Removing Spyware From your Computers or Laptops

What is Spyware?
Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet (where it is sometimes called a spybot or tracking software), spyware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program.

(2000, searchsecurity.techtarget.com)

Examples of Spyware:
1. CoolWebSearch, a group of programs, takes advantage of Internet Explorer vulnerabilities. The package directs traffic to advertisements on Web sites including coolwebsearch.com. It displays pop-up ads, rewrites search engine results, and alters the infected computer's hosts file to direct DNS lookups to these sites.

2. Internet Optimizer, also known as DyFuCa, redirects Internet Explorer error pages to advertising. When users follow a broken link or enter an erroneous URL, they see a page of advertisements. However, because password-protected Web sites (HTTP Basic authentication) use the same mechanism as HTTP errors, Internet Optimizer makes it impossible for the user to access password-protected sites.

How to Remove Spyware?

You may have to remove it manually, or using some software or tools to scan and remove spyware automatically, depending on its effectiveness, each spyware removal tools can vary based on their functionalities.

Manual Removal:

1. Check Installed Programs in Uninstall or Change Program in Control Panel
- Remove any suspicious or unknown application but be cautious to not removing essentials OS programs

2. Check Startup Programs for suspicious applications
- Always check and manage your Start Up programs to ensure only needed and important programs are run
automatically after windows started

Here's how to check your Start Up Programs:
1. Click at Start and search for Run.
2. enter msconfig and hit Enter
3. Check, identify suspicious and important applications on the list.

Automatic Removal (Using Spyware Removal Tools and Windows Defender)

Use Top 3 Best Spyware Removal Tools 2012:

1.Webroot Secure Anywhere Antivirus

2.STOPzilla

3.Spyware Doctor

Using Windows Defender to remove Spyware:
Note: Please ensure that you have updated your Windows Defender first

In Windows Defender, you can choose to run a quick scan of your computer or a full system scan. If you suspect spyware has infected a specific area of your computer, you can customize a scan by selecting only the drives and folders that you want to check.

A quick scan checks the places on your computer's hard disk that spyware is most likely to infect. A full scan will check all files on your hard disk and all currently running programs, but it might cause your computer to run slowly until the scan is complete. We recommend that you schedule a daily quick scan. At any time, if you suspect that spyware has infected your computer, run a full scan.

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