Top 10 Tips for Cleaning Your PC of Adware and Spyware
While browsing the web, it is becoming more and more common for users to run across sites that try to install malicious programs on their computer such as adware and spyware. These programs attempt to track what a user is doing online, recording that information. They can also be more intrusive doing things like changing homepages, forcing popup windows to open and even redirecting clicks and searches to advertising sites.
Here are some steps to clean malicious software from a computer.
1. Get an Antivirus program
It may be obvious or it may be just a suspicion, but the only way to know for certain that there is adware or spyware on a computer is to run an antivirus program. There are many commercial ones available and many effective free programs online.
It is suggested that more than one program be used because no single program can detect all of the various malicious software code that exists today. Also make sure that once downloaded, the antivirus software updates itself properly to make sure that the latest detection rules are being used.
One thing to be careful of is false antivirus software. Only download the programs from a reputable recognized website. Research the programs that you might download. This is because many hackers create duplicates of legitimate websites and programs and attempt to trick users into downloading the counterfeit program which will install malware on the computer once run.
2. Scan the Computer
With the updated antivirus software installed it is time to scan the computer. There will be an option within the program to do this. It is a good idea to disconnect from the internet in this case to prevent any harmful software from attempting to update itself or contact a server.
3. Run the Software Regularly
Once the scan is complete, allow the program to repair any problems that it has found. This can require a restart in some cases. If the computer has been successfully cleaned of the adware or spyware, then make sure to keep scanning the computer at least once a week. Even if it only removes some tracking cookies, it is still worth it.
4. Check the Installed Programs
If the spyware or adware still seems to be on the computer, it is time to go to the control panel in the start menu. Find the add/remove programs option (also called programs and features) and look at what programs are installed on the computer. Uninstall anything that looks suspicious, but make sure to check what it is online first since many important drivers can have oddly named counterparts. Restart the computer when done.
5. Check the Startup Programs
If there are still problems from the adware or spyware, then it is time to begin looking deeper into the system. From the start menu, either select the run command or use the search bar at the bottom and type msconfig in the box. This will open a new window. From this window, look at the startup tab. Look for any programs that seem suspicious and check what they are online. If a program cannot be accounted for then disable it by un-checking the box next to it. Restart the computer when done.
6. Try a Registry Cleaner
If at this point, there are still problems from the adware or spyware, it may be time to scan the registry. There are registry scanners and cleaners available online. These will look for strange problems in the registry that may be causing problems.
7. Look for specific fixes
If there are still problems, it is possible that the computer has been infected with a rootkit virus. These are very difficult to remove because they often modify essential system files. Fortunately, there are many specific fixes online that can repair a system. The important thing to do now is to search online with the symptoms to find the name of the virus. Hopefully, a small program will be available to remove it.
8. Keep Up to Date
It is important to keep both the operating system and internet browsers up to date. This will help to prevent a large number of attacks.
9. Firewall
Always keep a firewall up. Most operating systems come with a firewall built in. This will prevent malicious programs from contacting foreign servers from the computer. It will also prevent hackers from interacting with programs that may have been installed on the host computer.
10. Reinstall
If everything has failed and the computer has become completely unusable then there is really only one option left. That is to reinstall the operating system. Lucky users may have a restore point they can try, but some viruses will remove these as part of their installation process.
Adware and spyware can wreck havoc on an unprotected computer system. Without regular scanning and careful browsing practices, a piece of malware can sit undetected on a computer for a very long time. It is important to scan the system at least once a week and never download or give permission to any program that is not recognized.
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