I use Ad-Aware and Spybot, both are freeware programs that scan your computer for and remove spyware. You can just search for them in google or look for them at a free download site like download.com.
I second Ad-ware, but I have never used Spybot. Also, it is a good idea to run that program that rearrages your files after running the Ad-ware or whatever. I think it is called Defrag, but I will have to ask SO and post later.
Go to google and search for "AAd-Aware."
Click one of the first sites that comes up, leading you toa page from a company called Lavasoft. On the upper right, theres a link leading you to Downloads.com. Go there and download the program.
Install the program onto your computer.
If you don't have too much Spyware, or a lot of time to let the computer sit alone and run the program for the first time, start up the program, click "Check for updates" and connect to the server to update the program. Run a Smart System scan of your hard drive. At the end of the process, select all the files found by right clicking on the list and selecting "select all." Click next and Ad-Aware will delete everything it found.
If it found a lot of stuff, you can run a full system scan next, beacuse that will pick up a few more spyware programs. This really is the best program I've ever used to remove spyware (I work doing this at a help desk on my campus).
What can you do to avoid this problem?
1. Run Adaware regularly. Most people find that once a week takes care of most problems.
2. Keep Windows up to date. If you are running Windows, you can open an Internet Explorer Browser window and click on :Tools>Windows Updates" on the top bar of the window. This will redirect you to a windows update screen, where you want to choose "Express Install", then download and install all critical updates. If your computer is far behind on the updates, it may take a while to finish this, becasue things usually need to be installed ina certain order.
I don't know off the top of my head how, but try to set windows updates to automatically download and install updates without needing your permission. There should be a link from the Windows updates page. If you don't see it and want help, I can figure it out for you, just ask.
3. Don't use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser for the internet. I highly highly highly recommend Mozilla Firefox. Its very similar to Internet Explorer, but it doesn't have all the security holes that make it susceptible to apyware (and tyhe pop-ups associated with them). You can download this program for free from Mozilla. Find it by Google searching for "Mozilla Firefox", and following instructions from the home page.
Go to google and search for "AAd-Aware."
Click one of the first sites that comes up, leading you toa page from a company called Lavasoft. On the upper right, theres a link leading you to Downloads.com. Go there and download the program.
Install the program onto your computer.
If you don't have too much Spyware, or a lot of time to let the computer sit alone and run the program for the first time, start up the program, click "Check for updates" and connect to the server to update the program. Run a Smart System scan of your hard drive. At the end of the process, select all the files found by right clicking on the list and selecting "select all." Click next and Ad-Aware will delete everything it found.
If it found a lot of stuff, you can run a full system scan next, beacuse that will pick up a few more spyware programs. This really is the best program I've ever used to remove spyware (I work doing this at a help desk on my campus).
What can you do to avoid this problem?
1. Run Adaware regularly. Most people find that once a week takes care of most problems.
2. Keep Windows up to date. If you are running Windows, you can open an Internet Explorer Browser window and click on :Tools>Windows Updates" on the top bar of the window. This will redirect you to a windows update screen, where you want to choose "Express Install", then download and install all critical updates. If your computer is far behind on the updates, it may take a while to finish this, becasue things usually need to be installed ina certain order.
I don't know off the top of my head how, but try to set windows updates to automatically download and install updates without needing your permission. There should be a link from the Windows updates page. If you don't see it and want help, I can figure it out for you, just ask.
3. Don't use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser for the internet. I highly highly highly recommend Mozilla Firefox. Its very similar to Internet Explorer, but it doesn't have all the security holes that make it susceptible to apyware (and tyhe pop-ups associated with them). You can download this program for free from Mozilla. Find it by Google searching for "Mozilla Firefox", and following instructions from the home page.
LEt me know if you need more help or more info.
Thanks a LOT! Im trying it and I'll let you know how it works!!
I use Spybot as well, and if you do a google search for Spy Sweeper, i think that will produce a good site to get a free download of Spy Sweeper, which works really well.
Get a firewall along with the other suggestions. also, don't use AOL for your internet service, it FUCKS up your PC. Take it from the wife of a Senior Operations Analyst (computer geek).
My parents use Ad-Ware too. It works really well for them. It scans and checks EVERY single file on your computer and lists all the viruses and wipes them out.
Yea. My internet stopped working now..and I tried the Adaware but whenever i ran the scan, my computer would say some error thing and restart itself..shit! I dont know what to do!
STOP using internet explorer. 95% of adware programs target it. I would find and download Ad-Aware and SpyBot Search and Destroy. Download both and run both. You may need to restart your computer 4 or 5 times total with both programs but, together, they are VERY effective (run them one at a time though, they take up most of your running memory)
It is loads better than explorer with a safe and effective pop up killer included. It's free by the way.
I went through this about a month ago and the tech said that Internet Explorer was the worst browser one can use. He recommended Mozilla Firefox and I LOVE IT.
Go to google and search for "AAd-Aware."
Click one of the first sites that comes up, leading you toa page from a company called Lavasoft. On the upper right, theres a link leading you to Downloads.com. Go there and download the program.
Install the program onto your computer.
If you don't have too much Spyware, or a lot of time to let the computer sit alone and run the program for the first time, start up the program, click "Check for updates" and connect to the server to update the program. Run a Smart System scan of your hard drive. At the end of the process, select all the files found by right clicking on the list and selecting "select all." Click next and Ad-Aware will delete everything it found.
If it found a lot of stuff, you can run a full system scan next, beacuse that will pick up a few more spyware programs. This really is the best program I've ever used to remove spyware (I work doing this at a help desk on my campus).
What can you do to avoid this problem?
1. Run Adaware regularly. Most people find that once a week takes care of most problems.
2. Keep Windows up to date. If you are running Windows, you can open an Internet Explorer Browser window and click on :Tools>Windows Updates" on the top bar of the window. This will redirect you to a windows update screen, where you want to choose "Express Install", then download and install all critical updates. If your computer is far behind on the updates, it may take a while to finish this, becasue things usually need to be installed ina certain order.
I don't know off the top of my head how, but try to set windows updates to automatically download and install updates without needing your permission. There should be a link from the Windows updates page. If you don't see it and want help, I can figure it out for you, just ask.
3. Don't use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser for the internet. I highly highly highly recommend Mozilla Firefox. Its very similar to Internet Explorer, but it doesn't have all the security holes that make it susceptible to apyware (and tyhe pop-ups associated with them). You can download this program for free from Mozilla. Find it by Google searching for "Mozilla Firefox", and following instructions from the home page.
Thanks a LOT both of you!! Im going to try to fix everything and then I'll stop using internet explorer. I have never heard any of that before so thats very helpful thanks a lot!
Simply put, spyware programs "watch" what you are doing on your computer and tailor ads to you.
If you type into google "Las Vegas" while researching for a trip, you'll notice a lot of pop-up ads for casinos and gambling start to appear on your computer.
These programs are not generally a threat to security (not getting your credit card numbers or other personal info), but they can cripple a computer by using up all the processor power.
Get a firewall along with the other suggestions. also, don't use AOL for your internet service, it FUCKS up your PC. Take it from the wife of a Senior Operations Analyst (computer geek).
Or as my computer geeks phrases it: "AOL is a virus"
Get a firewall along with the other suggestions. also, don't use AOL for your internet service, it FUCKS up your PC. Take it from the wife of a Senior Operations Analyst (computer geek).
Or as my computer geeks phrases it: "AOL is a virus"
haha I like that!
I have AOL, but I only use that to check my email. I used to use Internet Explorer, but after I got the spy ware off of my computer, I took the advice of UrErin and got Mozilla FireFox instead, and havent had any problems with it. I highly recommend it!
I was a spyware victim---my homepage was highjacked. Whenever I pressed the "home" icon on my computer, I would get a stupid search engine called "www.istarthere.com". I could change the homepage, but the changes wouldn't save when I booted up my drive the next day.
I downloaded anti-spyware from my ISP's site. I can't remember the name but the icon has a yellow radar on it. But it's great and it took care of my problem.
Also, Mozilla Foxfire is very nice. I saw it the first time in school, cuz their computer had Mozilla's icon next to Internet Explorer's. I like Mozilla---plus it's not part of the Microsoft Monopoly Monster.
I use Ad-Aware and Spybot, both are freeware programs that scan your computer for and remove spyware. You can just search for them in google or look for them at a free download site like download.com.
I second Ad-ware, but I have never used Spybot. Also, it is a good idea to run that program that rearrages your files after running the Ad-ware or whatever. I think it is called Defrag, but I will have to ask SO and post later.
Go to google and search for "AAd-Aware."
Click one of the first sites that comes up, leading you toa page from a company called Lavasoft. On the upper right, theres a link leading you to Downloads.com. Go there and download the program.
Install the program onto your computer.
If you don't have too much Spyware, or a lot of time to let the computer sit alone and run the program for the first time, start up the program, click "Check for updates" and connect to the server to update the program. Run a Smart System scan of your hard drive. At the end of the process, select all the files found by right clicking on the list and selecting "select all." Click next and Ad-Aware will delete everything it found.
If it found a lot of stuff, you can run a full system scan next, beacuse that will pick up a few more spyware programs. This really is the best program I've ever used to remove spyware (I work doing this at a help desk on my campus).
What can you do to avoid this problem?
1. Run Adaware regularly. Most people find that once a week takes care of most problems.
2. Keep Windows up to date. If you are running Windows, you can open an Internet Explorer Browser window and click on :Tools>Windows Updates" on the top bar of the window. This will redirect you to a windows update screen, where you want to choose "Express Install", then download and install all critical updates. If your computer is far behind on the updates, it may take a while to finish this, becasue things usually need to be installed ina certain order.
I don't know off the top of my head how, but try to set windows updates to automatically download and install updates without needing your permission. There should be a link from the Windows updates page. If you don't see it and want help, I can figure it out for you, just ask.
3. Don't use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser for the internet. I highly highly highly recommend Mozilla Firefox. Its very similar to Internet Explorer, but it doesn't have all the security holes that make it susceptible to apyware (and tyhe pop-ups associated with them). You can download this program for free from Mozilla. Find it by Google searching for "Mozilla Firefox", and following instructions from the home page.
LEt me know if you need more help or more info.
Thanks a LOT! Im trying it and I'll let you know how it works!!
I use Spybot as well, and if you do a google search for Spy Sweeper, i think that will produce a good site to get a free download of Spy Sweeper, which works really well.
Get a firewall along with the other suggestions. also, don't use AOL for your internet service, it FUCKS up your PC. Take it from the wife of a Senior Operations Analyst (computer geek).
My parents use Ad-Ware too. It works really well for them. It scans and checks EVERY single file on your computer and lists all the viruses and wipes them out.
Do you use internet explorer?
Yea. My internet stopped working now..and I tried the Adaware but whenever i ran the scan, my computer would say some error thing and restart itself..shit! I dont know what to do!
STOP using internet explorer. 95% of adware programs target it. I would find and download Ad-Aware and SpyBot Search and Destroy. Download both and run both. You may need to restart your computer 4 or 5 times total with both programs but, together, they are VERY effective (run them one at a time though, they take up most of your running memory)
Then download Mozilla Firefox here:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
It is loads better than explorer with a safe and effective pop up killer included. It's free by the way.
I went through this about a month ago and the tech said that Internet Explorer was the worst browser one can use. He recommended Mozilla Firefox and I LOVE IT.
I just realized you said the same thing :) Sorry.
Thanks a LOT both of you!! Im going to try to fix everything and then I'll stop using internet explorer. I have never heard any of that before so thats very helpful thanks a lot!
Hehe, no problem... As long as e're on the same anti-Microsoft's crappy programs team, i don't care how often it all gets repeated ;-)
ok. can someone tell me exactly what spyware is? :wink:
thanks!
shalisa
Simply put, spyware programs "watch" what you are doing on your computer and tailor ads to you.
If you type into google "Las Vegas" while researching for a trip, you'll notice a lot of pop-up ads for casinos and gambling start to appear on your computer.
These programs are not generally a threat to security (not getting your credit card numbers or other personal info), but they can cripple a computer by using up all the processor power.
I got it all figured out!! Thanks gals!!
Or as my computer geeks phrases it: "AOL is a virus"
haha I like that!
I have AOL, but I only use that to check my email. I used to use Internet Explorer, but after I got the spy ware off of my computer, I took the advice of UrErin and got Mozilla FireFox instead, and havent had any problems with it. I highly recommend it!
yay, glad to hear it worked well :-)
I love my Firefox :-)
I love mine too now! Thanks a BUNCH!
I was a spyware victim---my homepage was highjacked. Whenever I pressed the "home" icon on my computer, I would get a stupid search engine called "www.istarthere.com". I could change the homepage, but the changes wouldn't save when I booted up my drive the next day.
I downloaded anti-spyware from my ISP's site. I can't remember the name but the icon has a yellow radar on it. But it's great and it took care of my problem.
Also, Mozilla Foxfire is very nice. I saw it the first time in school, cuz their computer had Mozilla's icon next to Internet Explorer's. I like Mozilla---plus it's not part of the Microsoft Monopoly Monster.
Mozilla kicks ass!