Free Spyware Removal Tools
I get asked this so much, I thought I’d just write it down so I could just point people this way. Anyways, yes, you need more than one spyware removal tool, as none are perfect. One may find spyware that others may not. A combination of two or three of them will generally do the trick and protect you all around. If that doesn’t, then Google your way to solving your problem by typing in symptoms of the spyware you are facing. Spyware sucks ass, I can’t believe companies that do it don’t get fined heavily.
Immediately after downloading the below programs, be sure to update the definitions (just like virus definitions, spyware definitions get updated quite frequently) before scanning your computer. The first two I recommend are completely free, Spybot and AdAware, I believe Spy Sweeper has a free trial as well, but I use all 3 in combination. If you only choose one, I guess choose Spybot. Don’t forget to run your spyware checker once every week or thereabouts… 
Our thoughtful user Ray suggests Microsoft’s Regcleaner as another utility to help keep your Windows registry clean. So we’ve linked that as well.
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Spybot: http://security.kolla.de
AdAware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
Spy Sweeper: http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,4666,00.asp
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Nice job on the article. I also recommend downloading regclean.. available from Microsoft. It’s not a spyware removal tool, but it does clean up your registry and has fixed many problems. For those who are really registry minded and keep getting the same spyware or adware over and over…. you can launch regedt32 from Start | Run | Regedt32 and hit enter. Using the results from Spybot or adaware, you can change permission on those registry keys to NONE
This way they will not come back I guarantee it.
Also you can make fake files or directories where the spyware or adware shows up and set them to read-only while at the same time change the permission on this 0 byte file you made.. normally make new .txt file and then just rename it to .exe or .dll etc.
So now this fake file you have set to read-only with no permissions also can’t be overwritten.. so guess what? You are right, you have just single handedly taken steps to protect yourself from that specific spyware or adware.
Nice job Dan! Keep up the good work.
Comment by Ray — 8/13/2004 @ 4:18 pm