I have a serious spyware problem. (Win XP)

[CanuckAmok]

I have picked something up which is slowing my whole pc down, and making some sites (Hotmail, for example) inaccessible.

Worst of all, whatever this is won't allow my "SpywareBlaster" to log on for updates.

Any suggestions, beyond "get a Mac"?

[Deja Q]

1. Get Linux?

j/k!!!

Spybot search & destroy (google it and use the pcworld.com version only)
ad-aware (www.lavasoft.com)
Trend Housecall (www.trend.com ?)

[physioex]

5. I agree with Toad....

Use those programs in combi and you should be ok.....
Get another browser like Opera or Firefox.

And stay away from the girlie site.... ;)

[tjdee]

6. I use spybot s&d and Ad-aware...good programs.

Like S&D a bit better though.
:thumbsup:

[Crazy Guggenheim]

2. Go to this site.

www.pcworld.com

They have Spyware removal SW amongst other things. If you can't get to let me know.

[democracyindanger]

3. Open Task Manager

ctrl-alt-del

click on the 'processes' tab

click on 'mem usage' twice to bring the high memory use processes to the top of the list

see if there's an unrecognizable process that's using a lot of memory

select the process and hit 'end task'

google the process (xxxxx.exe, or whatever)

results should bring up links to sites explaining what it is, and if it's spy or adware, how to get rid of it

[tjdee]

4. Start in Safe Mode and then try to run SpywareBlaster...

Of course, you won't be able to get your update, but it should be able to run (and hopefully catch it).

There are other things to try....lots of things actually--I'm sure you won't be needed a Mac. ;)

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. That's what hubby does as a PC fix-it guy. He had a really nasty

one the other night.. almost couldn't get the original virus out to get the spyware out after that.

[Goldmund]

7. Google these three programs:

1) Ad Aware
2) Spybot
3) HijackThis!

Between the three of them, you should be all set.

[tjdee]

9. HiJackThis is awesome!

What a cool little program.

[Goldmund]

13. I totally agree, it's the best

The least user friendly, but that's one of the things it makes it the best.

[arcos]

10. Use Microsoft Antispyware, Ad-Aware AND Spybot S&D...

Use the three of them and update them... that's probably the safest way to remove most things.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

11. There is a new one out there in the wild.

Very hard to get rid of. Very nasty indeed. Installs "stub"(little proglets) that when you uninstall the main program, the stubs download and reinstall the damn thing. Use cycles, too.

The report on this is on http://broadbandreports.com

It is called nail.exe

[Kurovski]

12. Maybe that's something designed just for DUers!

:tinfoilhat:
Same problem here, and I can't update Norton anti-virus.