# Spyware removal **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 3, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915 "2005-07-03T14:27:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/1 "2005-07-03T14:27:20Z")
I need suggestions for a new spyware removal tool. I use both Adaware and Spybot but have noticed that neither of them have updated in a very long time. Given that I don’t think that the spyware makers are neglecting to update, I am looking for a new free tool. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/2 "2005-07-03T14:44:02Z")
Spybot needs to be prompted to search for updates. If you’re running a version older than 1.3, then you’ll need to download the whole program. AdAware SE is running 1.06r1 with definitions as recent as 6.21.2005 so you may need to do a bare bones download of that utility, also. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/3 "2005-07-03T15:00:42Z")
Ah. I will try that. I didn’t think to go beyone checking the web update from the programs themselves. ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/4 "2005-07-03T15:18:54Z")
I’ve been pretty happy with this so far: [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en](http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en) but i keep ad-aware updated and handy as a backup. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/5 "2005-07-03T16:56:01Z")
I have also been using Microsoft AntiSpyware for some 6 months now. I’ve had no spyware problems, and it’s only had to remove 2 things from my computer since the initial cleaning. It runs in the background with virtually no interference. I can highly recommend it. (yeah, I know… it’s Microsoft… waddaya gonna do?) :smack: ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/6 "2005-07-03T17:33:51Z")
I’d also recommend Microsoft. It’s autoupdating and protective featers have the others beat. ---
**Author:** ![6\_6\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e0b2c6/32.png) [@6\_6\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6_6_6)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/7 "2005-07-03T22:15:55Z")
I too recommend Microsoft Antispyware. The current Beta1 version is free to download and use. I presume there will be a charge for any release version in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/8 "2005-07-04T01:45:25Z")
I recently encountered a problem with some spyware. The nice people at [www.geekstogo.com](http://www.geekstogo.com) recommended Hijack This and some other software. They also talked me thru (specifically, a very nice lady named **tampabelle** showed me how to remove the never-to-be-sufficiently-darned malware. You download Hijack This, run the scan and post the log, and they tell you “delete this and this”. Very cool. I hope **tampabelle** is a Doper, sees this, and I can thank her for her assistance again. Virus writers are bad for free, geekstogo is helpful for free. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/9 "2005-07-04T01:55:11Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Spybot needs to be prompted to search for updates. If you’re running a version older than 1.3, then you’ll need to download the whole program. The current version of [Spybot S&D](http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html) is 1.4 ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spyware-removal/310915/10 "2005-07-04T02:07:04Z")
I’ve been using Counterspy as well as Spyware Doctor. The latter is free, the former isn’t but the free trial removes spyware.