Spyware removal tools

In this article I'll begin with the cleaning process of infected systems using a set of antivirus & antispyware programs. I'll use free antivirus programs such as: SpyBot-Search & Destroy and AntivirGuard as well as those that require license to work: Kaspersky Antivirus and Ad-Aware.
The goal is to clean trojans and malware that had infected my system.
After downloading the antivirus software do not forget to update!

Free versions of SpyBot - Search & Destroy and AntivirGuard

Rescue spyware cleaning with Spybot(from Patrick M.Kolla)

The program updates its definitions every 2 weeks.

Cleaning:

• Run Spybot
• Go to 'Check for Problems' and wait until the checking process ends.
  
• Then click on 'Fix selected Problems'.
  That will clean most of the trojans, adware, spyware and malware from your system.

Teatimer - protection from bad internet pages
Spybot has the ability to protect currently installed applications on your system from further infection named Teatimer.

How to enable Spybot's bad pages protection?

• To enable the blocking of bad pages from loading in Internet Explorer press Immunize
• Check the options 'Enable permanent blocking of bad addresses in Internet Explorer' and 'Block all pages silently'.

How to enable Spybot's immunization?To activate the immunization press the button: Immunize.

Spybot - advanced settings
Here are some additional settings of Spybot(when used with program's default settings)
First Switch to Advanced Mode from Mode->Advanced Mode. Then choose Tools and check:

• ActiveX - from here you can see which ActiveX controls are installed in your system and remove the bad ones. The same applies to Browser Helper Objects(BHO).

• Host File - use spybot's integrated host file to block certain known bad web addresses.

• Process List - from here you could watch, end(termninate) & operate with windows's processes as well as their according modules from sub-section Open Network Ports.
  
  
• IE Tweaks - locking up protection to Internet Explorer and Hosts file. Usefull when a you have frequent spyware-related problems.
  

Ground cleaning with AntivirGuard

AntivirGuard is a free for personal use program. The process of installation goes with the automatic scan of the computer. The scanner is fast and the program has a resident protection. The only cons are that the definitions are not updated so fast but for a free for personal use product AntivirGuard is more than good.

For better cleaning results you can use the following additional settings:

under Options->Configuration, press Repair and check 'delete without prompt'

• Unwanted programs: Activate all types

• Heruistic: Enable macro virus heruistics

• Win32 file heruistics: Enabled

• Miscellaneous: Overwrite Deleted files

Paid versions of Adaware and Kaspersky

Rescue spyware cleaning with Ad-Aware(producer Lavasoft)

Ad-aware updates its definitions every week. It has two variants. This software goes well and removes even the hardest to clean viruses - the resident ones(running in the computer's memory).

Here is how to clean viruses with AdAware:

• Run AdAware, and click on Scan now,
  
• Check Perform Full system scan & press button Next.
• Wait until the checking is done and press Next, then RightClick with the mouse and choose Select All Objects, again press Next, confirm with OK and the cleaning is done.
  

If you have a virus that don't want to disappear start in advance the integrated utility Ad-watch and graduately delete the virus with Ad-Aware.
The trick here is again immediately after the cleaning to restart the pc in safe mode and scan for viruses. This will remove even the nastiest variants of spyware.

For a complete system protection you can use Ad-Watch. It will monitor and stop registry changes and hijack attempts of your internet browser.

Here are some additional Ad-Aware settings for a deeper cleaning and system files protection:

• Scanning In category: Drives, Folders, Files check with green: Scan within archives
  

• Startup In category Startup Action check with green: Clean automatically
  

• Tweak Press + on the section Safety Stettings and check with green: Write protect system files after repair.

Ground Cleaning with Kaspersky Antivirus from Kaspersky labs

Kaspersky's definitions are updated on every 2 hours. The program has an intuitive interface so I'll look over program's advantages:

• extremely big virus database - catches newest spyware, viruses and trojans
  

• resident protection - has an active monitor that prevents virus loading from sources as Internet, Floppy drives, HDD, CD, flash memory etc.
  

The only cons are that program decreases computer performance, but compared to what viruses could do that is nothing.

Good luck with the virus cleaning!