Re: Windows, spyware, and removing it!

Tech-Archive recommends: Speed Up your PC by fixing your registry

SepticTank wrote:

I get to see MANY systems that have been infected with spyware. 

Welcome to the club.

 It's
usually a 50/50 shot at removing this stuff with the current utilities
out there (Ad-Aware, Spybot, MS AntiSpyware, etc.)

My usual method of removing the stuff involves booting into Safe Mode,
turn off System Restore,  running MSCONFIG and turning off EVERYTHING.
Install Ad-Aware with the latest definitions and letting it run a full
scan.

I use Spybot Search & Destroy and HijackThis, too. Make sure they're all latest versions and updated. I don't bother with the MS Beta tool, I've tested it and it seems no better than the others, plus it issues false positives on some valid files and doesn't bother checking cookies.


Some of the time this works great.  All spyware is gone.  But often I
notice the stuff usually comes back.  I also notice that it usually
returns once Internet Explorer is ran again.

Delete cookies, Temporary Internet files and all offline content before scanning.


So obviously this type of spyware has embedded itself in the registry
somewhere.  My question is, are there common areas in the registry
that spyware insert theirselves to?  I'd like to know, if possible,
ALL sections of the registry that spyware can slip theirselves into
where I can then go and just delete the offending entries.


Too many...

Determine the filenames of the recurring pests and do a find in the regedit for the filename(s), delete the keys containing the filename(s), then search the disk for the same filemane(s) and delete them. All in Safe Mode of course.


OR if anyone has some other rock solid method of removing every single
spyware trick that'd be great too.


No such thing. Sorry. I keep wishing, too.


Thanks in advance. 

Good luck.

Steve
.

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