Free spyware remover? (off-topic)

[FJ and G]

The spyware insurgents have struck. PC got infected, I know many moons ago we discussed this but software changes. Can anyone recommend a free spyware remover?

THanks! (I'm using Mozilla)

(been workin' on the RR all weekend. Cannot post until Tuesday (probably no one will look at Sunday photo fun by then)[:D]

[spankybird]

Dave,

I use Ad-Aware SE

[Anonymous]

I use Ad-Aware SE Personal. It's free!!

[Anonymous]

I have free copies of AdAware SE, Spy Blaster, and Spybot S&D. More importantly, I use Zonealarm and an Anti Virus (AVAST), all free for personal use. Most of the time I browse w Firefox, a Mozilla variant.
Remember to update the spyware a couple of times a month. The free versions won't do that automatically, like the AV and Zonealarm.
You may need help from your ISP support staff, I've swallowed my pride several times with some of the very pernicious viruses and ads.

[Demon09]

AdAware is one of the better ones. If you go to www.download.com you can enter spyware and all kinds will show up.... some free, some not, but virtually every type available anywhere will show......

After you get it all off, if you use the yahoo or google tool bars on your browser they have pop up and spyware protection built into the program that works a little better than the standard windows blocker.... You can also go into your security settings page and raise the security level to block certain types of internet "cookies" from automatically installing on your computer.

[Dave Farquhar]

None of them (not even the paid ones) catch everything, so run more than one. I always run Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware SE whenever someone brings me a computer that's acting goofy. There's another one that I like that's called Bazooka. It doesn't actually remove anything--it just tells you what it found and gives a process for removing each infection (often tedious). But the nice thing about Bazooka is that it runs in seconds. So often I'll run Bazooka just to find out what kind of shape the computer is in. If Bazooka doesn't find anything then I'll look elsewhere before I spend half an hour running the others. Then I'll run Bazooka afterward in case there's anything the others didn't clean up.

More often than not at least one of them finds something that the others didn't. And after running them, the computer calms down.

Having antivirus software and a firewall is also a good idea. If you have one of those boxes from Linksys, D-Link, Netgear, or others that lets you share your cable/DSL Internet connection between multiple computers, that also acts like a firewall. It's more effective and safer than firewall software that runs on your computer itself. And anymore, they're really cheap--under $20 if you shop around a little. Excellent investment.

[Anonymous]

Ad Aware is passive (aka you run it periodically to sweep for stuff). SpyBot S&D has an active component along with the sweep function. You should "watch" what it's doing in case is disables something you need.

[Anonymous]

DO NOT USE SPYBOT it is spyware!! I make A LOT of money cleaning up what Spybot does to your computer. Ad-Aware is ok to remove hidden cookies. You should use Micorsoft's Windows Defender, its free and works very well. Also Ewido has a 14 day trial of its anit-malware program and it works exceptionally well(its only $39.00 if you want to use it beyond the trial period. Also REMOVE all IM's especially AOL, Yahoo, and MSN, they are the biggest source of spyware. And last remove any Norton products. We love them at my shop its FREE money for me.

[mitchelr]

I use a Mac. Enough said.[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

Mitch[swg]

[Dave Farquhar]

Well, I'm an IT professional too (10+ years experience and a number of publications to my credit), and I've never heard from someone who wasn't trying to sell something else that Spybot S&D is spyware itself. But I do know some (but not all) of the for-pay spyware removers contain spyware. But don't take my word for it--both PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com) and PC World (www.pcworld.com) have given the free versions of Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware good marks for years.

While both Symantec (Norton) and NA (McAfee) products have problems, the difference between them is like the difference between Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Neither is perfect, both have annoying quirks, but chances are your computer already came with one or the other of them. In my experience the majority of antivirus problems are caused when you try to remove one of them and install another. When this happens, a Winsock repair program (http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html) usually will clear up the problem. I've also fixed these problems by completely removing TCP/IP and reinstalling it.

If you don't have antivirus software, there's a decent chance your ISP provides it and you're already paying for it. Call your customer service hotline and ask.

[cnw1995]

Do Macs get spyware? - I have one at home and it seems to not be affected from this - nor viruses either

[Dave Farquhar]

Macintosh viruses and spyware are relatively rare today, for two reasons: architectural changes and market penetration. Apple revamped the OS around 2000, and they've changed processor architectures three times (Motorola 68K -> PowerPC -> Intel x86). Without getting into too much computer theory, viruses and spyware tend not to withstand these types of changes. A lot of other software doesn't either, but when something Apple did breaks Pagemaker, Adobe is going to fix it, and people are going to notice and download the update. (If you want to know the real reason why most IT guys don't like Macintoshes, this is it--diagnosing those problems and then tracking down the updates can be very difficult and time-consuming.)

The second reason is that for the past decade, the Macintosh has had anywhere from 3-7 percent of the market. The scumbags who write this kind of stuff want market penetration, so they're going to target the 90% of the market that is running some flavor of Windows.

There is Macintosh virus code out there, so I do believe it's just a matter of time before we start seeing this type of software for it. Back in the early 1990s when the Macintosh had a large share of the market, there was a similar number of viruses for both the Macintosh and PC.

The last update Apple released for OS X fixed more than 20 security holes (I don't remember if it was 22 or 25). So Macintosh users DO need to be diligent about keeping their systems patched just like everyone else, and they need a firewall, preferably an external box such as those from Linksys or D-Link or Netgear, unless you know how to call up /etc/ipf.rules into a text editor and what you see in that file means something to you. Since Mac OS X is based on a Unix kernel and has all of the standard Unix tools on it, it is an extremely attractive target for a hacker. Linux has the same problem.

I wouldn't put any computer made by anybody directly on the public Internet without a firewall, unless it's something so obscure that most people have never heard of it.

Now this had BETER not turn into a Windows-vs.-Macintosh flamewar.

[Poppa_Zit]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

The spyware insurgents have struck. PC got infected, I know many moons ago we discussed this but software changes. Can anyone recommend a free spyware remover?[:D]

First thing, stop visiting all of those adult websites. [:D]

Watch out for spyware packaged as "SpyAxe." It is spyware containing trojans that takes over your PC and keeps redirecting you to a website where the buttheads that invented it charge you for a removal program -- which doesn't work. It gets onto your hard drive when you visit an infected website.

I use McAfee on six office computers I own, and four at the house (two laptops). Have had only one problem, and that's with SpyAxe. McAfee alerted that it came through, but at the time didn't stop it. HUGE PITA to remove, took three hours to find a fix and remove every crumb off my hard drive.

[FJ and G]

Used Spybot & Ad aware. They have improved the system immensely. However, once they delete the aliens, they say something like "deleted 72, but 1 could not be deleted. Restart the computer and try again".

Inevitably, 1 or 2 thingies won't delete, even after restart. however, as I said, the system is 100% better.

At work I have a Mac and have no problems. At home, the PC has problems. I have never visited a no-no site but the other day, the apple tempted me. So I'm paying the price[:D]

[Dave Farquhar]

Dave, visit this site:
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/

Download a copy of Bazooka, run it, and see what it says. If there are only one or two things, its manual deletion process won't be as painful. It's better to get rid of whatever might be lingering, if possible.

[Anonymous]

David,
A while back I had a virus that backed itself up! You clean it, restart, and the backup reinstalls itself and then backs itself up. SOOO, fortunately my ISP knew about it, and one of the reboots we went into DOS mode and removed the backup copy, before going into Win 98 SE which I still use.
Definitely not looking forward to upgrading to XP or VISTA. The latter is becoming more important as 4GB of memory no longer suffices for the big programs doing multi media.
BTW - my tools are free because I use only 1 copy on my 1 PC.

[cnw1995]

Thanks for the good lesson and advice, Dave. You write very clearly and understand-able-ly about this.

[FJ and G]

Thanks Dave and others for the follow-on advice!

One last question. When I turn my computer on, the Spybot asks if I want to do a full-system check and I say "yeah" and it lasts about 7 minutes. Then, the Ad aware comes on and does the same. IOW, it's at least 10 or more minutes before I can even connect w/Internet!

Do I or should I go thru this ritual every time I turn on the Internet?

[phillyreading]

I use Spy Sweeper by Web Root, it is not free but according to PC magazine it is the best anti-spy ware to date. Go to www.webroot.com
I think I have the address correct.
Lee

[ADCX Rob]

Time to dance the "tango"...

securitytango.com

Follow the recommendations about safe mode & rebooting, and you will be ship-shape (or on the right track, anyway). Ad Aware & SpyBot are part of the "Tango", the tango gives you the order to perform each task & tips.

Rob

[Dave Farquhar]

I don't see any point in doing a full system check unless you're having problems or suspect it. Doing a 17-minute scan every time you turn the computer on is WAY overkill. Once a week or even once a month is probably reasonable. I know people who do it a lot less often and (mostly) get away with it.

[FJ and G]

thanks much all!! I've downloaded all of this info and followng Dave's advice, haven't had to log into each remedy site each bootup and no pop=ups appear as long as I stay on the various TRAIN and model trains forums; IOW, the straight and narrow[:D][:D][:D]

[johnandjulie13]

Hello Dave:

If the spyware persists, try visiting malwareremoval.org. They will walk you through a series of steps to ensure that the malicious code has been removed from your machine. They also have good recommendations for free software that can be used to prevent infiltrations in the future.

Regards,

John O