Spyware Removal made Easy
 Apr 13th, 2002
Advantages:
Spyware removal, keeps your system free from most known invasions
Disadvantages:
Can take an age to run on a large hard disk although it is worth it and it will run in the background
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Instructions / Help
Ease of use
Ease of Installation
Value For Money
more
  jonwhite
About me:
Wow, it's been a while since I was last on Ciao, 2002 was the last time in fact, and it's now early ...
Member since:06.09.2000
Reviews:344
Members who trust:211
Review rated by 55 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
This review received a counterstatement by a party concerned
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SPYWARE - A phrase we are now all too familiar with. Remove it from your system and keep it protected with Ad-Aware. Recently released is Version 5.7 Pro, there are free versions of this spyware removal tool available, but I recommend buying the full Pro Version for optimum protection of your personal data.
Firstly a bit about spyware itself. I have written several articles on Ciao about this hidden enemy lurking on your computer. It comes in many forms and in many guises. Its purpose though is the same. To feed back to others information about yourself, your surfing
habits and, in some cases, to STEAL data from your computer. It is a big threat, second only to Viral invasions of your system but it’s presence can be just as damaging. The newest threat to computer users is that of CYDOOR, a spyware program which latches itself onto your system and not only feeds back your surfing habits but also allows the Cydoor company to utilize your computers unused memory, disk space and processing power across it’s network. Their take on this is that there is a lot of unused power out there amongst the millions of Intenet users which can be utilized for the benefit of others. What is more, you have probably invited Cydoor onto your system. Why? How? Programs such as Kazza, WinMX and numerous others come with Cydoor attached; they have entered into agreements with Cydoor. Have you ever fully read, and if you have, UNDERSTOOD, the user license / agreement you are saying YES to? I doubt many of us have. Within this agreement you are giving permission for Cydoor to utilize your computer. As mentioned before, Cydoor are not the only ones.
Even uninstallation of programs like Kazaa will not remove Cydoor and it’s threat to you. - THE SOLUTION -
There are many solutions that exist to the computer savvy, too complicated to go into detail about here, they involve registry alterations, file reinstallations and extractions.. However one easy solution exists. Ad Aware Pro. Ad Aware will remove known spyware from your system, undo registry entries created and set your system back to normal. Part of Ad Aware is Ad Watch, a background application that keeps a discreet eye on your computer as you surf. It will instantly alert you to threats and remove them. ‘Double-click’ cookies, which force a computer to simulate user actions, are easily removed too.
Ad Watch can be set up to launch the Ad Aware removal on detection of an invasion, something I advocate. I also recommend that you set the program to scan your system at boot-up and also after each Internet session, especially if you have downloaded something from ANY site. An excellent way to show that ad-aware is working for you is to run it to clean your system, load Ad-Watch and then launch Kazza. Cydoor will immediately be detected. Launch Ad-aware and re-clean your system. With Kazaa still running Cydoor will pop straight back up. My advice? Dump Kazaa.
The only fault I have found is getting stuck in an eternal loop, not a fault of Ad-Aware but Cydoor. If you set Ad-Watch to automatically launch Ad-Aware on detection of spyware and it finds Cydoor, it will keep re-launching. This is because Cydoor is so persistent. As a program it is easy to use with a pleasant interface and it is easily configurable. Help files are included, which will make your use of the program trouble free.
My suggested level of protection is to set it to HIGH. You can be alerted by sound or pop-up to any invasion, set up to launch at log-on and clean the system automatically. Logs can be created on discoveries and removal, plus you have the option of creating an Ignore File for Spyware you may actually want on your system. They cannot guarantee removal of all spyware, like virus infections, new ones are coming out almost day. However, Lavasoft, who produce Ad Aware are constantly updating their program, another benefit to purchasing the full version.
In conclusion, this tool is a must for all who surf the Internet, together with a good Firewall and Anti-Virus software, you will be doing all you can to protect your system. Around £20, it is a small price to pay. This file can be downloaded from www.lavasoftUSA.com and works on all Windows versions (95 98 ME 2000 NT XP)
© 2002 Jonwhite
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05.11.2002 11:36
good op there mate :0)
15.06.2002 17:13
Excellent op, scary stuff I really didn’t realise it was so bad. I will take you advice. Thank you.
30.05.2002 04:57
I've got to agree spyware is out there and normal users would be surprised of the amount of data they could be showing to those who want it...Great Op...I use it to and have done so for months, also use Zonealarm (Firewall) and the optional build of VisualZone integrated as well which I think is also great for intrusion detection....