Looking for, of course, a lean and effective spyware removal/preventer. I am using AVG antivirus currently, and wish to stay away from any heavy overhead programs.Thanks in advance,Noel

I like Spybot and Adaware, but this finds and removes stuff they don't. Easy to use and configure. http://www.webroot.com/Greg

There are several Programs you can use that will cut down the spyware on your home computer.ALL 100% FREEWARESpyware Removal:Spybot Search & Destroyhttp://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.htmlvirus Protection:Avasthttp://www.avast.com/eng/free_software.htmlBrowser = No Popups, faster than IE (Best Advice)http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/Email Program:http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/I use all of these, and if you have any questions, I'll be happy to help you out.Of course if you really want to stop 90-99% of it, the use of a Hosts file would do quite a bit.Regards,Joe Others I use:Office Suite:Open office 1.1.3http://www.openoffice.org/Voice Recognition (Including MSFS2004, Contact me for Profile, Over 300 Commands)Shoot 1.6.4http://clans.gameclubcentral.com/shoot/Working on head Tracking as I write this.... Stay Tuned.... Also 100% Free if you already own a web camera. :-) :-)

Noel - Spysweeper at www.webroot.com. Nice, real time spyware/adware preventer/scanner. Subscription to spyware definition files is payware. You get the initial update for free.Hope it helps,

HiJack Thishttp://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.htmlThis requires a bit more on your part, but it gets into the guts of the Registry and helps you locate all sorts of evil. Note that it does not, in itself, identify Spyware and Adware. You have to have some idea what your're looking for. It's particularly good at locating and removing garbage that loads as BHO's (Browser Helper Objects) in Internet Explorer.When you find an entry like "BargainBuddy" or "AdGoblin" you can be pretty sure it's rubbish, but for other things which masquerade as innocent-sounding system programs (even loading themselves into the SYSTEM32 directory), I usually use Google and enter the name of the suspicious program along with "spyware" on the search line.

Along with FS9 ( you can't get spyblasted if your flying ) :-)You might consider only using IE for the few websites that require it, and move to Firefox or other non IE based browser.Since my move to Firefox I have not had the problems with sypware that I used to have.You might find a website that lists url's for websites that commonly generate spyware and add these lists to your restricted web site list, this will cut down your infection rates, but will not be bullet proof.

Run firefox and your spyware problems will be gone.

If my personal opinion matters:I run FireFox and Thunderbird and Avast. I run AdAware or Spybot very rarely (because I don't have to).

I'm not personally familiar with the program I mention below, but I like the premise--that it can prevent spyware infection, rather than do cleanup after the fact like other popular scanners.I lose more time (in systems support) to cleaning up spyware than virus issues these days. Newer spyware is getting better at "hiding" from programs like Adaware and Spybot--both programs detect pieces of it, but can't get rid of all of it.One of the newest exploits is dynamic registry attacks. IOTW, you use Hijack this or some other tool to rid the registry of the spyware, and the keys are recreated instantly. In tandem with this, you have dynamic process generation. You go to kill a running process, and another is launched in its place. And the last thing I've seen in recent weeks is spyware removal protection, where the spyware involved sees an attempt to delete a file, and spawns itself again with a new .exe name. The reason these issues are happening is that you can code an application to be invisible to task manager. You kill the process you see, but a second background process is running the show.If you can catch the spyware before it embeds itself in your system, these latest tricks (which render Spybot and Adaware useless) may be avoided. Here's a link to a page which describes the software: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Malware_Defence.htmI haven't a clue if it works. I still use pretty standard practices--I detect what unauthorized programs and services the registry is trying to launch by scanning with Hijack This, do a safe boot (usually to DOS mode), then delete the offending files. I cleanup the registry only after the files have been deleted.In tandem with this, I run regular date scans of my system, looking for .exe., .dll and other executable modifications for the 30 days prior to my scan date. Quite often, spyware will modify or add files in the windows system and root folders, and a regular scan looking at recent changes may catch that and even trace the source of infection.Spybot and Adaware are nice tools, but I trust them less and less these days since spyware is taking these tools into account, and evolving.-John

Running IE, Outlook (not OE) and Kaspersky. I too rarely run Adaware because I don't have to. The reason: I know what I'm doing.I don't use pirated software, Kazaa (or similar), and I don't click on links and attachments in emails unless I was expecting them...In other words: I use common sense.

no they won't.Most spyware is installed by people consciously (though without knowing it) when they install downloadmanagers, P2P file sharing applications, freeware programs (ever more often), etc. etc.

"The reason: I know what I'm doing. I don't use pirated software, Kazaa (or similar), and I don't click on links and attachments in emails unless I was expecting them... In other words: I use common sense."Getting infected with spyware has less of a relationship to "knowing what you're doing" although certainly you can avoid getting a virus by following your advice.How is Spyware getting installed these days? You'd think it's because of careless surfers visiting sites on the fringe--i.e. warez sites, porn sites, etc... But many/most users are getting Spyware (which is the purpose of Adaware) because they are human. They mistype URL's. Example--www.project-opensky.co.... I didn't put the full link there lest someone click on it, but that bogus variation of Project Opensky's URL causes the famed "Drive By Download"* that spyware uses to install itself on your system.Sometimes Jeroen I think you jump into these threads with a specific purpose to throw a veiled insult on the community. Perhaps you should become more educated on Spyware, its cost to the IT industry, and the fact that some pretty sophisticated users have been caught by it. That is part of "knowing what you're doing", as well as knowing what you're saying.The best tip I can give users to prevent Spyware?~Turn off Active Scripting in the Internet Zone~Add to trusted sites those where Active Scripting is a must, such as www.avsim.comThat won't prevent all of the vectors Spyware uses to get into one's system, but it catches most of them.-John*BTW, the term "Drive by Download" isn't mine, although those in my profession do use it. It defines a program or process that is installed without intervention by the user. Mistyped URL's, registered by Spyware/Malware outfits, are becoming the number one means of Spyware/Malware infection.

I too mistype URLs, yet I don't get infected with malware because I don't click "yes" or "OK" on every popup which appears asking to install something.That too is common sense...I checked my machine less than an hour ago, that was the first time in over a month.There were 3 registry entries HijackThis did't recognise, none of them were (they were left behind by ICQ when I uninstalled that).The majority of malware is installed because people don't use common sense and/or are installing software from questionable (or known bad) sources.

"I too mistype URLs, yet I don't get infected with malware because I don't click "yes" or "OK" on every popup which appears asking to install something. That too is common sense..."You missed the point of my comments. Malware CAN be installed without clicking on popups--that is the distinction of drive by downloads. Just having Active Scripting active is all that's required.You may be (by default) using the common sense I outlined at the end of my post--leaving active scripting disabled outside of trusted sites."The majority of malware is installed because people don't use common sense and/or are installing software from questionable (or known bad) sources."Perhaps that was true a year ago, but today unsolicited downloads taking over as the #1 cause of spyware/malware. No longer do you have to click anything. Part of the cause, I am sorry to say, is Microsoft's own admitted security issues with IE and Windows code. Most of the unsolicited downloads are using holes that Microsoft has yet to patch. But some of the issues are caused by the "keys to the kingdom" that Active Scripting gives, and the fact that Spyware/Malware authors are constantly looking for ways to eliminate user intervention in the downloading of their junk.

Spyware is indeed a problem, even if you are careful, and don't visit 'dodgy' sites...I have found that by just having my PC online and maybe only visiting this site, after a half hour or so, I will have three or four items that have found their way in; those click-thru, and sex-trackers are everywhere, and probably infest the most innocent and benign of sites....Firewalls won't stop them, anti-virus programs frequently don't see them, and I rely on progs like Ad-Aware to find and destroy them!I'll have to check out that link that you posted John, and may yet still consider trying out Firefox as an alternative browser, even though in the past I've never really been too happy with the way that they have often have trouble in resolving web pages correctly because they don't always have the right fonts, etc! Hopefuly that's something that has been resolved? More and more people seem to be recommending Firefox so it may be a good time to try it!Cheers!