Clean Up Your System

If you are think or know that your computer is infected with some type of malware and want to clean it up, work through the following steps, in the order given:

1. To make this process faster, first delete all of your Temporary Internet Files or cache files. (These files are not necessary for your computer's operation, but the programs which check your computer for problems have to check each one looking for trouble. Deleting them first makes those checks run faster.)
   The process is different for different browsers:
   • Internet Explorer: Pull down the Tools menu and Select Options or Internet Options. Click on Delete Files button.
   • Mozilla: Pull down the Edit menu and select Preferences. Click on Advanced in the left menu to expand the menu and then click on Cache, and then click on the Clear Cache button.
   • Firefox: Pull down the Tools menu and select Options and then click on Privacy in the left menu. Click on Cache and then on the Clear button.
   • Opera: Pull down the Tools menu and select Delete Private Items and then click on the Delete button.
2. Reinstall your antivirus program by putting in the installation disk and installing the program again.
3. Update your antivirus program's definitions. You should run the update utility until it tells you there are no more updates available.
4. Run a full system scan and quarantine or remove all viruses that are found.
5. Download the free version of Ad-Aware (see link above). Install it and then open it up. Before doing anything else, click on the link to "Check for Updates Now." Let it install the updates.
6. With the updates in place, tell it to scan your computer. Tell it to quarantine and remove all of the spyware it finds.
7. Download the free version of Spybot Search and Destroy (see link above). Install it and then open it up. Before doing anything else, click on the Update button. Let it install the updates.
8. With the updates in place, tell it to scan your computer. Tell it to quarantine and remove all spyware it finds.

All of these steps will take as little as 30 minutes to as much as three hours depending on the speed of your computer and how many problems are found.

When you have successfully completed this process, your computer should be back to normal. Regular (at least weekly) re-checks with Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy should keep your system clean. Check for updated definitions each time before you run the programs.

If your system still exhibits problems, here are some additional steps you could try:

• If there are any unusual problems removing a specific virus, the best way to find out what to do is to go to the web site of your antivirus maker and do a search for the virus name. You will get detailed information on the virus and any special procedures that are needed to remove it.
• Some viruses are difficult to remove and you may need to try more than one approach to make sure your system is clean. If you are having a problem and know the name of the virus causing the problem, Norton Antivirus often offers removal tools which are available at no charge which are designed to remove a single type of virus.
• A useful way to see if you have viruses or spyware on your computer is to see what connections your computer has running.
  To do that, open a Command Prompt (you'll find it listed on the Accessories menu). Type "netstat" (without the quotes) and hit enter. You'll see a list of all the connections your computer is maintaining. Don't worry about the ones with "localhost" in the name; they are just connections internal to the computer. Look for any others listed; you may see your mail server or the address of a web page you have open in your browser. Others may be an indication of a virus, spyware or tracking cookie.
• If you have a great deal of spyware and adware on your computer, it may complicate the removal process and require some extra steps. First, if you have a broadband connection, reboot your computer with it disconnected; without a connection to the Internet, many pieces of spyware and adware will not load, making them easier to remove.
  In some cases, rebooting the computer into safe mode also will make it easier for Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy to do their work.