Getting Help w/ Spyware:

Download and run one (or all) of these free anti-spyware scanners and remove whatever spyware and adware it finds. 

You should also scan and clean your computer with whatever anti-virus program you happen to have installed on your computer. If you don't have an anti-virus program, you can scan your computer with one of these online anti-virus scanners:

... or download and run one of these free standalone virus removal tools:

Register in the Spyware Warrior forums

Once you've cleaned your PC as best you can, you can visit the Spyware Warrior "HijackThis Log" forum. This forum is staffed by expert volunteers who specialize in helping users who are battling spyware and adware problems. 

Before you request help in the Spyware Warrior forums, you'll need to register (which is free). Click the "Register" link in the upper right hand corner of the forum page.

Once you've registered you can post a HijackThis! log to the "HijackThis Log" forum. HijackThis! (HJT) is a free program that will scan key system settings on your PC and generate a plain text log that you can copy and paste into a post. The volunteers at Spyware Warrior will examine that HijackThis! log and recommend a course of action to fix your PC. 

Before you download HijackThis!, create a special folder on your hard drive for it. Then download HijackThis! from HERE or HERE to the folder you created. Once HijackThis! is downloaded to your special folder, double-click on it to run the program. 

In the main program window hit the "Scan" button. HijackThis! will scan key settings on your PC and generate a list of results, as pictured below:

HijackThis! scan results

Once HijackThis! has finished scanning, hit the "Save log" button (which replaces the "Scan" button). HijackThis! will prompt you for a location to save a plain text log file of its scan results. It will also open that plain text log in Windows Notepad. From within Notepad you can copy and paste the complete the complete HijackThis! log into a post at Spyware Warrior, as explained below.

If you encounter any problems running HijackThis! or generating a log file, post your question in the "HijackThis Log" forum.

Warning: Do not attempt to use HijackThis! on your own to fix problems. Let one of the expert volunteers examine your HJT log and advise you on what to fix.

In order to help you clean your system, the volunteers at Spyware Warrior need a good sense for what's going on with your computer. When you're ready to post and request help...

• Start a new discussion topic/thread in the "HijackThis Log" forum.
• Give your discussion topic/thread a distinctive title.
• Describe the symptoms and problems you're experiencing.
• Describe what you've already done to solve the problem.
• Copy and paste your HJT log into your post.
• Be patient while waiting for a response.

The volunteer spyware busters who work at Spyware Warrior do this kind of thing all day long, so you'll be in good hands. At times they can be a bit overwhelmed, so please be patient while waiting for help.

If the volunteers at Spyware Warrior appear to be too busy, you can try posting your HJT log to one of these other spyware removal forums:

Once your PC has been cleaned, be sure to take steps to prevent it from being overrun with spyware adware again.

All PCs should have at least one dedicated anti-spyware scanner. An anti-spyware scanner works much like a anti-virus program (such as Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan), except that it scans for spyware and adware instead of viruses, trojans, and worms. 

Although major anti-virus vendors such as McAfee, Symantec, and Trend Micro have been adding spyware and adware detection to their products, none of these anti-virus programs can be relied upon to provide good anti-spyware protection. 

At present we recommend the following anti-spyware scanners:

Note to Vendors: please do not email me and request to be added to the above list of "recommended" products. This list of "recommended" products is based on extensive experience with the listed products and is not a list to which one can apply for admission.
 
Disclaimer: the maintainers of Spyware Warrior have enjoyed consulting relationships with Sunbelt Software, makers of the CounterSpy anti-spyware application. Given that relationship and the inherent conflict of interest it represents, we refrain from recommending CounterSpy. Spyware Warrior has no financial relationship with any of the companies whose products are listed or recommended above. We are not employees, affiliates, representatives, or other agents of any of these companies.

In addition, there are other "freeware" scanners that you may find useful:

You should not rely exclusively on this short list of recommendations, however. Rather, you should investigate and test a range of reputable anti-spyware programs to find the programs that are best suited to your own privacy and security needs. See this comparative feature guide for information on a dozen of the most reputable anti-spyware programs on the Net.

Moreover, we recommend that you install and use at least two anti-spyware scanners because, unfortunately, no single anti-spyware program detects and removes 100 percent of the spyware and adware on the Net. For more information see the anti-spyware testing reported elsewhere on this site.

Anti-Spyware for the Mac

We're starting to get more and more questions from Mac users about anti-spyware. At this time, the only anti-spyware program that we know of for the Mac is:
 

Anti-Virus & Firewall Applications

In the past year, several anti-virus, anti-malware, and personal firewall applications have incorporated robust anti-spyware detection and removal. These programs include:
 

Although these anti-virus and personal firewall products may offer some protection against spyware and adware, we still recommend that users not rely exclusively on one of these products in lieu of a dedicated anti-spyware product, such as those listed earlier on this page.

Disclaimer: the maintainers of Spyware Warrior have enjoyed consulting relationships with Sunbelt Software, makers of the CounterSpy anti-spyware application. Given that relationship and the inherent conflict of interest it represents, we refrain from recommending CounterSpy. Spyware Warrior has no financial relationship with any of the companies whose products are listed or recommended above. We are not employees, affiliates, representatives, or other agents of any of these companies.

Basic Free Protection

Scanning for spyware and adware isn't enough to protect your PC. You also need to take preventative steps to ensure that unwanted software doesn't come back. One effective way to prevent spyware and adware from returning is to install an anti-spyware prevention program such as:

SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard are excellent, free programs from JavaCool. I recommend installing and using both, as they protect your computer in different ways. SpywareBlaster "inoculates" your Internet Explorer browser against the installation of unwanted spyware and adware from the internet. SpywareGuard actively monitors your PC and prevents spyware infestations. Both are easy to install and update.

Advanced HIPS & Rootkit Protection

In the past few years a new generation of anti-malware protection products has emerged. This new type of anti-malware protection, called HIPS (Host Intrusion Protection System), works at the kernel level to intercept malware before it hits your hard drive and infects the system. Although this technology is still maturing, a HIPS defense may be worth looking into for some users. For a run-down of the latest HIPS applications, see this discussion on the Spyware Warrior forums:

Advanced users may also be interested in the broadening array of anti-rootkit programs that are available:

Please keep in mind the HIPS and anti-rootkit applications are both emerging technologies that may not be appropriate for home users who aren't technically savvy.

One of the most prevalent means for spyware and adware to be installed is through Internet Explorer. To prevent spyware and adware from installing without your knowledge and permission, you need to "lock down" Internet Explorer. There are several ways to do this.

Securely configure the Internet zone

First, you can securely configure the Internet zone of Internet Explorer and add sites that you trust to the Trusted sites zone. This means that by default web sites will not be able to use "active content" (i.e., ActiveX controls, Java applets, and scripting) until you explicitly choose to trust those web sites. 

Internet zone Security Settings

See this page for instructions on how to securely configure Internet Explorer:

Internet Explorer Privacy & Security Settings

By turns, you could also use this free program, which will automatically configure Internet Explorer for you:

Enough is Enough!

One potential downside to securely configuring the Internet zone is that some web sites will not work properly until you add them to the Trusted sites zone -- a process that some users find cumbersome.

Internet Explorer is not only the most popular browser on the Net, it is also the browser most widely and easily exploited by spyware pushers to install spyware and adware behind users' backs. Thus, you might decide that Internet Explorer is simply not worth the hassle or risk. In that case, you can install and run an alternative, non-IE browser such as:

All three of these browsers are mature, robust, and fast. Moreover, they have built-in pop-up blocking and several other nice features that Internet Explorer simply lacks. More importantly, all three of these browsers are much less susceptible to unwanted adware and spyware installations. And all three are free.

Note: even if you do switch to an alternative browser, you should still lock down Internet Explorer, as described above. Given that Internet Explorer has effectively been integrated into Windows, it can still be exploited by adware and spyware that gets installed to your system through other means. Thus, locking down Internet Explorer remains important even if you're not regularly using Internet Explorer to browse the internet. 

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Much of the update process at Windows Update is automated, so it's simple and convenient. The Windows Update site will install a small program to analyze the software on your system and recommend the appropriate fixes. This process takes only a few minutes. 

Once Windows Update has finished analyzing your system, you'll be presented with a menu of downloads that Windows Update deems appropriate for your computer. 

Windows Update: Review and install selected updates

At a minimum you should let Windows Update install the fixes marked as "Critical Updates." The other available updates ("Recommended Updates," "Driver Updates") are optional.

Check the boxes for the updates that you wish to install ("Critical Updates" are checked by default). Then click the appropriate button to start the download and installation process. You'll be shown a summary of the updates that you've selected, and then you'll presented with a "License Agreement." After you click through the "License Agreement," the download and intallation process will start.

Since the entire download and installation process is automated, there's almost nothing for you to do except reboot the computer after all the updates have been installed.

Anti-spyware applications alone can't protect you entirely from unwanted spyware and adware. You have to do your part as well by being vigilant in your online behavior.

One of the more common sources for spyware and adware is "freeware" (e.g., Grokster or KaZaA) that bundles unwanted third-party applications. Another common source involves third-party web sites that automatically start the installation of spyware and adware when you visit those sites. These auto-installed spyware and adware programs may initially appear to be plug-ins necessary for the web site itself, though usually they are not.

Wherever you happen to encounter spyware and adware, you will usually be presented with a EULA (End User License Agreement) and/or Privacy Policy. 

Example End User License Agreement

Do not blindly click through these documents. Read them carefully and look for the tell-tale language that discloses the presence of adware or spyware. For tips on what to look for, see these pages:

Other Anti-Spyware Tools

There is a wealth of specialized anti-spyware tools on the Net, many free for the taking. For a more complete list of anti-spyware products, see: