# utilities for unwanted stuff on HD??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utilities-for-unwanted-stuff-on-hd/144667>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 24, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utilities-for-unwanted-stuff-on-hd/144667 "2002-12-24T03:24:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utilities-for-unwanted-stuff-on-hd/144667/1 "2002-12-24T03:24:33Z")

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So I am not so good at this computer stuff. My apologies if this has been asked before.  
When I am playing fighter ace 2 _off-line_ the game shuts down and I get a dial up prompt. I look at the taskbar and its a damn pop-up ad!! Is there a utilities for keeping this crap off my HD?If not, what software can I buy to keep this sh\*t off?Is it a cookie? I’d like to stress that I am off-line and there’s nothing else open.  
Oh BTW I tried to do a “file search” for the file(one of those netcam ads)to try to delete, but came up empty . Oh I’m running windows XP home. Thanks…

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utilities-for-unwanted-stuff-on-hd/144667/2 "2002-12-24T03:43:22Z")

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[Lavasoft Ad-Aware](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/downloads.html) is a great free tool for removing spyware and adware. Make sure you get the latest signature file.

I’ve also heard good things about [Spybot - Search and Destroy](http://spybot.eon.net.au/index.php?lang=en&page=download).

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**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utilities-for-unwanted-stuff-on-hd/144667/3 "2002-12-24T04:57:05Z")

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Thanks **Number** it worked like magic.It (pop-ad) used to pop up _every_ time I played,either as I was playing or when I closed.  
**Sorcery!!** …

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utilities-for-unwanted-stuff-on-hd/144667/4 "2002-12-24T16:01:16Z")

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in the future:  
[download.com](http://download.com) has shareware or free programs to do just about anything…

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**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utilities-for-unwanted-stuff-on-hd/144667/5 "2002-12-25T03:10:01Z")

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The offending off-line pop-up is back,And I just ran Ad-aware. Can I use both Ad-aware _and_ Spybot? What would **you** do people??

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utilities-for-unwanted-stuff-on-hd/144667/6 "2002-12-25T04:05:32Z")

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Yes, you can use both.