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Before taking any action on your system, please read (and print) these instructions completely. There are sometimes special notes or warnings that might apply to your situation. Proceed at your own risk.

Viruses, worms, and their related kin are only one type of malware that can affect your computer. They are the ones that get all the publicity, but other types of malware can cause you just as much frustration and potentially even more computer malfunctions than their famous relatives. For more information about what malware is and a brief description of the other types of malware, please see Appendix B.

Getting Rid of It

Just as with antivirus software, there’s no single solution for eliminating all malware. The best defense is a good offense, and we will cover those in the next few chapters. But first we have to get the system cleaned up, or it’s a hopeless battle.

There are two programs that seem to do pretty good jobs at keeping your system free from malware (though they don’t do virus scanning). They range from free to rather pricey (for the enterprise editions). It is always recommended that you use more than one scanner to combat malware, because malware is often slippery and seems to slip past one scanner (it doesn’t matter which), but usually a second or third scanner will catch all of it.

Be aware that sometimes removing malware may cause other programs to stop working! Many companies give away their software for free, but they embed some spyware or adware in their package, and that gets installed right along with the free software you want. They do warn you about this in advance, but since very few people read long legal agreements (the EULA is what it’s called, or end-user license agreement), nobody notices. The malware gives the free software’s author some money in exchange for bundling their software with the free software. The more you use the software, the more ads you see, and the more money the author makes. Simple and devious. But when you uninstall the malware, it often disables the free software along with it. Sometimes its a trade off whether to keep the malware or not if you really like the free program, though you might want to look for alternatives. And even some commercial (non-free) software includes spyware and/or adware, so always check license agreements carefully for signs of embedded malware.

1. Start With AdAware

We recommend starting with Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition (notice that name is similar to the thing it’s trying to get rid of, but AdAware eliminates ads, rather than giving you more), which is free for non-commercial use and is very effective. Since it can be a bit tricky to find the link for downloading the program, we have a direct link to it here.

Businesses must upgrade to AdAware Plus or AdAware Pro, which are commercial products and work better in larger environments. Running AdAware on a weekly basis seems to be very effective at keeping systems running smoothly. For businesses with more than one or two computers, there are other options that might perform better, be easier to manage, and cost less; contact us for assistance in determining the best option for your organization.

2. Next, SpyBot Search & Destroy

Spybot Search & Destroy is another excellent program. It is completely free, though the author does request a small donation to offset his expenses. It’s well worth it, because Spybot is extremely effective at removing a wide variety of malware. It also actively protects your computer from hundreds of known types of malware. It’s a little more complicated to setup, but it works great. If you are also running AdAware, you can probably do a Spybot S&D scan about once a month. If you don’t run AdAware, then we recommend running Spybot S&D weekly.

3. PestPatrol for Really Tough Stuff

For the second or third scan, we recommend PestPatrol by Computer Associates. The company offers a free scanner on their Website, which you can use to see if AdAware or Spybot S&D missed anything. Since PestPatrol scans for many different types of files, it’s very likely to find some new things. If the results indicate it might be worthwhile to purchase a full copy of PestPatrol, you will find it a very powerful program. A 5-User Corporate volume license is also available, which saves larger organizations some money. PestPatrol is the most aggressive of the three malware removers, and it also installs some background tasks that actively monitor your system while you browse.

General Considerations

As with virus scanners, all three programs need you to regularly update their definitions files. They make doing so very easy and quick. Overall, these programs are simple to use, unless you need to setup exceptions (like to allow a specific piece of malware to remain on your system because it’s tied to a game you love). Just follow the included help, and you should be fine.Symantec/Norton and many other antivirus vendors have discovered the gap in their antivirus software when it comes to malware, so they are entering the spyware/adware removal market, too. At some point, they will probably catch up to (or buy out) the little guys I’ve mentioned, but for now, the little guys seem to have the edge—especially in the pricing. If you already have antivirus software with an included malware scanner (often bundled under an Internet Security moniker), then go ahead and use that as one of your scanners, but it’s still a good idea to get a second opinion (like AdAware).

One final word of caution: be very wary of any spyware removal programs you see advertised in banner ads, on Websites, or in popup windows. The software may eliminate all competing advertisements and yet still be an effective adware or spyware application itself.

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