I've installed these programs with the others that I have and now I feel about as safe as you can get running Windows....

The first program is SpywareBlaster:

It has a list of all known spyware so once you install it the program BLOCKS ALL SPYWARE from getting onto your computer.

This is great because Adaware was always deleting the same stuff over and over. Since installing this I haven't gotten any spyware on my computer.

Here's where you can download it and don't forget to check for updates every once in awhile:

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html


The next program is SpywareGuard:

This program runs on your computer and provides real time protection against spyware and browser hijacking. Its always running so if something is happening it will alert you and take care of the situation (where before you never would have realized what was going on).

Here's where you download it and IMPORTANT (when you install it the program won't pop up and tell you that it was installed. It will have a small red SG logo placed in your icon tray which if you click on it will open up the program). At first I thought I had a problem installing it so I just wanted to let everyone know.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html

The final program is CoolWebShredder:

I had Adware and the latest Norton AntiVirus and this thing still got installed on my computer and I couldn't get rid of it.

Here's where you can download it:

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/coolwebshredder.html

I'd recommend that everyone download these three programs (as long as you meet the requirements) and have something like Adaware and Norton on your computer as well. These programs are also easy to install and run so anybody can use them.

It seems you can never have enough of these programs that protect you.

nice post!! This oughtta be made a sticky post!

I agree with podstock but I have a question -- if someone is reading this on this wonderful site with the well written thread, wouldn't they have a computer? Just one of those things that make you go hmmmmmmm......... LOL

I have attached links to a free hard drive cleaning tool I have been using that seems to work well. I also include another good free spy blocker. Enjoy

HDCleaner
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download1287.html

Adaware - spyware remover
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download506.html

Spybot - spyware remover
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2471.html

I run both spyware programs. adaware first, then spybot to pick up the rest.

Originally posted by Blazin' Pyro
I have a question -- if someone is reading this on this wonderful site with the well written thread, wouldn't they have a computer?

Yes that was the point. :D

This stuff is all FREE and helps protect your computer and harddrive from getting destroyed. It also prevents your passwords or identity from getting stolen and eliminates people monitoring where you go on the Internet.

So really there is no point in NOT DOWNLOADING this stuff since its free and easy to use.

I've seen too many people lose all their information or have to buy a new computer from stuff that was preventable.

Just to let people know that use Adaware they have a new version of it.

You can download it for free here:

http://www.download.com/3000-8022-10319876.html

It does a much DEEPER scan and searches for 5 times as much stuff as before.

So if you have the older version I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU DOWNLOAD THIS to replace your old one.

Definately a sticky!!

Very worthwhile to download.

I will check out the new version when i get home. I have been having major problems lately. Thanks for the links!!!!!!

I've heard that many of the anti-spyware programs are actually created by the spyware companies, and they know ways to get around them, which is why I'm hesitant to download anything.

I was told that Ad-Aware and Spybot were the two best that didn't have ties to the spyware companies.

Oh, and spyware should be illegal, and there should be a way to enforce it.

Originally posted by SilenceDoGood
I've heard that many of the anti-spyware programs are actually created by the spyware companies, and they know ways to get around them, which is why I'm hesitant to download anything.

I was told that Ad-Aware and Spybot were the two best that didn't have ties to the spyware companies.

Oh, and spyware should be illegal, and there should be a way to enforce it.

Well I wouldn't let some bad programs take away from downloading good programs.

I have all the programs listed in here and haven't had any issues with any spyware once I put this stuff and Firefox on my computer.

Yes there are companies that make programs that do nothing (I posted that list on this site somewhere....) and I've also heard that Norton & McAfee make viruses every once in awhile so that they can "boost" sales of their antivirus programs. These companies make a living off of computers being infected so they really don't want computers to NOT get infected.

Good thread pwaldo..

Another tool I've used is HijackThis!, but be very careful with this one.. It will display the registry entries of possible spyware.. Don't go deleting everything though.. There are forums available where you can post your log file and get advice on what to remove..

You can download it here:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

The forum at that site will let you post your log and get advice on what to remove:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/forums.html

Originally posted by SilenceDoGood
I've heard that many of the anti-spyware programs are actually created by the spyware companies, and they know ways to get around them, which is why I'm hesitant to download anything.

I was told that Ad-Aware and Spybot were the two best that didn't have ties to the spyware companies.

Oh, and spyware should be illegal, and there should be a way to enforce it.

I found a site that should eliminate any concern that you have about downloading a program that contains spyware hidden in it.

www.spychecker.com

Before you download a program run the name though the search on the site to make sure its clean. So now you should be able to tell what is laced with crap and which isn't.

I'll also be posting some of the programs that they recommend for use on their site here after I try them out.

Originally posted by thegreatone
Another tool I've used is HijackThis!, but be very careful with this one.. It will display the registry entries of possible spyware.. Don't go deleting everything though.. There are forums available where you can post your log file and get advice on what to remove..

You can download it here:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

The forum at that site will let you post your log and get advice on what to remove:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/forums.html

I highly recommend HijackThis!, but like you said, unless you know exactly what you're doing don't even attempt to fix it yourself. I had this really annoying xadso spyware crap that would pop up on every single page I opened. I did a search for "xadso" and found this site (http://spyblocker-software.com/IPB/index.php?act=idx). They helped me get the programs I needed and instructed me on what from my logs I needed to delete. It worked, and since then I haven't seen one of those annoying pop-ups I was experiencing before. I highly recommend that site if you need any assistance in using JijackThis!.

I already mentioned it in this thread and had a seperate thread about it but I thought it would be a good idea to post the link in here as well.

You can download Firefox here.

http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Firefox is the safer and faster competitor to Internet Explorer and I HIGHLY recommend downloading it.

great thread...my computer is now safer :)

great thread...my computer is now safer :)

No problem. If this thread protects at least one computer then I did my job.

I use AVG, it's free and I think is better than norton:
http://free.grisoft.com/softw/70free/setup/avg70free_300a419.exe

For spyware I am using micosofts new syware tool that is in beta and have been impressed:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

I use AVG, it's free and I think is better than norton:
http://free.grisoft.com/softw/70free/setup/avg70free_300a419.exe


I agree with Greg - I've been using AVG for a couple years on all my computers, and it blows Norton away.

I work at Best Buy and all of the GEEK Squad recommends microsofts new spyware program. check it out at www.microsoft.com I think it is pretty good.

Believe it or not the Microsoft AntiSpyware program isn't half bad either. Also, if you have high-speed internet aceess (cable, DSL), there is NO reason not to be behind a firewall. No pc is going to be 100% safe, but there's no reason not to use the tools available.

Thanks for the info! :new_alien

Ok, let me offer some insight, as I deal with this very topic for a living.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avoid Microsofts beta spyware remover ... any program in the beta stages should not be used because its not fully tested. Theres a reason why its in the beta stages still, let them refine it (if they ever do) and release a full version.

Adaware and spybot and both free and clean programs and are highly recommended (just be sure to update them before you run them.)

Hijackthis is a great tool as well, but should not be used by beginners, it wont actually remove anything, it just reports what you have ... alot of which is harmless and necessary. It is up to you to remove what you deem is bad and if you pull out the wrong stuff, you can damage your browser.

Mozilla is an excellent alternative to Internet Explorer, but let me dispell the myths with it. First its not faster by any means, if its running faster for you, then your IE is prob infected. Also, the reason it is preferred is because its not widely used, so the virus/spyware writers will write their bad programs with IE as the target. If your trying to infect as many machines as possible are you going to target the browser that 10% of the world uses, or the browser that 90% of the world uses? For this reason, I use mozilla myself.

I would recommend running "cleanup" before running any scans as it will remove all your cookies and temps thus speeding up the time it take to scan. Its quick and can recover quite a bit of hard drive space as well.

Also, have a copy of LSPfix on hand. Some spyware becomes embeded in your LSP chain (this is what makes your connection to the internet work), if the spyware is removed it basically breaks the chain and you will need LSPfix to repair it.

Avoid Norton/Symantec products, they are horrible and miss alot of stuff. I've seen them do more damage than good on many occasions, and they never ever uninstall cleanly.

AVG is a free virus program that is lightweight and not such a memery hog like other virus scanners. I use it myself.

Finally, one of the best pieces of advice I can give is to run an online scan at www.bitdefender.com Once you go to this site, click the HOME tab up top, then run the online scan. This program is FAR superior to Norton/Symantec products and its free. It takes awhile but is the most thorough scanner I know of.



NOTE: before running any scans, be sure to disable system restore on all drives!!! You can get here by right clicking "My Computer" and choosing the "System Restore" tab.



For the record I am a network engineer and have been working in the industry for 10+ years now, so I'm speaking of all these programs from experience and not just what I read about them on some site.

Great topic...
Wayne

Mozilla is an excellent alternative to Internet Explorer, but let me dispell the myths with it. First its not faster by any means, if its running faster for you, then your IE is prob infected.

Just type in make Firefox go faster into Google and you'll get a slew of websites that tell you how to make it run faster. That will make Firefox load faster than IE.

If I were you guys, Id use Trend Micro. Thats what I use on my computer. I never have viruses on my computer anymore. Thats also what we recommend, and sell, at our computer store.

You're right, there are hacks for Firefox such as changing the pipeline. I believe these settings are accessed by typing "about:config" (without the quotes) into the address field.

Also, Trendmicro is another good scan to use and is a free online one.

Good luck,
Wayne

Checking them all out, can never have to much protection on your computer. I did want to mention though that I gave up on Norton it never worked right anyway and now use www.avast.com and its free and good. It has rave reviews and I haven't had any problems. Thought it was worth a mention.

PS> I finally made the switch to Firefox and I love it. I don't know why I didn't switch sooner, I kept meaning to and out of habit I always reverted back to IE. Thanks for all the tips and links!

If you prefer Firefox over IE you may want to consider switching your email client from Outlook (or more likely Outlook Express) to Thunderbird.

This thread can't be highlighted enough for its importance!! Plus I just removed a worm & trojan that had been sitting dormant for quite some time, it only activated after a power outage renedered parts of my system vulnerable.

** We collectors are inherently hard on our systems resource wise & the clutter we place in our cahe's, folders & hard drives...
through the sites, IMing, Links, downloads, ebay email schemes, java, etc..the list is long.

Please take a moment and perform some computer maintenance. Besides patch updates, etc.. I have a list I do to our systems, but I'll leave the recommendations to the pro's.

One site I really trust and will pass along:

Tomcoyote forum (http://forums.tomcoyote.org/index.php?showforum=98) take a moment and read some of their tips, almost everything[99%] they recommend is free/shareware and has all the risks explained.
They have a nice "Clean/maintenance" posted in computer tips.

Take Care,
-Rich

PS: Please DO NOT do anything to your system unless you know the possible side affects, ramifications. "Safe Mode startup" is there for a reason :wink:
ASK questions, do some research on sites like the one above, bleeping computers & Microsoft...
Just trying misc. Tips/Tweaks found "googling" can render your computer nothing more than a $1,000.00 paper weight.

I'm using Kaspersky right now. I'm telling you guys this is the best ever anti virus I've used. Just my opinion :D maybe I haven't use all of the anti virus yet

Firefox2 is officially out, good stuff.

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M.I.C.A. MAINTENANCE

1) ‘Scan’ for Adware, Spyware and all Malware DAILY.

2) Clean your ‘Temporary Internet files’ and ‘History list’ every 3 Days, I set my save files to 3 days.

3) Clear your ‘SSL state 'every week

4) Clear your ‘Java files’ in your Java console every week

5) Empty the ‘Recycle bin’ every 3-5 days.

6) ‘Defrag’ your hard Drive every 5 Days.

7) ‘Scan’ for Viruses and Trojans every 5-7 days.

8) ‘Degauss’ your monitor by turning it off completely and back on, every week.

9) ‘Completely turn off’ your machine every week. This is different than re-starting. When you re-start, it does not shut down 100%

www.avast.com
www.adaware.com

Definitly Helpful for PC users, thank god for my Mac =D