How To Totally, Completely Remove Spyware

How To Totally, Completely Remove Spyware

Got the feeling that someone's been watching your every move? Well, maybe you've been watching too many crime dramas on television ... but maybe the idea isn't as far-fetched as some might be telling you. After all, if you use your computer on a regular basis, there's a good chance that you've been affected by Spyware. No, it's not quite the same thing as having a Peeping Tom crawl up to your window as you sleep, but spyware can cause serious problems to your computer and threaten the privacy of your online life.

So, how do your protect yourself? Here is a guide to the best tools out there for completely removing spyware from your computer.

Start over

The best tool that you have for getting rid of any spyware that might be on your computer is to simply start over. Save all of your important files and then use the nifty little disks that came with your computer to delete everything and start again. This is good for your computer anyway, because it puts things back the way they were before you start fragmenting files and creating problems for yourself.

Buy anti-Spyware programs

They don't cost that much money and they're well worth it if you get good ones that actually remove all spyware from your computer. Some of the top anti-spyware include Spy Sweeper and Spy Doctor.

Use free anti-Spyware programs

SpyBot and AdAware are two of the most popular free download programs. However, you should be careful when using these - or any other free software that advertises itself as being anti-spyware. Spyware itself can sometimes be hidden in the programs that are supposed to erase it. Do your research and stick with the known names, downloaded from sites that you trust (such as the main site for the program or a commonly used download site such as Download.com.

Mingle

No, don't go out and meet other people with concerns about Spyware. Mingle the systems that you're using to check for spyware. You can use a standard low-cost anti-Spyware program in conjunction with a free Spyware download program to make sure that you're actually completely removing ALL of the Spyware on your computer, not just that which is caught by one system.

Think preventative

You wouldn't leave the door to your house unlocked while you were gone, would you? Don't leave your computer open to problems. Use anti-virus protection, be smart about what you download and use on your computer and run scans regularly to make sure that you're getting rid of Spyware before it spreads.

It IS possible to completely remove all Spyware from your computer. Using simple, commonly used programs is a great method of doing this. These programs will remove the Spyware and prevent more problems from cropping up in the future. But if this fails to remove your Spyware, you can always consider the option of starting over with a refreshed system.