1 . Run scandisk .
2 . Install below & run . ( Just the Spybot for starters , do the rest after the problem is sorted out )
You can protect your comp from Spyfiles by using these 3 programs together .
What does SpyBot-Search & Destroy?
SpyBot-S&D searches your hard drive for so-called spy- or adbots; little modules that are
responsible for the ads many programs display. But many of these modules also transmit
information about your surfing behaviour and more to the net.
If SpyBot-S&D finds such modules, it can remove them - or replace them with empty dummies in
case their host software won't run with its bot removed. In most cases, the host still runs
fine after removing the bot.
For a list of 'supported' bots see the feature lists below. The Spybot-S&D interface is so
easy, that updates just require replacing a file of about 80k in size. Those updates are
distributed by my software mailinglist, over this page and are also available from inside the
programs update section.
Another feature of Spybot S&D is the removal of usage tracks, which makes it more complicated
for unknown spybots to transmit useful data. The list of last visited websites, opened files,
started programs, cookies, all that and more can be cleaned. Supported are the three major
browsers Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator and Opera.
Last but not least Spybot-S&D contains some routines to find and correct invalid entries into
the registry.
Red entries indicate spyware problems that should be fixed to avoid security and/or privacy
problems. This is the only kind of problem that is preselected to be fixed.
Black entries are system internals. If you do not know what they mean, I would suggest to either
keep your fingers from it or visit the support forum.
Green entries indicate usage tracks. It can do no harm to remove these.
I personally only remove the Red entries .
Make sure you use the SpyBot > Online > Update button regularly .
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SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it from ever being installed.
How? By setting a "kill bit" for the CLSIDs of spyware ActiveX controls, it prevents the
installation of any of them from a webpage. You can run Internet Explorer with Active-X enabled,
but you will never even get a "Yes/No" box popped up, asking you to install a spyware Active-X
control (Internet Explorer will never download or run it!). All other Active-X controls or
plug-ins will work fine.
The SpywareBlaster database contains information on these known spyware Active-X controls. Make
sure you run the Check For Updates feature frequently to get the latest database! (And make sure
you check the new items to protect your system against them!)
As a side benefit, setting this "kill bit" will also prevent the spyware Active-X from running,
in many cases, if it is already installed on your system.*
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SpywareGuard provides a real-time protection solution against spyware that is a great addition
to SpywareBlaster's protection method.
An anti-virus program scans files before you open them and prevents execution if a virus is
detected - SpywareGuard does the same thing, but for spyware! And you can easily have an
anti-virus program running alongside SpywareGuard.
Features Listing: Fast scanning engine
Scans exe and cab files - the two most popular file types for distributing spyware
Signature-based scanning - for known spyware (list)
Heuristic/generic detection capabilities - some spyware programs can be detected even if the
code undergoes significant changes
Small size - with a small size and small definition sizes, download and updates are quick
SG Control Panel - provides easy access to help and integration options
SG LiveUpdate - provides an easy updating solution
Spyware files are blocked before being opened or run - they are not simply shut down after they
are loaded in memory (and after they have performed their tasks)
The full path to the spyware executable is provided on the alert screen
Once a spyware file is detected and blocked from running, the options are provided to either
continue or to delete the spyware file
It's a free download
3 . If required , install below , find out the brand of your HD & use the diagnostics .
AIDA32 (freeware) is a professional system information, diagnostics and benchmarking program
running on Win32 platforms. It extracts details of all components of the PC. It can display
information on the screen, print it, or save it to file in various formats like HTML, CSV or XML.
For corporate users, AIDA32 offers command-line switches, network audit and audit statistics,
remote system information and network management.
Starting with version 3.00, AIDA32 is released in 3 different variants. Please read the product
matrix below to find out what are the advantages of each variants.
Features:
full hardware & software information on 80 pages
built-in hardware database: detailed information about 21000 components
phyisical information for CPU, motherboard, hard disk, optical drive
motherboard chipset, buses, sensor information
installed programs, event logs list
diagnostics module to reveal possible problems
memory benchmark
automatic audit via command-line switches
ADO/ODBC database support
remote control through TCP/IP network
32-bit low-level hardware detection
multi-threaded program model
full Windows XP compatibility
Iomega Active Disk support
English, Bulgarian, Croatian, Danish language module
Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian language module
Norwegian, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish language module
Catalan, Portuguese, Slovak, Ukrainian language module (coming soon)
4 . If required , go to your Hard Drive brand & download their diagnostic program .
Maxtor's is called MaxBlast ,
Seagate's are DiscWizard , DiscWizard Starter Edition & DiscWizard Online
Quantum's is DiskManager , now owned by Maxtor .
IBM have a selection , such as Drive Fitness Test .
Fujitsu's is OnTrack DiskGo ,
Western Digital's is Data Lifeguard Tools ,
Samsung's is ClearHDD Program ,