HELP! My computer says it has detected spyware/adware and I need to fix it...?

Question

Is there anything FREE I can download to get rid of it?

Answer 1

Visit http://www.download.com and get these TWO really great free anti-spyware programs. Use the search box.

Ad-aware - from Lavasoft - it looks through files.
SpyBot - SpyBot Search & Destroy is great, it looks through your registry

This double-whammy is awesome.

Answer 2

There are tons of free programs!!!!!
What I and a lot of other people have found work best are two separate but equally important programs.
AdAware SE and SpyBot S&D
It's important to know that you should NEVER run both programs at the same time. Always run one and then the other. I'm not exactly sure why but the first few times I did it, my computer crashed. I think they just use up too much memory. Regardless, it's important that you run each program before you shut down your computer.
With AdAware always check for updates, and then after downloading the updates, run a full system scan. Although at first run a smart system scan because you may have too much adware on your computer and stall the program which will make you have to restart your computer as well as the program. So to recap always check for updates, and the first time you use it, do a Smart System Scan, after that always do a Full system scan before you shut down your computer. Then always make sure that all the objects at the end of the scan are checked including the negligible ones. Never quarantine, always continue and remove all objects. Then you're done.
With SpyBot it's almost the same deal. When installing be patient!!! This one takes longer but will clear out your computer while installing. It'll run through during the installation and remove all the spyware. The next time you run the program should be when you're shutting down and after or before AdAware. Check for updates. If there are, download them one at a time. Sometimes the updates won't load together and will freeze the program, so check each one, and download them one at a time. After downloading any updates, Immunize the computer. This is important, it'll stop from return trips from spyware. After that Search and Destroy. This may take a while so go have a cup of coffee. Then destroy everything and you're good to go. Also, if SpyBot couldn't destroy everything and needs to run on startup, let it! This normally means that the spyware was so invasive that it needs to focus on it. What will happen is when you restart, you'll get all the way to the main windows screen, if you have windows, and then you click on your username. Once you're heading into your main screen where the start button and all of your programs are, spybot will jump in and run. let it, and then destroy the problem. After that it'll continue straight to your main screen and then you're set.
So remember, never run both at the same time and always check for updates. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Does your desktop go black and just say something like "WARNING! Windows secuity has detected an ifection" or something similar and a balloon appears telling you to cick here for spyware removal? Spybot - search & destroy is quite good at removing most spyware. The most certain way to fix any problems with any spyware is to turn off you computer, restart it and straight away start hitting F8 repeatedly. Select "safe mode" You will then get an option to use system restore. Use system restore to return your computer to a date when it was working fine. The only down side is anything you installed after that date will be removed. So unless you have the setup programs for these files make sure you want to do this. System restore won't erase or change anything except programs you installed after the selected date. All files and documents will be left as are. Hope this is of some use.

Answer 4

Download Spybot, AdAware and scan your pc
http://www.filehippo.com/download_spybot_search_destroy/
http://www.filehippo.com/download_ad-aware/

Even better:
Superantispyware
http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/Super-Anti-Spyware/SuperAntiSpyware.html

Spyware Terminator
http://www.spywareterminator.com/

If you are using internet explorer, download McAfee Site Advisor. It's free and will warn you about bad sites.
http://www.siteadvisor.com/download/ie.html
(there's a version for Firefox too)

Answer 5

I recommend following the people above's programs to get rid of spyware, and also some recommended programs that you can get as a trial would be, adaware se, ewido, and spysweeper @ download.com. When i usually get spyware I would use these 3 programs in safemode. If you do not know how to go into safemode you can go to start->run-> in the run type "msconfig"-> under boot devices-> check the safeboot box" to Undo, follow the steps backwards.

Answer 6

Ad-Aware is free software you can download to remove spyware/adware on your computer.

I use that freebie myself and run an update of the software then scan each week to remove any spyware/adware which may have
cluttered my computer since the last scan.

Link to download:

http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5

Link to Lavasoft website:

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

Answer 7

From McAfee: spyware-url.gen it truly is a doubtlessly undesirable software (puppy) detection. it truly is not a plague or trojan. it truly is a known detection masking URL shortcut documents created via assorted spyware classes. those documents do circuitously impression equipment performance, yet might want to clutter a consumer's pc, commence menu, favorites, and different folders. Such URL shortcuts are meant to direct consumers to web content that contain merchandising content. So relax....

Answer 8

Check for spyware. Run both Ad-aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaw... and Skybot (http://www.safer-networking.org/)...... to remove any spyware. Run both as one may caught something the other missing. Then go to microsoft.com and download Defender to protect against future infections.

Answer 9

Try all of these,

Free Spyware protection:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://www.safer-networking.org/
http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5
Download Windows Defender at http://www.microsoft.com

Have fun but be safe.

Answer 10

http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/ActiveScan.htm Try that, otherwise, there's nothing I can think of that's free... unless you want a cracked program. Btw, you only download a small file so the system can scan your computer.. it's nice :o)