Removing Spyware

There are numerous ways you can detect spyware and kill spyware on your computer. First, you must know you have a spyware problem. If you do not already have an anti-virus antispyware program, get one immediately. Most spyware programs are easily detected by these programs and in most cases, the anti-virus antispyware program will also remove spyware after it is detected. It will report the spyware it found and the spyware it removed. If the program could not remove the spyware, you can usually remove it by searching for the files using the search utility in the start menu of your computer. When you find the name of the file, highlight the file and right mouse click on the file name. Choose the option to go to the folder that contains the file. Try to delete the file there. If the file cannot be deleted because the file is running an active program, go to your Task Manager on the computer and choose the ‘processes’ tab. Find the process with the program name and highlight the process. Choose the button that says ‘end process’ to stop the program. Now go back to the folder where the file resides and delete the file from your computer. If your recyle bin does not automatically delete files, you will want to open your recycle bin and permanently delete the file from the bin as well.   

You can also delete spyware by looking for the cookies and temporary files these programs use. You can delete all cookies and temporary files from your machine to avoid unwanted cookies and tracking software. If you have cookies you want to keep for web sites you visit – and most of us do – do not delete all temporary files or cookies. Instead, go to the temporary and cookies files and go through them one at a time to delete those you do not recognize.

Some spyware adds files to folders that are shared by valid computer programs. When spyware removal programs remove the virus spyware, they often skip the commonly shared files so as not to delete critical files from your machine. In so doing, these programs may leave spyware on your computer and create problems. If the antispyware program does detect and delete shared files, you may have a problem using programs you need to use. If files are missing, programs will run badly or not at all. If you find yourself in this situation, simply restore your machine to a previous date. Use the restore utility on your computer and pick a date on the calendar that precedes the spyware problem. Execute the restore program to bring your computer back to that date. It will remove software installed after the restore date and software installed without your knowledge. You won’t lose documents, but you’ll have to reinstall software you wish to keep if it was originally installed after the ‘restore date’.

Using one or more of these techniques, you too can be a spyware stopper!