COMPUSHAMAN - Spyware, Adware, Virus Removal

©OMPUSHAMAN

A ROUGH GUIDE TO RIDDING YOUR COMPUTER OF ADWARE, SPYWARE, POLTERGEISTS & VIRII
and other useful advice on the road to DIY computer maintenance & repair

Disclaimer:
Mea culpa? Hellll no!

The information contained on this page is as accurate as possible. However, as all computers and computer users are different in ability, I will claim no responsibility for damages or data loss incurred while following these suggestions. Chances are, if you tried any of this stuff in the first place your computer was messed up before you took my advice. When in doubt, Google it or ask someone who knows what they are doing. Good luck!

1.10.04 - Microsoft AntiSpyware (Beta) released

Microsoft acquired Giant Software last month, slapped the MS label on their program and released it as Microsoft AntiSpyware.

MSA found a few things that Adaware & Spybot didn't so I tentatively recommend it. Be forewarned that this is a BETA release (still a few kinks & bugs), false positives are possible & it is from the Evil Empire.

Do yourself a favor. Stop using Internet Explorer entirely & give the Mozilla Firefox browser a try. Really.

Open Internet Explorer > Internet Options...

On the "General" tab, click the "Delete Cookies..." button.
Do the same for "Delete files....". Your computer may hang while its deleting hundreds of MBs of cached files.
click "Settings..." and slide the "Amount of disk space to use" slider over to 1MB.
Now, under the "Advanced" tab, scroll down and make sure "Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed" is CHECKED.

Open Internet Explorer > Tools > Windows Update

If using a different browser than IE just go to Windows Update.
Click "Scan for Updates"
Download all available "Critical Updates" (on XP, "Express Install")
Revisit until all updates are installed. This may take several visits & reboots to get all of them.
Visit the Microsoft website to download the Microsoft Office updates (once again requiring multiple visits & reboots).

Install "Spybot Search & Destroy".

Available for free at download.com
Anytime popups with warnings show up during install or the 1st time you run the program, just check off the "Do not
show this again" to disable the nag screens.
Click Update > Search for Updates...when it finds new updates, check off all of them, then click "Download Updates".
Check for updates anytime before running a scan.
"Immunize". Immunize anytime you download an update.
Next, "Search & Destroy > Check for problems" then "Fix selected problems"
Depending on the system, the DHO Exploit may popup after every scan. Manual removal is possible. Select "Mode > Advanced". Expand the DHO Exploit Problem group, and right click on the details one by one. Select "More details > Jump to problem..." this will open up the registry editor and take you to the selected reg key. Delete these keys- BUT ONLY the keys with values of 1004! Don't delete the 1001 key. It is ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO BACK UP YOUR REGISTRY BEFORE MODIFYING IT!!!!! Failure to do so may result in disaster.
SS&D will tell you it couldn't remove all of the problems and will need to run on the next boot. Click ok & reboot.
NOTE: Badly infected systems may lockup & never finish scanning. Let SS&D find a few objects, abort the scan & remove the found objects. Keep doing this until there are no more objects.
Feel free to make a donation SS&D's Safer Networking website since the software is 100% free and extremely useful!

Install "Adaware SE"

Available for free at download.com
Click "Check for Updates", then download available updates, every time you start the program to update the spyware definition files.
Click the Next > Next buttons to begin scan.
Check off all items found and Remove aka Quarantine, by right clicking and "Select all objects"
Feel free to make a donation to the Lavasoft website. Consider purchasing the Adaware Plus or Professional versions for real-time protection from threats.

Open or install Norton AntiVirus 2003 or 2004.

Open NAV and click "LiveUpdate". This may take several visits & reboots to download all of the updates.
Open NAV > Scan for Viruses, then under "Schedule Task" select Schedule. Make sure to enable a scan at least once a week (I do it every day).
Scan for Viruses.
Sometimes NAV won't be able to automatically remove a virus. Don't worry - Symantec's website is chock full of specialized virus removal programs tailored to combat particular nuisances. Search their site for the virii you find and chances are you'll find what you need.
If you don't have a commercial antivirus solution, I highly recommend getting one. Yesterday. Don't surf without a condom!
For extra security check out Trend Micro's free online virus scanner.

Extra Protection: Install a software based firewall. This can be tricky, but by giving individual permissions to programs trying to access the internet (or the internet trying to access YOU) you will have control over this traffic and reduce risk of intrusions.

Download ZoneAlarm from here. You can get the free version or better yet support the website and buy the professional version.
Use the Auto Configuration settings.
Whenever ZA prompts you with "This program is trying to access the internet" and you're not sure what the program does, click NO. If for some reason you can't get on the internet after saying NO, you may need to reboot. Tell it YES next time. If it asks you every time and you're confident the program is legit, check off the "remember" box to eliminate future popup nags.
You can change permissions manually, and may need to do this if setting up multiple computers running firewalls. Check out the help section to find out more.
Some routers and switches have built in firewalls. If you have one, consult the manufacturer's documentation about configuration.

OTHER PROBLEMS

My computer makes beeping sounds when I turn it on and Windows won't start!

Your computer's BIOS (Basic Input Operating System, you know that screen you see as soon as you turn on your computer) is audibly telling you after a failed POST (power on self test) that there is a hardware problem within your system, independent of Windows.

A single beep is normal, indicating a successful POST, as opposed to multiple beeps, which are often accompanied by an error message. If you've recently made hardware changes to your system and hear these beeps, it is the Morse code of a misconfigured computer. Check to make sure that the recently added components are seated properly in their respective sockets, all cables are connected properly, and that your jumper configurations are correct. On the other hand if these beeps started out of nowhere you've likely suffered some kind of a hardware failure.

There are several flavors of BIOS out there, AMI, Phoenix, and Award BIOS being on the majority of machines in circulation. Naturally these beep codes are not standardized between the different companies. BUT luckily there are some good resources out there that list all the codes - my reference of choice being PC Hell.

Still haven't been able to lead your computer out of the spirit world? If you live in Catawba County / Hickory NC email or call 828.291.4081 to setup a healing session with the Compushaman. My rates are extremely affordable compared to the competition. Expedited turnaround and education are available. Computer upgrades, wireless networking, security & custom configurations are no problem. Se habla espanol.

Email me with suggestions & corrections.