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Creative Intelligence @ Your Service |
Site Map +1 214 234 9283 | Send Email |
Note: the following tips apply to Windows only. Mac users generally do not have these types of "hijacking" problems.
Unfortunately most people who use the Internet even a little bit know what spyware and viruses are. Those are programs that perform operations for another party, such as tracking one's Internet surfing habits. It's quite possible for a Microsoft Windows® system to become so overloaded with trojan software that the computer seems unusable.
Many service firms, ourselves included, charge a substantial amount for removing viruses and spyware from an infected system. But as long as you can connect to the Internet and download files, there are several steps you can take for free which may take care of the entire problem. So before calling us (or anyone else) out, try these simple steps:
To remove critical viruses and spyware from a Windows computer, we go through the following general steps:
Each of these general steps has several specific steps, which we discuss in the following paragraphs.
The following steps are the absolute minimum necessary to disinfect a Windows system. If the computer still runs extremely slow after performing this procedure, perhaps there is a hardware fault. Consult with us for further details should this be the case.
Warning: Some so-called ad or spy removal programs are in fact ads themselves. We have tested the following utilities and they do not introduce more problems into a system.
Step 1: Download Freeware: Download the latest version of Stinger, Ad-Aware, and Spybot Search and Destroy.
Visit http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger to obtain McAfee's Stinger program.
Visit http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download to download Safer Networking's latest vesion of Spybot - Search and Destroy.
Save these files either on the desktop or a folder for later use.
Step 2: Run Stinger: Stinger does not need to be installed: simply double click on stinger.exe and click the Scan Now button. No other steps are necessary, unless the computer has more then one hard disk. In this case, click Browse to add other drives to the scan list. Note Stinger can take about an hour to run on a Ghz speed system.
Stinger is not an anti-virus program, but it does remove all viruses known to disable an anti-virus program. So if your anti-virus program is not working, more then likely running Stinger will fix that specific problem.
Step 3: Install and Run Spybot: Double click on the executable file and follow the prompts to install Spybot. The installer also will run the program after installation by default. Spybot has a help assistant which pops up: it's OK to click the suggested buttons and then click Next using this assistant. When prompted, run the tutorial. If Spybot wants to delete some spyware after restart, grant permission and restart again.
Step 4: Remove Peer to Peer Networking: With networking off, P2P networking software won't be able to set up server processes connecting to the Internet. Run Add/Remove Software (or Programs) under the Control Panel, look for these programs (names sorted alphabetically), and uninstall them:
Step 5: Run Windows Update: It now should be OK to begin using Internet Explorer. But before checking email or visiting more web sites, choose Windows Update under IE's Tools menu to apply the latest security patches. Restart the system and visit Windows Update again until there are no critical or security updates left.
By the way, we have an announcement on things you should know about automatic updates.
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Just contact us with any comments, concerns, or questions about items contained in this document. Or IT issues in general. Or call us at the telephone number below.
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