Down by my clock there is a Danger icon stating that my computor is infected with adware/spyware. I downloaded Privacy Crusader and it came back with a lot of problems and it quarentined them, Well its still saying that i'm infected. Is there anyway to stop this from happening? Is there anyway to erase everything and start from scratch ? please help!
2006-07-11 07:08:26 · 10 answers · asked by Jess 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
The icon down in the system tray is usually a sign of something called Spyware Sheriff, which is TRULY nasty -- the spyware and the removal program are written by the same company.
It can be removed, but it's time consuming. Start here (or look up "spyware sheriff" on your favorite search engine) and research what you'll need to do:
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=89585
You will probably need to download a program called HijackThis.exe; it scans your system for programs that run when you start up, and lets you delete them. Be aware that a lot of spyware changes its name and you may need to run the removal several times; you may also need to edit your system registry.
If you're not sure how to do that, there are on-line support sites that can walk you through it.
Once you've removed it, train yourself to use Firefox instead of IE. Most (not all, but MOST) spyware exploits security holes in Internet Explorer; Firefox does not have these holes.
Also, a good freeware spybot eliminator is Spybot Search & Destroy. (Send the guy a couple bucks in PayPal, it's worth it.) I run this regularly on all our computers and it's effective and easy to use.
2006-07-11 07:18:13 · answer #1 · answered by Scott F 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Spyware's tough to fix sometimes. It integrates itself with the operating system so well that it can be impossible to remove.
I've never heard of Privacy Crusader. I'd uninstall it and download Spybot search and destroy as well as Adaware. I swear by these to programs and I've been using them for a few years now. I used to do PC tech work for Staples and these are the two I used to use to fix customer's computers. You might also try downloading Windows Defender from microsoft.com. This program stays active in the background all the time and prevents future infestations.
Some words of wisdom: be careful on the internet, in general, and don't download anything that's not from a large corporation like Microsoft, Macromedia, AOL, Adobe, etc. You can trust that programs from them are safe. Also avoid gaming websites that are full of ads. One more tip: try using a browser like Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. It will block a lot of the malicious websites from installing stuff on your pc without your permission.
2006-07-11 14:15:53 · answer #2 · answered by Erik B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would suggest using a better spyware/adware program. Privacy Crusader is a scam.
Try using LavaSoft AdAware or Spybot Search and Destroy.
You can get them both at Download.com for free.
2006-07-11 14:12:09 · answer #3 · answered by Kryzchek 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could spend some time running different spyware/adware/virus applications (and turning off System Restore while cleaning), or you just take your OS CD and reformat your entire drive. Boot from CD, and follow the options to install Windows.
2006-07-11 14:12:22 · answer #4 · answered by theraaa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5 and download AVG Free. This software is completely free and provides automatic updates. With this program you can not only quarantine, you can heal the virus.
If you have not downloaded Yahoo Tool Bar you should do so. It has anti-spy integrated into the program. When you run anti-spy you can get rid of any spyware that has attached itself to your system and also get rid of any tracking cookies you have picked up in your internet travels.
2006-07-11 16:11:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get these 2 program and use them once a day (and always check for/download updates once a day):
Spybot - Search and Destroy
Ad Aware
They should both be free (or pick the free download). Links are below... Good luck!
2006-07-11 14:14:30 · answer #6 · answered by blink182fan117 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its happen many times when u use ur computer without using any updated antivirus software or Spyware. TO resolve this problem u can use microsoft antispyware which is consider better than other or simply u can use Panda antivirus software which has inbuilt features to remove spyware and viruses as well as to restricted any unauthorized access to ur network.
2006-07-11 14:26:57 · answer #7 · answered by Nits 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you use yahoo ? why not the yahoo toolbar it also have a pop-up block & spyware it check for spyware/adware/malware/hi-jacker/some virus & cookies and which one is danergous.
IT FREE
also check
I.E. >Tools>InternetOptions>general delete cookie,deleteFile,reduce history dates 1-3 days
2006-07-11 14:16:42 · answer #8 · answered by ssanchez2002 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try spybot from downloads.com.
But if it's that bad empty your temporary internet folder inside windows and then empty the trash.
but, from your question it could be more like a trojan or virus because you installed something from the net. try http://www.free-av.com/ for virus searching. Hope you can avoid a total resector of your hard drive.
2006-07-11 14:17:11 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
contact
geekstogo.com
now
its free and they are so good you won't even believe it. they'll tell you what to do, step by step, and they're wonderful.
2006-07-11 14:12:40 · answer #10 · answered by Crooks Gap 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋