Munk, another anti-spyware program is Spybot Search & Destroy. Here's a few other steps you can take:
-Check to make sure your anti-virus subscription is up to date. You should be able to do it somehow by opening your anti-virus program.
-Check your Add/Remove Programs list for anything strange. If you find something weird, don't get rid of it right away. Write down the name for Googling later on.
-Check what
processes (not programs) are running on your computer using Ctrl-Alt-Del. Write down the names of all those, too.
-If you're using a version of Windows that isn't 95, NT, or 2000, go to Run and type in msconfig. Click on the Startup tab. See what programs run on startup. The ones you really need are ScanRegistry, TaskMonitor, SystemTray, LoadPowerFile, and your anti-virus program. There might be others you don't mind having, as well. But if any of them look strange, write down their names for Googling purposes.
Okay, now what to do with all that information?
-Check the names of the startup programs against the list at this URL:
http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php -Check the names of the processes against the list at this URL:
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm -BTW, if you don't find something in this list, try the first one, and vice versa.
Now, if you're having problems, it's quite likely you'll find that some of your startup and background tasks are from less-than-legit sources. That's when things get really tricky- if you try hand-removal, you can sometimes make the problem worse as the malware "fights back" against you.
This URL is good for spyware info:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/ Otherwise, try Googling. I've found that Google Answers sometimes works, too. I realize this is a long, painstaking way to go about things (it took me 2 weeks to clean out my computer), but it's worth it, if only for the sadistic satisfaction of seeing the malware get zapped.
Updated On: 4/20/05 at 10:53 PM
