How to Clean Your Windows Machine of Spyware

"Lavasoft Ad–Aware" and "Spybot – Search and Destroy" are programs that take an active approach to removing spyware from your computer. Spyware is often installed without your knowledge when you install other programs, and it can be responsible for a wide range of problems, including pop–ups, system slow–down, and network failure. These two programs complement each other by each finding spyware the other will not, and using them can drastically reduce the number of spyware problems you suffer.

Set Up Ad–Aware

Download

1. Click here to download Ad-Aware.
2. Click "Download Now!" in the Window that appears, and save the file.

Install

1. Open the downloaded file, which should have a name like "aawsepersonal.exe."
2. Click "Next" on the first screen that appears.
3. At the next screen, read the EULA, click "I accept the license agreement," and click the "Next" button.
4. Click "Next" on the several following screens.
5. Once the progress bars are complete and a new screen is presented, uncheck the boxes and click the "Finish" button.

Use

After the install finishes, there should be an Ad–Aware icon on your desktop similar to the one below. If there is no icon on the desktop, there should be a folder in Start Menu → Programs → Lavasoft Ad-aware SE Personal.

1. Open the Ad–Aware program.
2. Click on the link in the bottom–right corner saying "Check for Updates Now."
3. In the window that appears, click the button that says "Connect." This will make Ad–Aware search for and download the newest spyware definitions, so it will be able to detect the newest forms of spyware.
4. When the button "Connect" changes to "Finish," click on it.
5. Back in the main window, click the button saying "Start."
6. Click the button saying "Next" on the next screen.

This will begin an Ad–Aware scan. Depending on the speed of your computer, it could take between five and twenty minutes to complete the scan. Let the scan run. It will make a sound and display a message saying "Scan Complete" when it is finished.

1. Click the button that says "Next."
2. At the following screen, right–click in the "Scanning Results" window and click on the "Select all objects" option in the menu that appears.
3. Click the "Next" button again, and click "OK" in the dialog box that appears.

Ad–Aware will now quarantine all the files it found. There is no need to delete them after being quarantined, they cannot run anymore. Ad–Aware may say it needs to restart to complete the removal; whenever you next restart, Ad–Aware will automatically finish its scan.

Maintenance

It is a good idea to periodically run Ad–Aware to remove spyware as it accumulates. Ad–Aware should remain on your computer, so that you can run scans at any time. Before running Ad–Aware, make sure to update the program. You can do this by clicking the "Check for Updates Now" button before running a scan.

Set Up Spybot

Download

1. Open your web browser to Spybot's Download.com site.
2. Click the link saying "Download Now" and save the file to your hard drive.

Install

1. Open the Spybot installer, which should have a name like "spybotsd13.exe."
2. In the dialog box that appears, select the appropriate language, and click "OK."
3. Click "Next" after reading through each of the several dialog boxes that appear.
4. At the final screen, make sure the "Run SpybotSD.exe" box is checked, then click "Finish."

Use

When Spybot opens for the first time, it will open a window titled "Spybot–S&D Wizard" that will lead you through configuring and running Spybot for the first time.

1. Click the button "Create registry backup" and wait until it completes. Then click the next button.
2. Click the "Search for Updates" button when it appears, and when it finds the updates, click "Download all available updates."
3. Click "Next" again, and on the next screen, click the "Immunize this system" button. Then click "Next" again.
4. On this screen, click the bottom button, "Start using the program."
5. Click on "Search & Destroy" in the left–hand navigation bar.
6. In the main window, click the button that says "Check for problems." This will initiate the Spybot scan.
7. When the scan is finished, click the button that says "Fix selected problems." Click "Yes" in the dialog box that appears.

Maintenance

Whenever you run Ad–Aware, it is a good idea to run Spybot as well to pick up anything Ad–Aware misses. Before running Spybot, make sure to update the program. You can do this by clicking the "Search for Updates" button on the main screen when you first open the program.