Spyware Information and Removal Tips by Myrddin

Spyware is the term used to describe an entire category of software. Spyware can cause many of the same problems viruses can, and unfortunately while most people realize the importance of protecting themselves from viruses, many do not realize the importance of avoiding spyware. Viruses spread themselves to other computers. But Spyware normally gets on your computer because you agree to it. Of course, you usually do not realize you are agreeing to spyware. But on the license agreements of software, often there are hidden paragraphs in the fine print letting them install spyware on your computer.

Many spyware programs come with free or cute software, targetted at people who are inexperienced on the Internet. Some of the most common programs that get spyware onto your computer are Kazaa, Bonzai Buddy, Weatherbug, and Comet Cursor. Many of these programs will not run if you remove the spyware, and you need to find other programs that are free from spyware instead.

Not all spyware is honorable though. Some spyware uses vulnerabilities and bugs to get your computer to silently install right from a webpage. It is more common to find this nastier kind of spyware on pornographic websites. Other spyware lies about what you are installing. And some spyware invites more spyware into your computer... so you 'invite' one spyware, and then it invites all its friends.

Spyware does many things... anything it can to make a profit off of you, at your expense. Most spyware tries to hide, to make you not even realize it is on your computer. One spyware, alone, usually does not cause problems. It is when you get dozens of different types of spyware on your computer that it gets bogged down, error prone, and cranky.

There are many programs that can help you clean spyware off of your computer. Two of the most well known (partly because they are free) are Spybot Search & Destroy Get it Here or Lavasoft AdAware Get it Here. These programs are not the best available, but they are free, and often one or the other can fix the spyware that you have. Microsoft also is releasing a product called Windows Defender, but it is still in testing (beta). You can try it out for free: Get it Here.

Other software is more capable. I go by the recommendations of Adware Report, which is a good site that compares the capability of various anti-spyware tools. They recommend PCTools Spyware Doctor Get it Here or Webroot SpySweeper Get it Here. Be warned that there are many programs that claim to clean spyware, but do it badly... if at all. Adware Report maintains a list of scam programs you should avoid.

There are things you can do yourself to help remove spyware as well. While a program is usually the best way, you may not be able to get online to download one, due to all the spyware.

One thing you can do is temporarily turn off the bad programs. Start by going to the Start->Run and type 'msconfig', then click Ok. When the Windows Configuration Utility appears, click the Startup tab on the top right. The list you now see shows all the programs that are started when your computer starts.

It can be very difficult to tell the good programs from the bad ones... a nice site that we use frequently here is the Startups Database from Pac's Portal. This database helps you figure out what things are good, not needed, or downright nasty. Uncheck the bad items, and leave the good ones checked, then click Ok and restart the computer. This will not fix the problem for long! It is just a temporary measure... all the bad software is still on your computer. But for a little while, your computer may be healthy enough that you can run a virus scanner or anti-spyware program and clean it off.

If you cannot fix it yourself, you may simply need to take your computer into a repair shop. Many places will fix spyware, some for a very reasonable fee.

Q: I love Kazaa! You mean I cannot use it?

A: I really would recommend not using it. There are other programs that also let you find music, but do not have spyware. If you must use Kazaa, there is an older version Get it Here that is spyware free, though it has been a while since I used it. However, I recommend leaving Kazaa behind completely, and switching to a new music sharing program like WinMX Get it Here. WinMX is spyware free, costs nothing, and is said to be as good as Kazaa. I myself have not used it, so I do not have an opinion on how well it works.

Q. If I uninstall Kazaa, will that delete all the music I downloaded?

A. No, it should not. The music you download gets put into a folder on your computer. If you properly uninstall Kazaa, that music will still be there. If you do not know where this folder is, then search for the location of your music files, and you will find it.

Q. I don't know if I should install this new program I found. How do I know if it has spyware in it?

A. It can be very hard to tell. One way to check up on a program is to do a google search. For example, if you search google for 'kazaa spyware' then many of the top hits talk about the nasty spyware in Kazaa. If you do a search for 'winmx spyware' then only one link talks about spyware in WinMX (and they're trying to sell you something), a couple talk about how WinMX is spyware free, and the rest do not seem to be relevant... this is a pretty good indication WinMX is probably spyware free.

Q. I have Norton or McAfee... will they protect me?

A. Both Norton and McAfee have features in their software suites that let them find and remove spyware. But they do a poor job. Norton and McAfee are great for removing viruses, but both are incompitent at keeping your computer free from spyware.