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Utilities for Removing Spyware, Malware and Viruses

Quick Contents

[Introduction] [Collection of Utilities and Tips]

Introduction

Today's computer users are at risk of infecting their Windows computers with a variety of spyware, malware and viruses. In some cases you only need to have Internet access to infect your computer. Spyware, malware and viruses can have a devastating effect on your computer. If your computer is infected, you may be unable to install software, access the Internet or even turn on your computer.

The SentriLock Support Team has put together a collection of URLs with information on how to remove spyware, malware, viruses, etc. from Windows. The SentriLock Support Team found all this information in the Microsoft Windows XP General Newsgroups and Microsoft Help and Support Knowledge Base.

You can use information in the Collection of Utilities and Tips section to remove spyware, malware, and viruses from your Windows computer.

Collection of Utilities and Tips

The SentriLock Support Team gathered the following information from third-party sources. This information has been know to help remove or reduce the amount of spyware, malware, etc. on a Windows computer.
  • Note: SentriLock does not provide technical support for any of the third-party software or for the information in the Collection of Utilities and Tips section. SentriLock provides this information as a service to our customers. We are not responsible for any damage caused by the information in the Collection of Utilities and Tips section.

Information and URLs from Microsoft

The following information from Microsoft's Web site addresses the spyware, malware and virus problem in Windows. Some of these URLs also list information on how to protect Windows.

Update Windows

Microsoft frequently publishes updates and patches. To get the latest updates and patches, you should update Windows. To update Windows, click Start | Windows Update. Follow the instructions on your screen to update Windows.

Install Firewall

Install a firewall in Windows XP and keep it updated. Microsoft releases security updates on a monthly basis. Previously they released updates almost daily. A firewall can protect your system from viruses and spam. Firewalls can also prevent someone from logging into your computer and running programs or sending e-mail.

A firewall is there to help you protect your computer. Since every computer is different, your firewall doesn't automatically know how to best protect your computer. Your should have a basic understanding of how your firewall works. You should also understand how to use your firewall to allow and deny programs to access the Internet.

Install AntiVirus Software

Install an AntiVirus program. It's important that you use your AntiVirus software and keep it updated! All security related software is regularly updated (i.e. daily, every other day, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.). Make sure you regularly check for updates and perform full system scans. You can set up most AntiVirus programs to download updates and scan your system automatically.

Set Explorer to View All File Types

You can use Windows Explorer to set the Folder Options to Show All Files and unhide file extensions for known file types. When Windows Explorer hides the file types and extensions, it may make it difficult for you to detect many viruses, trojans, backdoors, spyware, malware, etc.
  1. Click Start | Programs | Accessories | Windows Explorer.
  2. In Windows Explorer, click Tools | Folder Options.
  3. Click View.
  4. In the Advanced Settings group, check Show hidden files and folders. Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types.
  5. Click Apply | OK in the Folder Options window.
  6. To close Windows Explorer, click File | Close.

Empty TEMP Directories

It is a good idea to periodically clean out your Windows TEMP directories and caches. You can manually do this by running Windows Disk Cleanup. You can also find a third-party software program to do this for you. You can use the instructions below to run Disk Cleanup
  1. Click Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup.
  2. On the Disk Cleanup window, check Recycle Bin, Temporary Files and Temporary Internet Files.
  3. Click OK. It may take Disk Cleanup some time to run.
  4. When you finish running Disk Cleanup, you can manually delete all extraneous files/folders from these folders: 
        C:\Windows\Temp
    C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Temp
    C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Temp
There are several third-party programs that can clean up Windows for you. Please be aware that some of these third-party programs may do more harm than good:

Third-Party Utilities

Some of these third-party utilities may help reduce the amount of spyware, etc. on your computer. Please read about each utility before you use it. Try these at your own discretion
  1. AdAware
    LavaSoft AdAware
    http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/
    Download AdAware from:
    http://www.majorgeeks.com/download506.html
    • IMPORTANT NOTE: read the help files and then Update and run AdAware.
    If you lose your Internet connection after running AdAware download the Winsock Fix from:
    http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=257
  2. Spybot Search and Destroy
    Download Spybot Search and Destroy
    http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
    For information about how to update and run Spybot (enable all protection), see
    http://www.safer-networking.org/en/tutorial/index.html
  3. Spyware Blaster
    Download Spyware Blaster here: (enable all protection)
    http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
  4. BitDefender
    BitDefender:
    http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/licence.php

Online Scanners

You may consider tying an online program to scan your computer for viruses, spyware, etc. If you plan to use an online scanning program, select one that is different from your primary AntiVirus program. For example, if you run Symantec's Norton AntiVirus on your computer, you may want to run an online scanner from a company other than Symantec.

More Utilities

If the other third-party utilities and scanners on this page did not solve your problem, try these:

Internet Explorer Blank Hijacker Removal Tool

Additional Malware Utilities

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