Guys, how do I get rid of spyware/adware/Trojan/worm virus/etc. without reformatting? I've run all kinds of scans, and problems persist.

Also, please spare me the lecture. I know I fail the internets.

get a better antivirus.

Did I forget to mention? I also don't want to spend any money.

Probably the best free scanner is Ad-Aware. It'll root out nearly any malicious programs on your system. As for antivirus, I hear the free versions of AVG and avast! are good. Can't be any worse than Norton, which cost me 100 bucks and still misses tons of stuff that I catch with Ad-Aware.

Imagine your computer is a brand new pair of shoes, and malicious spyware/adware is dirt. If you constantly maintain your shoes from the beginning, the effects of dirt will be minimal, and your shoes will look just as new. However, if your shoes are already suffering from ages of dirtiness, no amount of cleaning it up is going to save it - the most you can hope for is to clean them up the best you can, just good enough so that they're usable (if possible). Sometimes, though, your shoes are just so dirty and dilapidated that the only thing you can do is go to your local shoe retailer and get a new pair of shoes (i.e. reformatting). It really depends on what stage of 'dirtiness' you're in right now.

Seriously though, if you're totally plagued with adware, there really isn't a program that's going to clean out your system, no matter how many scans from how many different programs you use.

i find the best thing to do is to buy good antivirus software. I used to use all this stuff like search and destroy, killbox, adaware, a bunch of adware uninstallers, and it just burned out my hard drive. Just mow a lawn or two and get one.

[url]http://www.apple.com[/url]

You can always illegally download any software you want, but if you want to do it the legal way, here are some good things to use that are free:



[url=http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/]Ad Aware[/url]
[url=http://www.grisoft.com/doc/5/lng/ww/tpl/tpl01]AVG anitvarus[/url]
[url=http://www.safer-networking.org/]Spybot Search and destroy[/url]


Though if you are more specific on your problems, I can probably help you better.

that's what watchin alot of porn will do to your system.

there are a lot of steps to go through that are kind of routine... run adaware, run this, run that, if you're still screwed up, hijackthis...

when was the last time you formatted and reinstalled? if it was more than a year ago, you might as well do it. if it was more than two years ago, definitely do it.

we've had this mac/linux/windows spyware discussion already, kids... don't make me find the link D:

aye avg for sure. but i dont think it will be free soon....i keep getting a message that hey will discontinue avg free edition in january.....

no, i think they're upgrading, but there will be a different free version

you really have to know what you are doing when using hijackthis. Or you can really, REALLY fuck up your comp, for sure.

I would run hijackthis and spybot search&destroy, but it sounds like you need a reformat. if the problem keeps persisting then trying to get rid of it with anti-malware programs is like trying to put a regular band aid over a shotgun wound.

I've been wanting to reformat, but I don't have a copy of Windows and Word. I bought this stupid Gateway P.O.S. from the college where my dad teaches for like 100 bucks, but I didn't get the Windows disc. I guess my next step is to find someone with a copy of Windows, and then afterward hope the SLSK community will be patient with me as I re-download a lot of stuff.