Ad-Aware

Installation & Use

Go to: www.lavasoftusa.com
Click "Current Ad-Aware Info" (on the right).
As shown below:

Scroll Down
Click Download Ad-Aware 6 from Download.com
As shown below:

A New Window to Download.com will open up.
Click Download Now

Save the file to your Desktop.

Double Click on it to install it.
(follow the install-wizard)

Open the Program.

Click "Check for Updates Now" (to be sure you've got all the latest ad-ware catches)
As shown below:

Click Connect and Install any new Updates it comes up with.
As shown below:


If New reference-files are available, Click OK to Download and Install the files.
When the Update is complete, Click Finish and disconnect from the Internet.

Click Start
As shown below:

Click Next
As shown below:

Let it run......

Running Processes ARE NOT a concern.. that's just what's running on your computer currently.

What you are concerned about are the "New Objects" it finds.
As shown below:

When it is done scanning, you can:
a) Click "Show Logfile" (shown above) and see what they are. Some of them will be as benign as cookies, others will be far more serious.
&/or
b) Click "Next" (shown above), and Select the Items you wish to remove by checking the boxes next to them.
As shown below:

Click "Next" (shown above) to remove these items.
It will ask you if you are sure, if you are, say "OK"...

When it is finished, re-boot your computer and run Ad-Aware again.
If it doesn't find anything else, your computer is "clean".
Ideally, you should run Ad-aware as many times as it takes to get your Computer Clean.
If it finds more "New Objects" run it over and over (re-booting between each run) until it doesn't find any more "New Objects". If, after removing all "New Objects", your computer is still not running properly, you may have other problems, like a Trojan or a Virus.
But, the key is to run Ad-Aware a second time after reboot WITHOUT connecting back to the internet!!!

Chances are, if you are running Windows, using Internet Explorer, and don't perform regular "Critical Windows Updates" (found on your Start Menu, Called Windows Updates... focus on "Critical" ones) you could have SpyWare.. If you run your Critical Windows Updates regularly, you may still have run-ins with SpyWare, but, far less frequently.