Besides Ad-aware and Spybot, are there any good spyware removal utilities? I have something on my computer, but those two don’t find it, and it keeps replicating these zip files (I haven’t opened any of them) that I really don’t want… one with Shakira dancing, a Sims crack, some other stuff that I’m sure will just zap my computer if I open them.
Also, I don’t want to update my Nortons. Paying for stuff is bad… where’s that free AV thing online everyone’s always talking about?
The best online AV scanners are :
but there are many more (i.e. McAfee FreeScan)
You could try McAfee AntiSpyware 2004 (free trail) if you still have problems but I have yet to find someone that couldn’t get rid of whatever they had with Ad-aware and Spybot.
The best free anti-virus scanner I’ve found is AVG 6.0 by Grisoft. It is not an online scanner, so it protects you all the time, scans your email just like Norton & Mcafee, only without the $$$.
If Spybot or Ad-Aware can’t remove it, it gets complicates.
You could try CWShredder to see if this is a CoolWebSearch variant (though it doesn’t sound like it).
If it’s not CWS, you’re going to have to perform a manual removal:
Download and run Hijackthis. Scan it, save the log and then go to http://www.spywareinfo.com and post the log. Someone will analyze it. Don’t fix anything by yourself.
Majorgeeks has many anti- spyware and virus programs linked and most are freeware and/or shareware.
The sticky at the top of the forum has a pretty comprehensive list IMHO.