Getting and keeping spyware off your computer

me

[Sir Gawain]

Just thought I'd give this little PSA since I'm such a nice guy.

Many of you are already familiar with Lavasoft's AdAware, but you may not be familiar with SpyBot Search & Destroy, which is actually more powerful and more up-to-date. Lavasoft hasn't updated their definition file since September because they're working on a new release, so it won't clean newer spyware creations like CommonName. I would keep AdAware however. It's still very useful.

SpyBot also has a lot of other cool functionality built into it, like a clean on startup in case you are unable to remove the spyware's .exe or .dll because they have processes running. Yes I realize you can just unregister the .dll then reboot and delete it, but not everyone knows how to do that.

Here are a few other cool (and free) tools to help keep the stuff off your PC:

SpywareBlaster:

(From website) "SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it from ever being installed.

How? By setting a "kill bit" for the CLSIDs of spyware ActiveX controls, it prevents the installation of any of them from a webpage. You can run Internet Explorer with Active-X enabled, but you will never even get a "Yes/No" box popped up, asking you to install a spyware Active-X control (Internet Explorer will never download or run it!). All other Active-X controls or plug-ins will work fine.

The SpywareBlaster database contains information on these known spyware Active-X controls. Make sure you run the Check For Updates feature frequently to get the latest database! (And make sure you check the new items to protect your system against them!)

As a side benefit, setting this "kill bit" will also prevent the spyware Active-X from running, in many cases, if it is already installed on your system.*"

SpywareGuard:

(From website) "SpywareGuard provides a real-time protection solution against spyware that is a great addition to SpywareBlaster's protection method.

An anti-virus program scans files before you open them and prevents execution if a virus is detected - SpywareGuard does the same thing, but for spyware! And you can easily have an anti-virus program running alongside SpywareGuard.

Features Listing: Fast scanning engine
Scans exe and cab files - the two most popular file types for distributing spyware
Signature-based scanning - for known spyware (list)
Heuristic/generic detection capabilities - some spyware programs can be detected even if the code undergoes significant changes
Small size - with a small size and small definition sizes, download and updates are quick
SG Control Panel - provides easy access to help and integration options
SG LiveUpdate - provides an easy updating solution
Spyware files are blocked before being opened or run - they are not simply shut down after they are loaded in memory (and after they have performed their tasks)
The full path to the spyware executable is provided on the alert screen
Once a spyware file is detected and blocked from running, the options are provided to either continue or to delete the spyware file
It's a free download

Most of this info and much more can be found at http://www.spywareinfo.com/

[Allan]

Bump

[RnMomof7]

Mac friendly?

[ShadowAce]

.

[Victoria Delsoul]

It's a free download

That's what I like about you, hehehe.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I downloaded the trial version of spyware...

I'm not sure what you are trying to install or find...surely not spyware? What is the exact (or approximate) name of the software you are looking for?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I downloaded the trial version of spyware...

I'm not sure what you are trying to install or find...surely not spyware? What is the exact (or approximate) name of the software you are looking for?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I downloaded the trial version of spyware...

I'm not sure what you are trying to install or find...surely not spyware? What is the exact (or approximate) name of the software you are looking for?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Sorry for the triple

triple

triple

post. I hate when FR burps.

[wardaddy]

My daughters dowloaded Imesh and some other music shareware stuff.

After that, I know get these "Messenger Service" pop-ups or popup-unders very frequently. I cannot find where they are coming from. I unistalled the sharewares (geez i miss Napster) but this stuff still keeps coming. It took me weeks to get rid of that xupiter.com garbage.

Any hints would be appreciated.

I'm running XP and cable at home on a homemade pc. Here at work, on win98 and an older pentium II and dsl, I'm as fast and no garbage at all.

My panicware stopper works 100% at work but only partially at home.

Thanks

[StriperSniper]

Bump for later.

[weikel]

Thanks.

[Clara Lou]

If you've done everything you can do manually, then my suggestion is to download Spyware Guard and Spyware S&D above, and run them. Spybot caught several items that, a few minutes earlier, AdAware had not, plus several items that AdAware wasn't designed to detect. You get a list and a choice of what to delete. I've only used it once, but I like what it did for me and will use it again. {Your home setup is the same as mine.] Download and installation couldn't be easier.

[Sir Gawain]

An ad company is using like a massive broadcast tool to basically do the equivalent of a "net send" command to IP blocks. Turn off messenger service or get a firewall.

[hunter112]

I haven't stripped out the adware from Download Accelerator, so I'm not sure if it will still function correctly after you do.

I've been using Kontiki as a download accelerator, its ad free, and most reliable.

[wardaddy]

Thanks...I will try that.

[wardaddy]

I don't have MS Messenger Service activated. It's a pop-up window that looks like an "official" MS window alert and when you check properties...it doesn't give a url.

The pop up content is mostly salacious and it just says Messenger Service across the top.

I'm at work....I'll check it out more when I get home.

[Allan]

Bump

[Flipyaforreal]

Thanks, will this work for us red-headed step children who have Macs?

[Sir Gawain]

No, it's not MSN messenger. It's like a network communication tool. It's automatically activated. Go to a command prompt or select Start->Run and type: net send [machine name] [message], i.e: net send MyPC How are you?

That's what it's doing.

[Sir Gawain]

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10069