My computer is filled with spyware. How do I get rid of it?

Question

I keep having pop-ups and my computer is slowing down. I dont know what to do. Your advice is greatly appreciated.Thank You.

Answer 1

a-squared free than after it's clean install spywareblaster both are free at download.com

Answer 2

1. Download and run firefox to protect your from future spyware attacks and pop ups which are coming in through internet explorer (Trojan downloaders, win32 ) .Then update your windows through firefox
http://securitynewsfromthenet.blogspot.com/2007/05/spyware-fighter-essentials.html

Also install internet explorer 7 which is now free for everyone oct2007
http://securitynewsfromthenet.blogspot.com/2007/10/internet-explorer-7-available-now-to.html
This should stop 50% of the spyware and popups attacking your computer

2. Run the vundo and combo fix
http://securitynewsfromthenet.blogspot.com/2007/05/vundofix-and-combo-fix.html

3. Run the anti spyware remove programs spybot
http://securitynewsfromthenet.blogspot.com/2007/03/spybot-search-and-destroy-spyware-and.html

and superantispyware
http://securitynewsfromthenet.blogspot.com/2007/04/superantispyware-home-edition-free.html
to get rid of the nasties

4. Run a free online virus scan to be sure you computer is virus and spyware free.
http://securitynewsfromthenet.blogspot.com/2007/03/online-virus-scan.html

5. Get the clean up tools to clean up the spyware from your temp folder (the place they are stored when downloaded by internet explorer)
http://securitynewsfromthenet.blogspot.com/2007/03/clean-up-tools-to-prevent-people-from.html

WHAT DO YOU DO IF EVERYTHING FAILS TO REMOVE THE SPYWARE or You are not sure your computer is spyware and virus free?
If everything fails to get the nasty spyware removed let the experts take a look at whats happening on your computer.Visit the HijackThis Logs and Analysis forum.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum22.html

Wiping your computer clean is NOT the solution.
Asking /paying someone else to fix the problem is NOT the solution .

TAKE A STAND NOW!IT's YOUR COMPUTER !!

Answer 3

You are infected with spyware if:

* You see too much pop-up advertisements.
* Your browser has toolbars that you haven't installed.
* Your homepage has changed (and you can't change it back).
* Other settings have changed without your permission.
* Your computer is slow.

To get rid of spyware and keep your computer clean you can use an antispyware or even more.
You can download a antispyware software. There are 10 good anti-spywares.
the link<--http://ttreviews.info

You can download one and scan your system.
All are safe and can be trusted.

Answer 4

There is no single correct soultion but I personally use Spybot and Adaware to keep my PC clean of spyware.

No single program can detect and eradicate all spyware which is why I recommend using Ad-aware and Spybot (they are free and the best). Other great free anti-spyware programs would be AVG Anti-spyware (formally Ewido) and Super Anti-spyware.

Webroot Spy Sweeper is the best, but it's not free (see the Consumer Search source for reviews of the best anti-spyware programs).

Running these programs in Safe Mode (tap F8 after powering on the computer and choose to boot to Safe Mode) can be more effective.

Answer 5

Use the following websites to increase your pc/laptops performance. Slow computer performance is a result of bad operating sytem registry. System Registry gets damaged due to failed installations, incomplete un-installations, disabled drivers, spyware etc. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

http://www.pctools.com
http://www.geeksquad.com/tools/

Overview
PC's today get cluttered with more damaging data, junk, and extra files than ever. This results in poor PC performance, frequent system crashes, slow Internet connections and worse. Fortunately there are some great software downloads that you can use to fix things. We've reviewed dozens of them and selected several of the best that will get your PC running faster and more stable than ever. These easy to use programs can have your PC cleaned and tuned up in no time.

Common PC Errors
A good Registry Cleaner will clean and repair thousands of types of errors. Some of the more common of these include:


Runtime Error - An error that occurs during the execution of a program.
ActiveX Error - An error caused by certain browser settings and misconfigured system files.
DLL Error - Missing or corrupt .dll files often occur when removing or installing a program.
.exe Error - Often occur during system or program start up due to unneeded files in the Windows registry.
General Protection Fault - Occurs when a program that is running violates the hardware rules in some way.
Blue Screen of Death - Occurs when Windows cannot recover from a system error. Usually requires a reboot.
Windows Explorer Error - A dirty registry may cause Windows Explorer to get stuck in a loop.
iExplore or iExplorer Error - An error related to your Internet Explorer browser often causing it to shut down.
Access Violation - An error that occurs when an application tries to access storage not designated for it.
System32 Error - An error often caused by missing or corrupt system files.
Windows Installer Error - Caused by 3rd party "shell extensions" resulting in a white screen and/or crash.

Bottom Line
Your first line of attack in fixing PC errors and getting your computer running at top speed again is to use a good Registry Cleaner or virus/WARE scanner

Answer 6

Follow some of the recommendations posted- mainly-

SuperAntispyware from:
http://www.superantispyware.com
Lavasoft's Ad-Aware 2007 from:
http://www.lavasoft.com
SpyBot Search and Destroy from:
http://www.safer-networking.com

These are free to use...so, download, install, update and scan with more then one of them. I recommend using all of them, one at a time. Fix/Quarantine what they find and make sure you are running an up-to-date Anti-virus program for real time protection.

TIP:
#1- Scan with one anti-spyware program- fix all it finds and then exit.
#2- Scan with the 'other' anti-spyware program- fix all it finds and then exit.
#3- Scan with the next anti-spyware program- fix all it finds and then exit.

Pop-ups can be produced by different infections that may be hard to remove without specialized help. After your initial malware scans, monitor the computer for continuing activity regarding pop-ups. If they continue, you may want to take up the issue by posting on the malware forum here:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com

*Never mess with your registry unless you know what you are doing!
*Beware of using any 'Registry Cleaners' unless you know what THEY are doing! Things CAN and DO go wrong.

Answer 7

If anything fails, then you will have to re-install your operating system, operation that involves erasing everything from your computer. The best recommendation is to get an anti-spyware and use it. It is very risky to have your personal data stored on a computer with any meanings of external connection. My recommendation is to not store personal info on your computer, no matter of how much is protected.

Answer 8

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 9

download avg anti spyware(i use this) or any other spyware software that u like from www.download.com
update it after the installation and run a scan..

Answer 10

This is the only program i use to get rid of spyware
http://www.lavasoft.com/

Answer 11

Try this site, they have spyware tools and a lot more.
http://majorgeeks.com/page.php?id=20