I have specialized in spyware removal for a few years and I can say with certainty that free and paid spyware removal tools have improved considerably. I have removed spyware from countless computers, using only free tools! Now, I will share this information with you, so that you too can save money.
I am going to share the process I use to remove spyware and it works about 90% of the time. If this process doesn’t work, back up your important data, wipe your entire hard drive with zeros, reformat your hard drive, and reinstall Windows.
What free spyware removal tools will I need?
I strongly suggest downloading these applications from a computer that has Internet access and loading them onto a flash drive, because spyware often cuts off Internet access or is smart enough to prevent access to web pages you would need to visit to download. these tools. .
- Combofix, Roguefix and Smitfraudfix
- Malwarebytes Free (The paid version has an active scanner that makes sure you don’t get infected again.)
- AVG Free (the paid version, AVG Internet Security, also has an active spyware scanner).
- CLEANER
- Fix IE utility
- XPQuickFix
- LSP Correction
Let’s get into the spyware removal process
The spyware removal process is not a fixed set of steps. Spyware is very clever, but all spyware has weaknesses, and I have outlined the path of least resistance.
Personally, I’d try downloading and running Malwarebytes first. If it works, you’re very lucky, because most spyware programs will recognize Malwarebytes and prevent it from running. You can try renaming programs and see if it works, if not, follow the steps and you should be successful. If you run into a problem, leave a comment and I’ll help you.
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Always work in “Safe Mode with Networking” when removing viruses, spyware, rootkits and Trojans. Safe mode will prevent many of these programs from starting. Working in this mode is also faster, because you have more of your computer’s resources to work with.
You can enter safe mode by tapping F8 every two seconds after turning on the computer. A menu with safe mode options will appear instead of the traditional Windows logo/loading screen.
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- Log in to your computer in “Safe Mode” and run CCleaner. This utility removes a lot of unnecessary files, which allows the other utilities you will use to scan your computer faster, because temporary internet files, etc. will be deleted.
- After running CCleaner, log in to the infected computer in “Safe Mode” and then run the Smitfraudfix utility. This utility is designed to remove “rogue” anti-spyware applications that use Trojans to issue false security alerts on your taskbar, or change your background to scare you into purchasing the full retail version of their software.
- After running Smitfraudfix, log in to the infected computer in “Safe Mode” and run the Roguefix and LSPfix utilities.
- After running the Smitfraudfix and Roguefix utilities, restart the computer again in “Safe Mode” and run the Combofix utility. This utility will scan your computer for known malware and try to clean infections automatically. This program takes about 30 minutes to run and restarts the computer several times during the process. Go ahead and find something else to do at this point because you won’t be able to use your computer for other tasks while Combofix is running.
- After the Combofix utility is complete, run Malwarebytes. This works similar to Combofix, but it can detect and remove many more different spyware programs. It also has a simple tabbed interface. Malwarebytes often requires a reboot after completion, so be sure to tell it to reboot after it has finished removing the spyware. Hopefully, you have a spyware-free computer right now. You may still see parts of Windows broken or out of place, so we’ll use some repair utilities to get your computer back on track.
- Run the Fix IE utility and the XPQuickFix utilities, which will fix many underlying problems that spyware creates once it infects your computer.
- I know you probably paid money for your virus protection, but your computer was compromised, so get rid of it. Search Google using the keywords “Norton Removal Tool”, “McAfee Removal Tool, etc”, depending on the antivirus solution you have installed on your computer. Why remove these? Antivirus programs are of no use once they have been compromised. But these two were probably not good to begin with. You should also experience a significant speed increase after switching to a more efficient and stable antivirus program.
- If you have no money, install AVG Free, if you have a few dollars, get their all-in-one solution. I would also recommend supplementing your antivirus program with a real-time spyware scanner, such as Malwarebytes, the paid version.
Keep your computer clean!
- Again, I recommend buying AVG Internet Security and Malwarebytes to fully protect yourself against spyware, but if you opt for the free Malwarebytes, you’ll be fine. I would recommend opening Malwarebytes once a week and doing a scan to make sure the computer is clean.
- Avoid porn sites and free sites (you know, free music, software, games, etc.).
- If you come across a suspicious website that forces you to respond to a YES or NO popup, or an OK CANCEL popup that you didn’t initiate, hold down Alt and press F4. This will close your browser without answering the question. If you click on an answer, 99% of the time you will give the site permission to download unauthorized software to your computer, regardless of the answer you choose.
- Change your browser at once! Internet Explorer has many problems and ActiveX is a great window for computers to get infected with spyware. Switch to Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, or Google Chrome.