Hi!
How up to date are you with AV software?
Free for home use:
AVG Free
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Avast Home Edition
http://www.avast.com/i_idt_153.html
And how current are your spyware/malware scanners?
First of all, download NOW this Winsock fix (FREE):
http://downloads.subratam.org/WinsockFix.zip
If you lose internet access after the cleanup, run this tool.
This should ONLY be used if you lose internet access.
After that, download the fully functional trial version of Spy Sweeper:
http://www.webroot.com/downloads/?WRSID=595f27d74dd2795a56af83b763c321e1
Install, UPDATE and run.
You may need to reboot and run again to clean all the nasties that cannot be deleted at once ('in use').
MS AntiSpyware Beta (FREE)
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
Install, UPDATE and run.
Download Ad-Aware (FREE) from here:
http://lavasoft.element5.com/support/download/
Install, UPDATE and run.
You may need to reboot and run again to clean all the nasties that cannot be deleted at once ('in use').
Also excellent is SpyBot Search & Destroy (FREE) available here:
http://www.spychecker.com/download/download_spybot.html
Install, UPDATE and run.
You may need to reboot and run again to clean all the nasties that cannot be deleted at once ('in use').
You should also apply the 'immunize' function, since it blocks roughly 2100 known 'bad' runs/apis/apps.
Even if Ad-Aware and SpyBot S&D are similar, they do clean different things. You should have both of them and use REGULARLY.
An excellent anti-trojan scanner is a2 (a-squared) FREE:
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/
Install, UPDATE and run.
You can also install 'preventive' software that will help you control these nasties:
SpywareBlaster (FREE):
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
Prevents the installation of Active-X based spyware, malware, dialers, etc
Currently protects you against about 4800 nasties.
Advantage: no system resources used!!!
Just download, install and UPDATE.
All of them extremely useful but you must keep them UPDATED.
Suggestion: Make sure you can see all files and folders and run Ad-aware and Spybot S&D in Safe Mode.
Zee