run.
• Type "MSCONFIG" (Without the Quotes) and Click OK.

Once you do that you will see the Following Window:

• Now Click on the Tab called "Startup". (Here you see all the Programs that Starts when your system Starts)
• Now Click On "Disable All".
• Now Remember, when you click on "Disable All", you are also Disabling your Antivirus, So be sure to put a check mark next to everything related to your Antivirus.
• Then Click on Apply.

This is how the Screen Looks Like:

• Once you Click on Disable All and all the Check Marks are gone (except for your Antivirus), Then click on either OK or Close.
• It will Ask you to Restart your Computer, So please go ahead and do so.

3) Downloading Cleansing or Removal Tools.

If you are using a High Speed Internet Connection (Cable, DSL) and are not able to Surf the Web, then Try Safe Mode with Networking.  This works most of the time, but it will NOT work for Dial Up Connections.

Now for Downloading the Tools.

3.1) The First Tool to Download will be CCleaner.

• Go to the Website http://www.tdwebsite.com
• In the Left Pane, Click on the Link Called "Downloads"
• Now Click on "Windows Utilities"
• In there Click on "CCleaner" and Install the Software in your System.
• Update the Software and Perform the Steps as Shown Below

Check All as Shown Above and Click Run Cleaner as shown below

3.2) The Second Tool to Download Will be Webroot Spy sweeper (90 Day Trial).

• Go to the Website http://www.tdwebsite.com
• In the Left Pane, Click on the Link Called "Downloads"
• Now Click on "Free Anti - Spyware Softwares"
• In there Click on "Spy Sweeper - 90 Day Trial" and Install the Software in your System.
• Update the Software and Perform the Steps as Shown Below

Scanning

After Scanning is Complete Click Next To Remove The Found Infections.

3.3) The Third Tool to Download Will be HiJack This.

This is a Very Powerful tool and needs to be used Very Carefully.  If not used Properly, it can cause Software and Registry Problems in your System.

• Go to the Website, http://www.tdwebsite.com
• In the Left Pane, Click on the Link Called "Downloads"
• Now Click on "Free Anti - Spyware Softwares"
• In there Click on "HiJack This".
• UnZip the Main File in a Separate Folder named HJT on the Desktop.
• Then Open the HJT and Double Click on Hijackthis.exe and follow the instructions as Shown Below.

a) Run Hijack This and Select the First Option

b) The Log file is Automatically Created, just Copy the Entire content of this Log.

c) Go to http://www.hijackthis.de and paste the Log in the Blank Box and Click Analyze

d) If you Scroll down the Same window, it will give you the List of HJT Log and will tell you if it is Safe or Nasty.

e) Put Check Marks on the Nasty Entries and then Click on Fix Checked, It will ask you a Question, just click on Yes

3.4) Other Download Tools.

Most of the Time the Above tools Take Care of Everything.  Following are Some more Tools that can also be used.

• Spybot Search and Destroy

• Adaware SE

• Ewido Anti Malware Suite

• Spyware Doctor

• Windows Defender (BETA 2)

All the above additional Tools are also Available in the Downloads Section of TDWebsite.

 If all the Above Cleaning Tools were Run in either "Safe Mode" or "Safe Mode with Networking", then Restart the Computer in Normal Mode and Run the Scan using All those Tools Once Again.

Then Restart the Computer and Check Performance of the Computer.

If System is Still Very Slow and You are getting Lots of Pop Ups, then following are your Options:

• Visit Online Discussion Forums for More Help.
  (Example: http://www.tdwebsite.com OR http://www.computing.net AND there are many more)

• Contact Technical Support of Your System Manufacturer.

• Finally, Back Up your Data and Be Prepared for an Operating System (Windows) Reinstallation.

Spyware Prevention.

Preventing Spywares from Entering your System is not that Difficult.  You should Never Trust a Pop Up that Says your System is Infected or Anything Like that if it is a Message from your Internet Browser.  Following are some of the Thumb Rules that can prevent Spywares from Entering your System:

• Stop Visiting Websites that offer Cracked Softwares or Other Illegal Activity.
• Do Not Visit Porn Related Websites.
• Do not Visit Websites that Generate Unwanted Pop Ups.
• DO NOT Click on Any Pop Ups that are Generated by your Internet Browser. (ALWAYS Use the RED X on the Top Right To Close the Pop Up)
• Avoid using File Sharing Softwares.  If you are using them, use it very carefully and Read the "License Agreement" Before Installing those Softwares, as they may mention about other Softwares that are being installed.
• Install a Good Antivirus and Keep it Updated Regularly.
• If your Antivirus does not come with a Firewall then install a Firewall like Zone Alarm (Can be Downloaded from http://www.tdwebsite.com or http://www.zonelabs.com).
• Keep your Windows OS Regularly Updated and if Possible, be sure that Service Pack 2 is installed as it also has a good Pop Up Blocker.
• Install a Good Anti Spyware like Ad Aware or Spy Sweeper or Windows Defender and Keep it Updated.
• Run a Virus Scan using Antivirus at least Once a Week.
• Run a Spyware Scan using Anti Spywares at least Once in every 3 or 4 days (If Possible Every Night Before Turning Computer Off).

Now, Doesn't that seem Simple and Something that We can Do.  Anti Viruses and Anti Spywares will Remove the Spywares that are already in your System and a Few may be able to even stop them from Entering, but its YOU, who can actually Prevent Spywares from Entering into your System.  So, Good Luck and Hope this Article helps you someway in protecting your System from Spywares.

Nick
Tech Domain Team.