anyone know of a good FREE anti spyware program?

[nickleinonen]

my computer is loaded with spyware. i downloaded that spyware nuker software cause it said it was free [right] and the download was free, and the scanning was free [i have like 400 spyware type items on my computer] but to clean up my HD from these pieces of spyware, i need to pay them. not something i really want to do. does anyone here know of a freeware anti spyware software that works pretty well?



thanks,

nick

 

[Cowboy Medic]

http://www.safer-networking.org/



Spybot Search and Destroy. Used it for a while now and it seems to take care of everything.

 

[duaneparks]

Spybot and Lavasoft's Ad-aware are both good ones. There are free versions of both. Also, Ace Utilities will clean up your computer.



I personally use Spybot (that I got on my own) and chase it with Ace (that the company provides).



One more little toy that I use is PanicWare's Pop-Up Stopper. It catches most of the little pop up ads and has even stopped a drive-by install or two (like xupiter).



Hope this helps.



Duane

 

[Crazy Horse]

Here's a link to Ad-Aware, scroll down on the page for "free" download. It works good for cleaning things up.



Ad-Aware 6. 0

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Lavasoft's Ad-Aware

Huge thumbs up for Ad-Aware.



You can download their newest definitions for free... . (along with the free download) so that you're never out of date as far as keeping up with the Spyware... .



I have it on my two systems @ home... and my system @ work.



Matt

 

[nickleinonen]

thanks for all the quick replys. i downloaded the spybot and ran it. other than it taking a while to scan all the files in my system [±150,000 files eh... ] i did run it, and used it to eliminate many of the spyware type things on my computer, and my computer seems to be a little quicker now. my usb connected optical mouse seems to move a little quicker on the screen now also and windows minimize/maxmize quicker now... now if i can get that darn lop.com linked "isoubrshzst" off my internet exploder tool bar i'll be real happy. at least now it doesn't pop up every time you start IE [the google toolbar i want to keep though. handy as heck]

 

[rfcom]

HijackThis

I had a really nasty one called wupdater. exe that neither Ad-Aware nor Spybot could eliminate. I finally got rid of it with HijackThis. After a few sessions with all 3 tools and a few registry cleanings with regclean, all is well again.



Jim

 

[Steve M]

I downloaded Spybot and ran it only to have it find four security holes in IE6 and a redirection to Alexis search engine. The only real spyware threat it found was three cookies from "hitbox". I always turn my security settings to high if I go to a "site of ill repute". My Norton Internet Security fire-wall is on all the time and I have no file sharing. Not too bad. I don't know where "hitbox" came from. Maybe that "other" site that allows nekid weming and trucks.

 

[The patriot]

I have the ad-ware and I still got some Gator program in here somehow.

I'm downloading the spy-bot to see if it will remove it.

Eric



PS nekid weming and trucks is always an awesome combo.

 

[The patriot]

Update:

I downloaded the spy bot.

It cleaned up what the ad-ware couldnt!!!

Thanks a million!!

Eric