How to Clean a Hard Drive After a Spyware Infection

When you surf the Internet or download programs, your computer becomes vulnerable to infection from malicious programs called spyware that monitor your browsing habits, collect information about you and maybe even alter your computer's settings. If you suspect your computer has become infected, you will need to download and run a scanning program to find and delete the unwanted spyware.

Instructions

1. Open your web browser and navigate to a website that offers free spyware detecting and removal software, such as "Lavasoft Ad Aware" or "Spybot Search and Destroy." Click the link on the website to download the installation file. Go to a secondary website and download another spyware removal program, as most programs use different algorithms and will detect different types of spyware.

2. Double-click on the installation file that you downloaded to install the program. Repeat the process for the second program.

3. Open the first program that you installed and immediately run its updating service by clicking on the "Update" or "Search For Updates" button so that you have the most recent spyware information. Click on the option to "Immunize" or "Enable Prevention," depending on which program you are using, to prevent spyware from being covertly installed through your web browser.

4. Click on the option to run the program's spyware checking system. Choose the radio button that says "Scan Entire Hard Drive" if the program gives you the option. Wait for the scan to finish and then choose the option to "Remove Problems" or "Delete Spyware Infections."

5. Close the program and then open the second one that you installed. Have it search for updates and activate any prevention measure it may offer as you did with the first program, then run its scanning system.

6. Restart your computer and see if either of your spyware-removing programs opens a prompt to start a new scan again, as many types of spyware can only be removed before the computer's operating system is fully loaded.

Tips & Warnings

• The best way to cure a spyware infection is to prevent it from ever happening. Keep your spyware-detecting software up to date and running at all times, use a firewall program that notifies you when anything is downloaded to your machine and stay away from suspicious websites. Make sure you immediately install any available updates to your web browser as an added measure of security against spyware.

Resources

• Download Lavasoft Ad Aware
• Download Spybot Search and Destroy
• Spyware Information
• Tips for Getting Rid of Spyware