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Steps for Removing Spyware, Trojans, and other Malware

Step 4: Run Spybot - Search & Destroy

Spybot - Search and Destroy is a good free utility that you can open anytime you want and use to scan for malware on your computer and to remove any malware found.

I recommend running Spybot-S&D as part of any malware-removal process, but I just want to mention that Spybot may be a little more apt to report a false positive. I think that I've gotten only one false-positive detection from Spybot: I had installed an anti-malware program called Spyhunter (not free), and because there have been reports of spyware with the same name (Spyhunter), Spybot detected my Spyhunter. But all I had to do was right-click on the item and then click on Exclude this detection from further searches.

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Where to Download
Installation Tip: Don't Enable the Resident TeaTimer Component
Setup Tip: If Resident TeaTimer Is Enabled, You Can Disable It
Setup to Do Before Your First Scan
How to Run SpyBot - Search & Destroy
Support


Where to Download

Spybot - Search & Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html (the publisher's site)
(Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista. Windows 95 use Spybot-S&D 1.5)    Back to menu


Installation Tip: Don't Enable the Resident TeaTimer Component

During installation, I recommend that you opt not to enable the Resident TeaTimer component of this software. It issues too many unnecessary alerts.    Back to menu


Setup Tip: If Resident TeaTimer Is Enabled, You Can Disable It

If after you install Spybot-S&D, you get lots of pop-ups from the program, Resident TeaTimer is probably enabled.

If TeaTimer is enabled, you can disable it by doing the following:

  1. Open Spybot - Search & Destroy;
  2. Click on Mode;
  3. Click on Advanced Mode to checkmark it;
  4. In the Warning dialogue box, click on the Yes button;
  5. Click on Tools;
  6. Make sure that there's a checkmark in the box next to Resident in the right pane;
  7. In the left pane, click on Resident;
  8. Uncheck the box next to Resident "TeaTimer" (Protection of over-all system settings) active.    Back to menu


Setup to Do Before Your First Scan

Do the following setup before doing your first scan:

  1. Click on Mode;
  2. Click on Advanced Mode to checkmark it;
  3. In the Warning dialogue box, click on the Yes button;
  4. In the left menu, click on Settings;
  5. Click on File Sets;
  6. Make sure that box next to each item under Set/Filename is checkmarked (you don't need to checkmark Usage Tracking);
  7. Close Spybot by clicking on the X in the upper-right corner.    Back to menu


How to Run SpyBot - Search & Destroy

To run Spybot - Search & Destroy, do the following:

  1. Open Spybot - Search & Destroy;

  2. Click on the Search for Updates button;

  3. In the Spybot-S&D Updater dialogue box, click on a download place near where you live (If you live in the United States, click on FastSpeedTest.com (USA);

  4. Click on the Continue button;

  5. Click on the Download button;

  6. When the update is complete, close the Spybot-S&D Updater dialogue box by clicking on the X in the upper-right corner;

  7. In the left menu, click on Immunize, and allow it to complete (it's quite fast);

  8. Click on Search & Destroy;

  9. Click on the Check for problems button;

  10. When the scan is completed, you'll see a dialogue box showing any detected items. By default, all the detected items are checkmarked;

  11. If you want to, you can click on the plus sign next to any detected items to see sub items;

  12. If you see a false positive (a safe file that Spybot had detected as a potential threat), do the following:

    1. Right-click on the item;
    2. Click on Exclude this detection from further searches;
    3. Uncheck the item so that it won't be removed from your computer;

  13. Leave checkmarked any items that you want to remove (Spybot removes rather than quarantines, but there is a Recovery option that can restore any important items if it turns out that you shouldn't have removed them);

  14. Click on the Fix selected problems button;

  15. In the Confirmation dialogue box, where you're asked Do you want to create a restore point before applying changes?, click on the Yes button or the No button. (The restore point referred to is a System Restore Point that is part of the System Restore capabilities in Windows ME and later operating systems.)

  16. In the next Confirmation dialogue box, click on the Yes button;

  17. In the next Confirmation (problems fixed) dialogue box, click on the OK button.    Back to menu


Support

Tutorial
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/tutorial/index.html    Back to menu


Related Pages
Help with Security
Steps for Removing Spyware, Trojans, and other Malware

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