How to Keep your Computer as Adware free as Possible

Lately my dad wanted to know how to keep adware from climbing aboard his computer. So I decided to write a good ol' tutorial to the newbs with simple instructions.

Immunizing your computer

Materials: Virusscan (symantec or mcafee are good), SpyBot Search and Destroy(http://security.kolla.de), Lavasoft Adaware (http://www.lavasoft.de), SpywareBlaster (http://javacoolsoftware.com)

Get those programs together and make sure all updates are latest. Updates must be up to date. Check weekly or less for a healthy machine.

First off, make sure you have no adware. Adware roots you from inside to out. Boot up your computer. As soon as its starting up tap the f8 key (most computers). Soon you'll get a window that asks how you want to boot. Choose safe mode (not with command prompt or networking, ignore those).

Do a complete scan for viruses with virusscan. Then Do a spybot scan along with an adaware scan. When all three are done, use spybot (advanced mode)to check the programs that run at bootup. Click each one using the right side panel to determine if they are nessecary or just adware. If one is adware, select it and delete it (using the delete button on the top if you cant find it .)

Reboot your computer. Run SpywareBlaster and (you should have it all updated already) simply use it to block all those programs. If you dont know how to use the program use the help or ask. Now run spybot in advanced mode, choosing the 'tools' menu and then the 'resident' thing. It will give you 2 checkboxes in the following window with words next to them saying 'use spybot resident' and 'block activex controls' or something like that. Make sure both boxes are checked. Unless your computer runs 200mhz or something and has like 32mb ram, these immunization attempts will not slow down your computer noticebly, if at all.

Now in spybot, click immunize on the left navigation. if it says 'something bad products not blocked, please immunize', click the immunize button on top of the right window. Remember that this tutorial infers that you already have everything completely updated. Everytime you install a new update you need to reimmunize your computer via the immunization window (same with spywareblaster).

You also might want to download spyware guard or maybe some other precautionary programs but this setup has proved to be good =)

Seniors, rate my tutorial

 

No tips on securing IE or using another browser?

If you secure your browser, and watch carefully what you install, you will have covered the 2 main vectors of infection.

 

geninblaster,

Ditch Adaware, add Microsoft Antispy beta.
Ditch Spyware Blaster add Webroot's Spysweeper

Otherwise 8/10.