How to get rid of Adware / Spyware

[selwyn]

ccleaner kicks ass and is free. www.ccleaner.com

[mjrydsfast]

Aluria is what I use. I bought Ad-Aware and lost it three days after I had to do a hard install of XP. When I tried to get it back (I bought it legally online, no disk, big mistake), I couldn't get anyone there to respond. I then did a search and found Ad Aware was ranked DEAD LAST in customer service by PC. Aluria was almost as good, 5 of 5 stars, and had a far better customer service rating. It only failed to do one small thing that AD Aware did but from my non-geek perspective, it wasn't a huge deal. So, while AD AwARE truly is number one, be warned if you buy it. Have a hard copy and don't plan on getting any answers to your questions. My .2 cents...

[Visions]

Ok, there is no need to reformat a PC because of Spyware.....this takes hours if you have as many programs as I do!

If you never want spyware EVER on your PC get these 5 free simple and free programs

1. Download Ewido security suite
2. Download Hi-jack this......best thing around to look at regvalues
3. download Dr.web-cureit
4. download Cleanup!
5. Spybot S&D

These programs will rid your pc of any spyware infection you might have.....if you dont want to get all of these and know computers relatively well, just get Hijack this and cleanup.

I would also recommend regscrub xp to clean up old programs still in the registry.

If you are having a hard time determining what to delete when using hijack this, simply click on the save log part and PM me and I will help you.

Edit: Lavasofts Adaware actually installs spyware on your PC....

[Nemesis]

I'm surprised a lot of you guys haven't mentioned Virobot, Spyware Doctor, and Window Washer.

Running the three combined (recommended by my computer repairman) have caught all viruses, spyware, and adware.

PC Magazine rated Spyware Doctor in the Top 5 (rated 1st and 2nd).

Virobot, a lot of people haven't heard about this program because so much hype is put into brand names like Norton and McAfee and others, but this real-time eradication program works wonderfully and rated/recommended highly.

Also, Window Washer deletes all those cookies that may have adware/spyware attached to them.

Try it out. You won't be disappointed.

[Samurang]

Originally posted by Valgar

Best advice so far in this thread.

[krash22]

just throwin this out there, PLEASE be careful when using hijackthis. i dont know if this is a double post, but DO NOT delete everything that it comes up with, u will bork ur 'puter.

[iosgeek]

Originally Posted by JackTheTripper

Download both these free programs. Run them on a regular basis. You should run both as each get's some spyware the other does not. Always check for updates before running.

These programs are free but I highly recommend sending them a donation especially if they actually get rid of something on your computer. $5 is better than throwing out your computer and buying a new one, no?

Ad-Aware

SpyBot

You may want to add these two url's in the sticky

http://safety.livcom
http://housecall.trendmicro.com

Both of those scanners are Web Browser and are free. They work 100% and gets rid of almost 99.99% of virus/adware/spyware/malware and such.

[iosgeek]

Originally Posted by Samurang

Best advice so far in this thread.

Firefox is not immune to attacks. IE7 is solid. The only reason firefox worked great when it came is because its market share.

[Audacious Nick]

I recommend Noscript if you have FF

[Crynryan]

FYI guys. Using any of these programs isn't enough. Virus/malware creators know how most of these programs work and build script to replicate when you restart the computer. There are many ways to successfully remove those annoying buggers. It usually takes time and patience. If you don't have the time; The best way to make sure its gone is to install the operating system again. (which has been mentioned already) *WARNING* Before you do this make sure you have all the drivers and load them on to a thumb drive or CD. Installing it from the Windows disk will not include the drivers unless you have the CD that came with the computer.

First things first. Go to download.com and install the following:

CCleaner, malwarebytes, JavaRa - this list is the basics

Autoruns, Combofix, SmitFraudfix, Rogue Fix, Hijack this - advanced users only

Once you have installed the programs that fit your comfort level. Restart the computer and start smashing the F8 button. This will prompt you into a screen that will have the option to start the computer in "Safe Mode". Select that option. Once the computer has booted up in safe-mode start running the programs. (this is just a quick post this isn't a blow by blow how-to. If you need more info PM and I can help you out.

Oh one more thing, once you finished running the programs and have restarted the computer back into normal mode. Click "start". RT-Click "My Computer". Select "Properties". Click the "System Restore" tab and uncheck "Turn off System Restore" Once it has been turned off. Turn it back on. This will help to erase any of the unwanted programs in case you need to restore the computer back at a later date.

[Sidi]

if ya want i wrote a 5 post tutorial on this called Slow System, Lag, Crashes, Virus , Spyware, ect? if ya google it you can see how many ppl stole my post. the original was written for demonoid. if ya'll want i can "port" it over to here

[VinPearl]

Hello all,

I need some средства от прыщей цены. I havent bought a copy of Dundeon Siege II yet, but Im testing the Demo. The hit point graphics those red numbers annoy me. In my opinion, they make the game look childish like it was some arcade fighting game.

My question: Is there a way to get rid of those hit point graphics?

[major]

good looking out Jack!

[shrimants]

use firefox or chrome web browsers. make sure you install the Adblock add on. If you are concerned about blocking a site's revenue, simply add it to your white list and enable the "allow non intrusive ads" option (its enabled by default).

adblock stops all that fake download button crap and prevents accidental clicks. firefox and chrome both have great security features built in so you really have to TRY to get a virus.

Also, i use either AVG, Avast, or microsoft security essentials as my antivirus. they are great free antivirus programs. i see no reason to pay for a subscription to an antivirus provider when theres great free alternatives.

you can use malwarebytes antimalware to do a scan for viruses and stuff. it catches a lot of different things.

if you have a search redirect problem (IE you go to google and it bounces you to some random non-google search engine or redirects you a bunch of times first) you can get rid of that too.

you can grab the file called "tdsskiller" http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/tdsskiller/

its free, works great. but make sure you thoroughly read the instructions and disable antivirus for it to run. this is what you run when you are 1 step away from nuking.

Personally, i am of the opinion that once you have a virus, your computer is permanently compromised. i nuke immediately. I always have backups of all software and all data on hand.

Important stuff sits in someplace other than My Documents (like a seperate internal hard drive) and gets synced to something like dropbox or crashplan (or both). music, video, photos get moved to a NAS. photos get synced to crashplan. movies and music i dont really care if i lose. best backup method in terms of price/gb is getting single hard drives and a hard drive mount.

i can grab a 3-4TB hard drive, pop it into the mount, and make a full backup. Then i repackage the drive, label it thoroughly, and keep it away somewhere safe.

[Jack the Smack]

The OP's post is severely outdated. There is far better software out there now.

Preventive:

• Keep your OS up to date.
  That means Windows Update should be checking and installing updates every week. WannaCrypt's attack vector was patched a month before it hit in all Windows versions after XP.
  
• Use an ad blocker.
  I'm sorry websites that rely on ad revenue, but advertising is the number 1 vector for viruses these days. uBlock Origin (Chrome, Firefox) is by far the best one out. You can disable it on websites you trust. But not even Google.com is safe.
  
• Use anti-virus software.
  This is a no brainer. But the question is "which one?" Bitdefender Free edition is free and pretty high up there. Personally I prefer Avira Free Edition due to using the least amount of computer resources and having the highest rate of detection, but displays a popup every 48 hours for their premium software at the bottom right of your screen (unless you use a blocker like me). You can find the latest information on which AV is the best at av-comparatives.org
  
• Don't use, or let others use, your PC as Admin if unnecessary
  Alright, I use my PC as Admin all the time because I need Admin rights for most of the stuff I do. But if your family uses your PC, make a separate account that has no Admin privileges, and have yours locked down with a password. If they need to do something that requires admin rights, login as your Admin, do the thing they want you to do, and then logout. Don't give them the password, or else it defeats the whole purpose.
  
• You can send a suspicious file to be tested in seconds
  If you go to virustotal.com, you can upload any file and they'll scan it with tons of different virus scanners. So if you downloaded "justin_beiber_despacito(320).mp3.exe" and aren't sure if it's safe, virustotal will answer that question.
  
• Don't ever call the phone numbers given by warnings on your PC
  You may come across something that looks like this. It is fake. Never call any number displayed. If you're unsure, go to Microsoft.com or Apple.com and go through their support over there.
  
  What will happen is some dude from another country, outside US jurisdiction, will trick you into granting access to your PC. They will then demand money to fix your PC (which they themselves might have broken). They might also use your number for future scams/spamming.
  
  Here is an example of a phone scammer harassing the wrong dude:
  
  youtu.be/EOs_SjPGPNs

Treatment:
(not very knowledgeable on this part due to not getting a virus in 10 years)

1. Google the issues on a separate device
   If you're having problems, Google them first. It might not be a virus, just a setting or a piece of software you agreed to install by accident when you clicked Next as fast as possible on that installer.
   
2. Download, Install, Update some anti virus software, and then scan your PC
   Doing this first step will most likely eliminate the virus automatically, or at least stop its spread. Unless you're patient zero, the virus has probably been around for quite a while for AV software to have been updated.
   Here are some suggestions. You might need to do this on a separate device, then transfer over the installer to your infected computer with a USB Flash Drive You can use one or some or all of them:
   • MalwareBytes
   • Bitdefender Free
3. Check the preventive section
   It's almost impossible to get infected if you follow all the steps in the preventive section.