Looking at a PC for a friend at work last night.

Symptoms: Slow, will no longer access net etc....

Won't allow AV software to be loaded.

12 (COUNT THEM FOLKS) 12 lines of C**P toolbars in IE.

Oh and it won't display any websites at all, just gives a Spyware warning.

Add in one 17 year old son and you get........

Adaware scan: 792 Critical objects. WOW :-)

Once I'd finally got ASecure to load as an AV app. [1]
11 Trojans of various flavours.

It's like playing 'Whack-a-mole' at the fair. Everytime
you kill one another pops up.

Add in a seriously corrupted reg and I think it's nuke time.

DaveA



[1] Well the Trojan writer couldn't block ALL of them, though
it took 6 different downloads before I found one that would install.

Buy a Mac. None of this nonsense, and it Just Works.

John The Born-Again Mac User

Noticed my PC was slowing last week. Scanned using Skybot (have used it the past with no problem). This time the generic warning "This could damage some internal programmes" was spot on. It wiped out out my TC/IP thingy - no internet connection and lots of C++ Visual Basic termination errors. Have now switched to Adaware and upgraded to XP, I can breathe easy.

Whats the best advice on keeping spyware at bay ie. best free product and how often should you scan??

"Whats the best advice on keeping spyware at bay ie. best free product and how often should you scan??"

Other than moving to a safer platform such as OSX, I'd recommend that you ditch IEx. Download Firefox from here and then you've taken perhaps the biggest step you can - i.e. ditching IE.

HTH,

John

Hi all,

I think the best is Adaware. It remains a free product to home users and is updated regularly.

If you want to pay for the upgrade then there is a module that continuously checks the PC, otherwise scan every few weeks - or after you install something new.

It's worth remembering that spyware is spyware (not classed as a virus) because one's allowed it to be installed. If you don't install rubbish on the PC you won't get spyware. Think about that next time you see an enticing banner that says "Free smileys click here", or you're considering ICQ/Some clever IE toolbar.

I'll climb down from my soap box now....I apologise.

Yep, have had Firefox a month now and life hasnt been the same since. I feel rejuvenated and the visions now only appear momentarily. Unfortunately it doesnt interface very well with BBC radio 7 or 4 website (am partial to a bit of audio downloading). Still, only another month until the ambulance arrives.