How can I get rid of spyware without the expensive programs?

Question

I have never had a problem with spyware before, and I have had this laptop for over a year. I have Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition, which I run scans through at least once a month. I have a pop-up client through Yahoo and Symantec which has never failed me until recently.

The past few weeks I have been getting full-window-sized pop-ups, often times after I have been using Yahoo search. The pages generally pertain to what my searches had been about, but they are spam pages. I also get warnings from the Symantec for Trojan viruses and another virus called InfoStealer. Symantec can usually quarantine them.

I do not want to have to wipe my hard drive clean - I have over 5000 songs on my computer, multiple digital family photo albums, and all of my classwork for school.

Please help!

Answer 1

Best solution: convert to a dual-boot system - Linux and Windows - and STOP USING WINDOWS ON THE INTERNET. Download the Big Daddy ISO from http://pclinuxos.com/ and burn the ISO and boot the CD. You can repartition the hard drive and create a dual-boot system with no harm to your data - and access all the pictures, etc. from Linux.

I just recovered a Windows XP system that I consider typical. Full of photos and music, but with about 30 gigs left. Used 10 gigs for Linux. Removed 226 distinct malware package TYPES (well over 1,000 files) of malware, mostly using the free Spybot program at http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html but be careful, many try to get you to download their malware by having web sites and programs of similar names. BTW, I consider Adware as just more spyware, not a removal tool.

Removed Symantec and all other "protection" software. Added AGV Free antivirus from http://www.grisoft.com/doc/1 , but configured it in manual mode. It was interesting to me that I found NO VIRUS on her system. Virus attacks are rare these days because malware is so much more efficient for the spam factories. Added Windows Firefox and upgraded to IE 7, and ended up with a system that ran 10 times faster (due to elimination of the spamming and keyboard mapping).

So this lady now avoids mixing Internet and Windows. It's like drinking and driving. Linux is secure, Windows is worse than trying to cross a lake in a colander.

As long as Internet Explorer is used, no firewall or malware or virus protection is worth a flip. A "click attack" is all the attacker needs to take control of Windows. I counted 11 NEW click-attack spams this AFTERNOON at Yahoo alone. One even made it into my mailbox. But I use Linux (and Firefox).

Amazing. Above is an answer with a CLICK ATTACK! The answerer claims Firefox disables spyware and virus attacks, which it does not. You cannot have a secure computer and Windows. Not even on Yahoo Answers! Get Firefox ONLY at http://mozilla.com/ and not elsewhere.

Good luck!

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

All of these are ones that I personally use and all are free.

AVG Removes I-Worm/Stration · BackDoor.Generic3.GBB and .GBC · Worm/Generic.FX · Exploit.WMF
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/lng/us/tpl/v5

Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you haven't intentionally installed, if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been "hijacked" (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don't see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging. Spybot-S&D is free, so there's no harm giving it a try to see if something has invaded your computer.
http://www.safer-networking.org/

http://superantispyware.com/
SUPERAntiSpyware is the most thorough scanner on the market. Our Multi-Dimensional Scanning and Process Interrogation Technology will detect spyware that other products miss! SUPERAntiSpyware will remove ALL the Spyware, NOT just the easy ones!
Easily remove over 100,000 pests such as SmitFraud, Vundo, WinFixer, SpyAxe, SpyFalcon, WinAntiVirus, AntiVermins and thousands more!
Make sure after you download any of these, that you update them.

Answer 4

It sounds like your computer is infected with adware and/or spyware. Unfortunately, Symantec Antivirus will not protect your computer from either malware. However, there are a number of excellent free antispyware software programs available. Spybot Search & Destroy and Lavasoft's Ad Aware SE Personal Edition are 2 of the more popular free antispyware applications. If you are using a genuine Windows operating system, you can also download and use Microsoft's Windows Defender. You can find all these programs at a single site: (http://www.filehippo.com/software/antispyware/)

Unlike antivirus programs, you can install multiple antispyware programs. But, be sure to scan using one program at a time. Download the program and then update them. You will need instructions on how to use them. The site malwarehelp.org has instructions on using each program.

1. "How to effectively remove Malware using Spybot Search & Destroy" (http://www.malwarehelp.org/how-to-effectively-remove-malware-spybot1.html).

2. "How to effectively remove Malware using Ad-Aware SE Personal " (http://www.malwarehelp.org/how-to-effectively-remove-adaware1.html)

3. "Get started using Windows Defender" (http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/support/howto/default.mspx)

Scan your computer with all three programs and quarantine any suspicious files. I have all three programs installed on my computer and I have not experience any program thus far. If you have any other questions, just drop me an e-mail. Good luck.

Answer 5

There are some good antispywares that you can use freely. They are windows defender, ad-aware se personal, spybot s&d, avg antispyware.

(It will be wise if you make a backup of all your songs,photos and your classwork by burning them on cds/dvds. On a computer you never know when you will loose your data)

You have a very bad virus, which records your keystrokes and private info and sends it to someone else. Read the manual removal instructions on symantec website

http://www.sarc.com/avcenter/venc/data/pwsteal.revcuss.c.html

Download and install a free antikeylogger immediately.
for protection from keyloggers,a free and fully functional for unlimited use, but displays registration request, kind of nagware, press X to close the nag window. keylogger hunter 2.1
http://www.styopkin.com/keylogger_hunter.html

Answer 6

I can give a few links that offer free virus and spyware removers...!You may be having a virus or spyware installed on your PC. Norton, AVG , Avast are free antivirus software. Ad-aware, Ewido are free spyware removers. You can download free softwares at
http://fixit.in/antivirus.html and http://fixit.in/spywareremover.html

Answer 7

There's a good list of free spyware removal tools here, also has some good info on how to avoid stuff like this.http://www.basicspywaretips.com/getridofspyware.html

Answer 8

SpyBot - Search And Destroy...It's Completely Free...

Answer 9

One of these online scans should be able to remove it.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/ActiveScan.htm

http://www.bitdefender.com/

Answer 10

You should try superantispyware. It is very effective and it is FREE.