Deleting unwanted program

Yes i have tried add and remove programs (they are not there)
Also i use Webroot spy sweeper
craigy1012000

After installing AdAware, run it in safe mode.

Hello!!
Thanks for the advise,Ihave now
downloaded AdAware but how do i run this in safe mode?
craigy1012000

During the boot process, repeatly tap the F8 key on your keyboard. You will get a screen with option to boot in safe mode. Use the arrow keys to scroll up to the "Safe Mode" option, then press enter.

downloading Spybot and Mictosoft Antispyware and Ad-Aware, installing them, and running all three. He is 100% right; none of these catches everything, but the combination probably catches 99%. I strongly suggest that you do as he said.

To run these in Safe Mode, keep hitting F8 while the computer is booting. Eventually you should get a screen with several choices, one of which is Safe Mode. Choose this and continue booting. When it comes up in Safe Mode< procede with the spyware checks -- it will take a while.

BTW, it is not mandatory, but it is best if these -- as well as your antivirus checks -- are run in Safe Mode. This is also true of Chkdsk and Defrag.

Hope this helps

Frank

Frank,
Please excuse this "newbie Question", but why scan in safe mode? Thank you,
Larry

It is best to scan in safe mode because upon boot, only the only programs/services running are those required for operation. First, this helps prevent situations where a specific program is using a file/folder, and won't let you delete it. It also significantly decreases the chances of the malware (adware/spyware/virus/trojan/worm) running in the background. If such malware is advanced enough, it will either be able to prevent its own deletion or hide itself from the security scans. Thus, preventing it from running increases the chances of you detecting it and being able to remove it in its entirity.

Hope this helps,
John


P.S. If you suspect a malware problem, and it seems to keep coming back after you have tried to remove it, it may be hiding a secondary copy of itself in the System Restore files, which are generally not scanned. Thus, you'd then have to turn off System Restore (which also deletes all restore points), then run the scans in Safe Mode again.

John,
I am using Windows XP home. I have installed Trend Micro anti virus, Ad-Aware SE Personal, and Spybot-SD.
Do you feel I should also install Microsoft's Anti spyware? Thank you,
Larry

I highly recommend downloading Microsoft AntiSpyware, even though you already have AdAware and SpyBot installed. Every scanner is not created equally, and so one may catch something that the other missed. In my experience, it is an excellent program, which touts its real-time scanner as a first line of defense. (AdAware's real-time scanner is only available in the paid version, and SpyBot isn't quite as good, IMO.) It's ability to run daily scans automatically is also a nice feature, making SpyBot a rarely needed backup. Finally, it automatically blocks browser hijackers and other malicious activities, something lacking in much of its competition. However, despite Antispyware's excellent performance, I still run SpyBot, AdAware, and Spyware Blaster, in addition to ZoneAlarm Professional firewall and Avast Professional antivirus for total security. In today's world of 'online gang wars' (see the recent Zotob attacks) and hackers/spammers wishing to make a quick buck, there's no such thing as being too careful.

Hope this helps,
John

John,
My heartfelt thanks to you for the information you provided. I downloaded Microsoft Anti-spyware which means I now have four ''safety'' programs.
Again, I thank you for your kindness, information and patience.
Larry granpama

in my case. I saw this on e-bay and beats me I can't figure out what it means - "PANASONIC IMO KXP7105 15PPM 1200DPI W/DUP LASER REFURB" I'm actually interested in this product. I asked the seller, but no response yet.

I am totally confused now.....You say it's ok to run more than one spyware? people have told me not too because they interfere with each other? and trust me I have NO idea !!!
I have the free AdAware and run it all the time and ALWAYS have spyware...I posted an earlier question as to WHY they can't be removed permanently?
Then it will be ok for me to download the other free ones you spoke of Spybot (and something else) ????
Thank you for any help you can give me.

For antivirus programs, you should only run one at a time. For optimum security, some people like to have two or even three installed, and that's fine. The problem occurrs when two are running at once...they can either freeze as two try to cleanse the same file at the same time, or even identify eachother as threatening and try to remove eachother. Thus, you have to minipulate them carefully. Set one as the always-on scanner, and make sure the others don't launch at startup. Then, if you want a ''second opinion,'' shut down the one completely, then launch the second antivirus program.

A similar situation exists with antispyware software. With these utilities, you can usually run several real-time scanners at once without a problem. (I have Microsoft Antispyware, SpyBot's TeaTimer, and Spyware Blaster all set for real-time scanning.) However, it's recommended to run each full system scan seperately. (For instance, I have Microsoft Antispyware to automatically run a full scan daily, and once it's finished, I run SpyBot, then AdAware, then...) If they all run scans (not just open, but actually scanning) at the same time, it can cause your computer to slow down to a crawl, overtax your hard drive, and cause a conflict if two utilities try to scan/delete the same file at the same time.

In short, it's recommended to have multiple adware/spyware scanners installed, but try not to have them all set to scan at the same time. And, when speaking of firewalls and antivirus software, unless you're extremely concerned about security (and know how to manipulate multiple security programs properly), stick to one of each. (I use ZoneAlarm Professional firewall and Avast 4 Professional antivirus, but free versions are also available here and here.)

Hope this helps,
John


P.S.: Like I mentioned in the other post, AdAware scans for adware, not spyware. While the two types of invaders tend to overlap at times, you need both adware and spyware scanners installed and running.

...they aren't actually "running" in the background which might cause conflicts with other programs. As long as programming conflicts don't occur, there should be no problem. All the antipsyware program find something a little different when you run a full system scan with them and as a result, it's a good idea to install a few.

As John stated above, multiple antivirus programs is another thing..Because antivirus programs tend to lock on to system files and scan them well, if you have more than one running in the background, there will be conflicts...

Hope this helps.

Grif