OK so sometimes the MALware or Spyware doen't let EMCO Malware Destroyer work... and Running AdAware SE causes the computer to reboot after 14 seconds for some odd reason after 1 BAD FILE is found... Who you gonna call???
Well I don't know... I go here (as one of my tiny little helpers...) AND I use BAzooKA (though the instructions on how to CUT the badware out of your system are NOT for the faint hearted...
ONLINE I go to:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/xscan.phpIf you can get past the inherint paranoia of letting this activeX control run on your system... you might just find severl things the EMCO and AdAware missed... This scan found BONZIbuddy!!! I checked and yes... there it was!!!
another one:
http://housecall.antivirus.com , which is operated by Trend Micro, one of the major anti-virus companies.
It will do both anti-virus and spyware removal through that URL.
Trend Micro's online virus scanner has saved my butt on more than one occasion, when a virus hasn't allowed my system installed anti-virus program to run.
LOL, all that rubbish people were giving me about not wanting to install the igLoader plugin becuase of paranoia about Spyware and Viruses!!!
OK, this is a topic of some relevance. I've just spent all night round my mate's house (2 weeks after doing a full format of his PC) trying to remove spyware lovingly put on there by his wife.... "I had to turn Norton off because it wouldn't let me on the internet". Bless!
The thing is (and this really does irritate me) I downloaded SpyDoctor and Xmspy (or something sounding like that). Both clearly advertised "free spyware removal utility" and all looked very posh and not at all dodgy.
They both found multiple infections and both prompted to 'register now to remove these infections'. I really could have broken something at the end of this process.
Even Norton (2004) was rubbish. "I have detected the above 3 problems" (SpyDoctor detected 27) "I was unable to remove them, please click on the name of the infection for information on how to remove"..... so.... you click on the name and it takes you to a Symantec website... removal instructions are.... wait for it.... "update your virus definitions via LiveUpdate". Great, we've kind of done that already. thanks anyway.
His PC is now sat running a full scan with AVG Free edition which I fully expect to not remove everything. He is going to bring his PC round to mine tomorrow so I can attach his hard drive and run my paid-for Panda to sort it out.
Panda and AVG will not handle spyware, they will only do virusses.
To address the spyware, use some reputable programs like Spybot, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, or Microsoft Anti-spyware (Beta).
Many spyware houses are making 'spyware removal' programs simply to get desperate people to install even more of their crap -- unless you *know* that the application can be trusted, never EVER unstall some random 'we'll remove your spyware for you, honestly' type programs...
Are you sure about Panda not blocking spyware? I have had several popups from Panda telling me that Spy/Adware has been neutralized.
Good call about SpyBot though, I had forgotten about that. Had used it a year or so ago and it was pretty good then.