RedWine
07-11-2006, 09:54 AM
Let me start of by saying, spyware and viruses are two different types of malicious software. Spyware is more common and sometimes just reduces your PCs performance. Viruses however can shutdown you PC all together! This wikihow is going to give you a step by step manual on how to rid you PC of spyware, and prevent future threats.
Steps
To begin this wiki-how, you need the following programs available at download.com or check external links at the bottom of the page: Spybot
Search and Destroy, Spyware Blaster, Windows Defender.
Create a new folder and place the downloaded installation files in there, that’s it for the 1st step!
Now run Windows Update by either starting Internet Explorer and going to Tools>Windows Update or click start go to run and paste this: %SystemRoot%\system32\wupdmgr.exe Windows Updates will ensure you PC is
secured from known threats to the OS version. Restart if told to do so.
Go to c:\programs and create a new folder called “Security Apps‿ or any name you choose. When that’s done install the applications into that folder by choosing custom install and navigating to the folder you made.
Run Spyware Blaster. The first time you run this program it would guide you through the steps. Basically all you need to know is click “Updates‿ then “Check for Updates‿ (updates will download automatically if available) then click “Protection‿ then “Enable all‿ close the program and your done!
Now start Spybot DON’T SCAN YET! Instead, click “Update‿ download the “definition updates‿ the others are optional but not necessary, now go to “Immunize‿ and click “Immunize‿ at the top. Then click “Search &
Destroy‿ and “Check for Problems‿ when that’s done click “Fix Problems‿ to clean the system. If Spybot prompts you to run at startup to complete the cleaning say NO, the next program most likely will finish up.
Don’t close Spybot just yet, go to mode and check “advance mode‿ select “tools‿ from the left bar and then click “system startup‿ and uncheck all entries highlighted in RED.
Close Spybot and run Windows Defender, do a scan and clean out the entries and that’s it. You can close the program, if it prompts you however to do any action go ahead and do it.
And you’re finished, that wasn’t hard was it. Let me tell you what you just did; you just eliminated spyware from your PC as well as spyware start-up programs, you stopped future threats from evading your PC in the future and you improved your PCs overall performance, NOW RESTART!
Tips
Avoid downloading .exe files except if it’s from a trusted site or well known Company that distributes a certain application. .exe is an executable file (meaning they launch a program or setup). This applies especially for those who use p2p applications, users disguise .exe applications as mp3s or movie files, and when the downloader launches it the program claims to be extracting the files but instead it installs a bunch of bad programs!
Even popular sites can distribute spyware in there downloads, so always choose custom installation to know exactly what you’re installing and you can uncheck the files you don’t want.
Warnings
Some sites advertise “Your PC is infected scan immediately‿ or “free scan‿ these are all spyware programs waiting to be executed and install advertising feeds, because that’s what spyware is, advertising based on information they gathered from you, so for your sake don’t click those adds and don't download anything!!
there's also spyware disguised as antispyware programs, so be careful.
External Links
spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/
windows defender (formally known as Microsoft Antispyware) http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
spyware blaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
Steps
To begin this wiki-how, you need the following programs available at download.com or check external links at the bottom of the page: Spybot
Search and Destroy, Spyware Blaster, Windows Defender.
Create a new folder and place the downloaded installation files in there, that’s it for the 1st step!
Now run Windows Update by either starting Internet Explorer and going to Tools>Windows Update or click start go to run and paste this: %SystemRoot%\system32\wupdmgr.exe Windows Updates will ensure you PC is
secured from known threats to the OS version. Restart if told to do so.
Go to c:\programs and create a new folder called “Security Apps‿ or any name you choose. When that’s done install the applications into that folder by choosing custom install and navigating to the folder you made.
Run Spyware Blaster. The first time you run this program it would guide you through the steps. Basically all you need to know is click “Updates‿ then “Check for Updates‿ (updates will download automatically if available) then click “Protection‿ then “Enable all‿ close the program and your done!
Now start Spybot DON’T SCAN YET! Instead, click “Update‿ download the “definition updates‿ the others are optional but not necessary, now go to “Immunize‿ and click “Immunize‿ at the top. Then click “Search &
Destroy‿ and “Check for Problems‿ when that’s done click “Fix Problems‿ to clean the system. If Spybot prompts you to run at startup to complete the cleaning say NO, the next program most likely will finish up.
Don’t close Spybot just yet, go to mode and check “advance mode‿ select “tools‿ from the left bar and then click “system startup‿ and uncheck all entries highlighted in RED.
Close Spybot and run Windows Defender, do a scan and clean out the entries and that’s it. You can close the program, if it prompts you however to do any action go ahead and do it.
And you’re finished, that wasn’t hard was it. Let me tell you what you just did; you just eliminated spyware from your PC as well as spyware start-up programs, you stopped future threats from evading your PC in the future and you improved your PCs overall performance, NOW RESTART!
Tips
Avoid downloading .exe files except if it’s from a trusted site or well known Company that distributes a certain application. .exe is an executable file (meaning they launch a program or setup). This applies especially for those who use p2p applications, users disguise .exe applications as mp3s or movie files, and when the downloader launches it the program claims to be extracting the files but instead it installs a bunch of bad programs!
Even popular sites can distribute spyware in there downloads, so always choose custom installation to know exactly what you’re installing and you can uncheck the files you don’t want.
Warnings
Some sites advertise “Your PC is infected scan immediately‿ or “free scan‿ these are all spyware programs waiting to be executed and install advertising feeds, because that’s what spyware is, advertising based on information they gathered from you, so for your sake don’t click those adds and don't download anything!!
there's also spyware disguised as antispyware programs, so be careful.
External Links
spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/
windows defender (formally known as Microsoft Antispyware) http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
spyware blaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html