The Resnet Spyware/Malware Removal Procedure for Residents:

Before You Begin:

You’ll need to download and install some free programs to remove Spyware from your computer.

* spybotsd14.exe (SpyBot Search and Destroy)
* aawsepersonal.exe (AdAware SE)

* Windows Defender can only be downloaded from the Microsoft website.

Save them to your desktop, or somewhere else where you can easily find them again.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Throughout this process, if you ever encounter a piece of spyware that these steps can’t fix, be sure to write down its name (if you can). This will be needed in Step 6.

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Step 1: Boot into Safe Mode

If, after startup, the computer proves to be too slow, or cannot connect to the net, using safe mode with networking will give you a usable desktop.

Immediately after the computer starts or restarts, repeatedly tap the F8 key on your keyboard until a screen like this appears:

Select “Safe Mode with Networking” and hit enter.

Step 2: Run SpyBot Search & Destroy

Double-click the file you downloaded earlier, spybodsd14.exe, and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

Double-click this icon, which should be on the desktop or in the start menu, to run SpyBot. When you use the program for the first time, it will bring up the Spybot-S&D Wizard. Do everything it says, including making a registry backup and downloading updates. On step 7 of 7, click “Start using the program.”

SpyBot will look like this:

Click “Check for problems.” Spybot will begin searching your computer for spyware. This search could take a few minutes. When the search is finished, you should see something like this:

DO NOT click “fix selected problems” yet.

Some spyware is evil enough that it will crash SpyBot if you attempt to remove it. For this reason, instead of fixing all the problems at once, you should fix them one by one.

To do this, uncheck all of the checkboxes on the list. Then re-check one of them and click “fix selected problems.” When the problem is fixed, check the next checkbox on the list and fix it. Continue on down the list until every entry has been fixed.

If SpyBot suddenly quits or crashes while trying to fix a problem, restart SpyBot, check for problems again, and don’t try to fix that entry. Write down it’s name, but ignore it for now. Fix as many entries as you can.

If SpyBot says it can’t fix something, but that it will do it once you restart your computer, also write down its name. SpyBot will often not actually fix these problems.

Step 3: Run AdAware SE

 

This is another free program that does about the same thing as SpyBot. SpyBot misses some things that AdAware catches, and vice versa, so you'll get the best results by running them both.

Begin by double-clicking the file you downloaded earlier, “aawsepersonal.exe”, and follow the on-screen instructions to install it. After installation, it will automatically update itself and then begin scanning for spyware. This scan will take a longer time, maybe half an hour.

If AdAware suddenly quits or crashes while scanning, give up. There’s nothing more you can do with it unless whatever piece of spyware is causing the problem, has been eliminated.

When the scan finishes, you should see something like this:

Unlike in SpyBot, here you should check all checkboxes on the list and click the “Next” button in the lower right corner.

Step 4: Windows Defender

***Warning*** Windows Defender requires you to have a legitimate copy of Windows. Do not try to install Defender if your copy of Windows is Pirated or it will render their computer effectively inoperable. ***Warning***

To get Windows Defender, you must have a working internet connection.

Go to www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx (If this link is dead for some reason, just google "Windows Defender")

It will have you install an msi file, and then defender. Hit ok both times. Once the install is done, just hit ok. It will update the definitions, and then run a quick scan.

Step 5: Restart and Recheck

Shut down the computer the normal way. This time, don’t press any keys on the keyboard during startup. Windows will boot up in normal mode.

* Try doing whatever was giving you trouble before, to see if anything has been fixed.

If nothing is different, write down a list of the symptoms you notice. If something keeps popping up, what does it say? Write down the exact words.

* Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4.

If spyware still shows up on the list after the scan, it’s probably something that these three programs don’t know how to fix. Write down the names of the spyware as they appear on the list.

Hopefully you will not notice any spyware anymore— and Spybot, AdAware and MS-Spyware won’t detect anything either. If they do, however, move on to step 6.

Step 6: Google Search

This step is not recommended for novices. The sad truth is that you might be better off giving up now. A ResTech might be able to help you, or the problem might be unsolvable. Some spyware just can’t be killed.

The solutions you’ll find on the internet are probably much more advanced than the scope of this guide. You might accidentally damage your system and make it worse than it is already.

However, if you want to try some more advanced solutions, try a Google search.

• If you know the name of your spyware, (e.g. GimmeGames, SurfSideKick, etc.) search for that. Chances are, you can find a set of advanced removal instructions for your specific piece of spyware.
  
• If you don’t know the name, (if you notice spyware but none of the programs mentioned in this guide are able to find it,) search for its symptoms. Type in the exact text of any messages the spyware pops up at you, inside quotation marks.
  

AVOID GETTING MORE SPYWARE

• Run SpyBot once in a while, maybe once a month.
• Make sure there is only one program running at a time. This is bad and can actually make your computer unstable, and/or more suseptible to malware than it would be with a single program.
• Make sure your software is updated. Using old versions of spybot, firefox, or any other program that requires security updates is an easy fix.
  

Every time you use it, make sure you use these three features (on the left side of the screen), in this order:

• Use Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. This is another browser program that is almost the same as IE, but is less prone to spyware infection. You can download it for free at: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/
• Use a Firewall (Make sure there is only one firewall running at a time!). This is a program that restricts internet traffic to and from your computer, preventing intrusions and stopping any program from working without you knowing about it. Windows XP comes with its own built-in firewall, but you might have to turn it on. Go into the control panel (in the start menu) and select windows security center. Make sure you see this:

If it’s off, turn it on.

Most Importantly: always be careful about downloading files and programs. Sometimes spyware is included as a “feature” in other programs, so read carefully about what you’re about to install. Beware software that seems too good to be free.
Sometimes spyware will pretend to a program for fighting spyware. SpyAxe and SpywareStrike are examples. Never download any anti-spyware software that is not mentioned either in this guide or in online forums, no matter how professional it looks.