How to Clear a Spyware Infection

Always be prepared for a spyware infection.

A spyware-infected computer can become sluggish and unresponsive, and even potentially put your personal data at risk depending on the type of infection. Clear your computer of spyware at the first signs of possible infection, to prevent it from happening again.

Things You'll Need

• Anti-spyware program

Instructions

Clearing Spyware

1. Determine if your computer is infected. Trouble signs include unusual slowness, random browser pop-ups without any user interaction, and unexplained network traffic. If the computer is showing these symptoms, proceed to the next step.

2. Download an anti-spyware application to your computer. Popular free applications include Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware. Once downloaded, click the application's install executable file to install it on the infected computer. Install any malware detection file updates the application asks for.

3. Disconnect the computer from the Internet during cleanup. This will prevent a computer from getting reinfected, and lead to a more successful eradication of any spyware and malware.

4. Run your selected anti-spyware application, and allow it to complete. Some security experts recommend running the application again to ensure that all spyware is detected and removed.

5. Reconnect the computer to the Internet once it is free of spyware. Plan to run the anti-spyware software on a regular basis (ideally, weekly) to ensure the computer has not been reinfected.

Tips & Warnings

• Anti-spyware software may not catch all malicious software. The success rate depends on the quality of the program, as well as how up to date the detection file is. Consult reviews online by security researchers to ensure the software you choose is the best for your situation.

References

• Removing Spyware and Adware from Your Computer

Resources

• Spybot Search & Destroy
• Ad-Aware