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PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF SPYWARE REMOVAL
Posted by
"geekbooks" on June 17, 2004
I think I've finally solved the spyware infestation on my PC, at least for now. While sometimes feel like I've beaten the topic of spyware to death in the last month and a half or so, this nasty stuff has beaten the living daylights out of me. I have lost untold hours, no ... make that days in the effort to remove spyware from my primary Windows computer. Through it all, this has been a frustrating task. Every time I thought I had the nasty intruders beat, they came back, as if to say "Nyah Ha!"
This week, I took the upper hand. I vowed to eradicate the infestation, and at least for now, it looks like I have. Removing spyware isn't rocket science. But you have to be persistent. I made a lot of missteps and wasted plenty of time along the way. In hindsight, it's clear that I took three key steps ...
Every single one of the problems I encountered was enabled by Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE). Spyware exploits Internet Explorer (and the Windows operating system), plain and simple. I'm convinced that by shutting down Internet Explorer, and nailing down the coffin tight, I finally took charge of my PC.
1. I got the right anti-spyware tools. After trying out StopZilla and Spysweeper (both nice programs in their own right), I went back to Spybot Search and Destroy ... then I added Lavasoft's Ad-Aware to the mix. I've seen many folks rave about the combination of Spybot and Ad-Aware. I'll join that chorus. It's frequently observed that one program catches what the other may have missed. And that was certainly true in my case.
2. I stopped using Microsoft Internet Explorer as my web browser. But I didn't just switch back to Mozilla (and Mozilla Firefox). I went into Internet Explorer's Options box and turned everything off. And I mean everything.
After selecting Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level, I went into the checklist and disabled anything related to ActiveX. I disabled file downloads and Java. I disabled the installation of desktop items and the launching of programs and files in an IFRAME. And I disabled every single scripting option.
3. Through it all, I spent much more time on my iMac. I'd switch over to the iMac while in the midst of running Spybot and Ad-Aware. (This happened more frequently than I would have liked. Running Spybot and Ad-Aware multiple times each day was frustrating, to say the least.) And now that I'm not using Microsoft Internet Explorer on my PC, I use it (infrequently) on the Macintosh to check out those few (unfortunate) websites that require the use of MSIE.
The thing that most drove me nuts? Spyware would reinstall itself and spawn popup windows even when MSIE was not running. It was like there was a ghost in the machine. I'd walk away from my desk, thinking that my system was clean, only to find the screen covered in popup windows upon my return. It was then that I realized how important it was to turn off all of those options in MSIE. That action alone takes the remote controls away from the nefarious spyware developers.
While my PC is no longer showing any spyware symptoms, I know that there are still some evil files sitting on the hard drive. But because I have shut down MSIE for good, those evil files can do no harm. (Well ... that's what I hope ... at least!)
My pain and suffering should is not for naught. I'm telling you my story because this story can save you time and heartache. If you want to remove spyware from your computer, you may want to follow these steps:
1. Download and install Mozilla, Mozilla
Firefox, or Opera.
2. Turn off all of MSIE's options (as above), then close the
program and never launch it again.
3. Download and install both Spybot and Ad-Aware.
4. Clean your system with back-to-back runs of Spybot and
Ad-Aware.
Now with luck, this will be my last article about the mechanics of eradicating spyware. I have my fingers crossed that I have finally rid my PC of unwelcome and uninvited trespassers ... and I hold that hope for you, too ... :)