There are numerous freeware and shareware utilities designed to help rid you of spyware. Currently, there are two that stand out as better than the rest: Ad-aware, by Lavasoft, and Spybot Search & Destroy, by PepiMK Software.

Download and install them to decide for yourself which one you like better, or better still, use them both.

Once you detect and remove the spyware, be warned that the program the spyware belonged to will usually stop working. At this point, you have two choices:

• Go back to the company’s web site and re-download and reinstall the software, knowing it will place some spyware on your computer.
• Learn to live without that piece of software.

To acquire and use the two spyware-removal utilities previously mentioned, simply follow these easy steps:

Using Ad-aware

Our first stop will be the Ad-aware web site. To download and install Ad-aware, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run. In the window that appears, type www.lavasoftusa.com. Then click OK.
2. On the web page that appears, locate and click Download.
3. Choose to download a copy of the current version of Ad-aware by clicking one of the Ad-aware links listed under Full Install. The Ad-aware software is stored in several locations throughout the Internet, and each link on the downloads page takes you to a different place where you can get the program. You can choose any one of the links to start your download. If the download does not start for any reason, try again using a different link.
4. The next window that appears warns you that, “Some files can harm your computer. If the file information below looks suspicious, or you do not fully trust the source, do not open or save this file.” Of course, we trust this source; after all, we selected it. If this window ever appears unexpectedly, I would recommend pressing the Cancel button. You are asked if you want to Open or Save the file you are about to download. I suggest that you click Open. When the download completes, the software will automatically start to install.
5. When prompted, click Next. The EULA appears. As always, satisfy yourself that the EULA doesn’t contain anything that you feel can cause you distress. Click Next to continue the installation.
6. The destination folder (where the software will install itself) is displayed. Click Next here, and then click Next once more to begin the installation.
7. When the installation completes, click Finish.

Now that you have Ad-aware installed on your computer, you can run it to remove any spyware you happen to have. Close any open windows, but keep your Internet connection on. Then follow these steps:

1. Double-click the Ad-aware icon on your desktop.
2. Before scanning your computer, check to see if any Ad-aware updates are available. Updates are extremely important because they instruct the software what to define as spyware. Because spyware is written and changed on an almost daily basis, the definitions change. Ad-awares’ database must be updated prior to using it to recognize these latest forms of Spyware. On the screen, locate and click the option Check for updates now, and then click the Connect button. If an update is available, accept it by clicking OK. Once the update is complete, click Finish.
3. The Ad-aware software has its own Start button. Click that button to start the spyware-scanning process. Then choose Use default scanning options and click Next. The scanning process may take awhile, depending on the speed of your computer and the size of your hard disk. Please be patient and allow it to complete. When it has finished scanning your hard disk for spyware, your computer will buzz (if you have speakers and they are turned on) and the top of the Ad-aware window will say Scan Complete
4. Click Next to see what Ad-aware found. Each item in the list should have a check in the box next to it. You might want to take a moment to scroll through the list and see if any of these items look familiar. Although I recommend that you leave all the boxes checked, if there are any items you recognize and do not wish to remove, you may uncheck the box next to it. If the items listed are unchecked, you can easily place a check next to all of them by rightclicking your mouse over a selection and choosing “Select all objects.”
5. Click Next, and when you are asked if you want to continue, click OK. All of the spyware will be deactivated and placed into a quarantine file on your hard disk, in case you want to reactivate any of it.
6. Close the Ad-aware program.

The Ad-aware program has some very useful and informative built-in help. You can access this information at any time by clicking the Help button.

Using Spybot Search & Destroy

The other spyware-removal program you may want to download and run is Spybot Search & Destroy. To download and install this program, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run. In the window that appears, type http://spybot.safer-networking.de. Then click OK.
2. On the web page that appears, locate and click Download.
3. Choose to download the current version of Spybot Search & Destroy by clicking one of the links offered. If one is available, choose a link that says “direct download.” Like the Ad-aware software, the Spybot Search & Destroy software is stored in several locations throughout the Internet, which you can access through the download links on this web page. If the download does not start for any reason, try again using a different link. The links that are not labeled “direct download” offer other software as well. If a direct download link is not available, click another link and look through the list of available software to locate and select Spybot Search & Destroy.
4. You will be asked if you want to Open or Save the file you are about to download. I suggest that you click Open. When the download completes, the software will automatically start to install.
5. When prompted if you want to continue to install Spybot Search & Destroy, click Yes.
6. When the welcome screen appears, click Next.
7. The EULA is displayed. As always, satisfy yourself that the EULA doesn’t contain anything that you feel can cause you distress. Select I accept the agreement and click Next to continue the installation.
8. The destination folder of where the software will install itself is displayed. Click Next, and then click Install to begin the installation.
9. When the installation completes, click Finish.

Now you’re ready to run Spybot Search & Destroy. Close any open windows, but keep your Internet connection on. Then follow these steps:

1. Double-click the Spybot Search & Destroy icon on your desktop.
2. Select the language in which you would like the program to be displayed.
3. A warning message explains that some programs that require spyware will no longer run once you remove the spyware portion. Click OK.
4. Updates are extremely important because they instruct the software what to define as spyware. Because spyware is written and changed on an almost daily basis, the definitions change. The Spybot Search & Destroy database must be updated prior to using it to recognize these latest forms of Spyware. The next screen reminds you to check for program updates before scanning. Click OK.
5. The next screen simply asks if you would like to remove the Spybot Search & Destroy icon from your desktop, or if you would like to have Spybot Search & Destroy start automatically when your computer starts. These choices are entirely up to you. After you’ve chosen how you want the program to behave, click Next.
6. Click Search for updates, and then click Download all available updates if it is offered. If there are updates, the software will apply them and then restart itself.
7. Once you are at the main program screen, click File, and then click Check for problems.
8. When the check is complete, Spybot Search & Destroy will show a list of the spyware items it found. Each item in the list should have a check in the box next to it. You might want to take a moment to scroll through the list and see if any of these items look familiar. Although I recommend that you leave all the boxes checked, if there are any items you recognize and do not wish to remove, you may uncheck the box next to it.
9. Click Fix selected problems to eliminate all of the recognized spyware from your hard disk.
10. Close the Spybot Search & Destroy program.

The Spybot Search & Destroy program has some very useful and informative built-in help. You can access this information at any time by clicking the Help option at the top of the window.