Spybot search and destroy is one of the best free spyware removal tools available at the moment but the program doesn’t have the most obvious user interface so I am going to walk you through the steps needed to protect your PC. The thing I most like about Spybot is the “immunise” function which will block all the nasties before they can get on and screw up your PC in the first place.
Spybot also has real time protection in the form of the “Resident TeaTimer” which informs you when different processes try to start and also let’s know when something wants to change some critical registry keys giving you the option to either “allow” or “deny” the change. Pretty useful stuff.
As I said before, the user interface isn’t the most obvious and easy to use so here is a quick install and user guide. Running Spybot this way has (touch wood) kept all my PCs running smoothly for years!
1 – First things first, Download Spybot S&D and follow the on screen installation instructions.
2 – On first run, Spybot starts the wizard. I just keep clicking the next arrow until step 7 and click “start using program”.
3 – Now that you have successfully installed Spybot, the first thing you need to update the program with the latest detection and immunisation databases. Do this by clicking the “Search for Updates” and follow the onscreen instructions. Once the updates have finished, close the update window and go back to the main program.
4 – If you are already experiencing signs of spyware infection (popup ads, changing homepage, slow internet connection etc), you must perform a system scan and if prompted, do a boot scan. Doing a boot scan means Spybot can remove any spyware before they get a chance to load through the “backdoor” on your PC and block Spybot from removing them with a standard scan. It is also worth mentioning that if you have several accounts (users) on your PC, you should login to each one and scan them with Spybot as well.
Remember to press the “fix selected problems” button if Spybot finds anything!! Don’t just assume that just because Spybot has found problems, it has cleared your PC!
5 – Now Spybot has scanned and cleaned you PC, its time to immunise it. This should keep your PC spyware free by blocking any malware before it gets on to your system in the first place. The immunise function, like the update function is not automatic and will require you to manually update it weekly (well that’s what seems to works for me anyway). Below, you can see the immunise screen of Spybot. Close all browsers you might have open and click the green cross immunise button at the top. All the numbers in the red “unprotected” column will move to the green “protected” column.
That’s it. I run Spybot in conjunction with AVG free anti-virus on several PCs and touch wood, have not had any problems for several years with any spyware or viruses.
