When my boss inquired about why his computer was slowing way down with random windows popping-up, I put together some links that he could use to disinfect and then protect his computer. When it happened again to another co-worker, I thought I'd publish it for everyone else. You can do it too, with the help of some free software and computer savvy.
- First, both situations stemmed from issues associated with variations on the CoolWebSearch (CWS) spy-ware program. There are many variations, but most seems to hog system resources; reducing the computer speed to that of a snail, changes the your home page in IE, and possibly opens pop-ups at random intervals, even when not using the computer. A search led me to Merijn and his CWShredder tool. Download that to remove the vicious spy-ware. It's constantly updated, and highly recommended by my co-workers.
- Now that CWS is successfully off your computer, or even if it wasn't ever there, it's time to look for some more spy-ware programs. Ones that CWShredder doesn't look for. There are two products to help this. I use both. The first I heard of is Ad-Aware by Lavasoft. It's a free download. Make sure to download the latest reference file, which contains the latest spy-ware information. The second piece of software is Spybot S&D. Each software found spy-ware that the other doesn't, so if you want to really make sure to get everything, use both. Make sure to scan your system regularly: weekly, monthly, whatever you feel is appropriate. If you tend to download less-than-reputable programs, visit similar websites, or just can't keep up with what the kids are downloading, checking more than not is wise.
- Now that we've got the spy-ware removed, we've got to do something about those viruses. There are many programs to do this, including a free one. AVG anti-virus is a free anti-virus program by Grisoft. It's a great program for the cost. If you feel like you need to pay to get something in return, then I'd recommend Norton Anti-virus. But, you can get rebates to reduce the price.
- The most important step, only for Windows users, is to visit WindowsUpdate to update your computer. This is extremely important to prevent further exploits of computers.
- One additional step that may be of interest is a software firewall. ZoneAlarm by Zonelabs is the one I am most familiar with. They have a free version, but try their hardest to pimp the pro version on you. Stand tall and search for the free version at the bottom of the page. This will "hide" your computer from the outside, and prevent unauthorized access of the Internet from the inside. It can take some getting used to, and needs some understanding of what it's asking.
Following these steps are only a basic step in protecting your computer. Practicing safe e-mail by opening attachments that you're expecting. Avoid opening unexpected ones, especially ones from trusted friends, as most virus spread through contact lists, where your e-mail address lies on other's computers. Think about what that subject line is, and know that PayPal will never contact you to update your information. Ever.
Good Luck. Leave a comment with questions and suggestions.