AntiSpam, AntiVirus, Popup Stoppers, Firewalls & other Tools

AntiSpam, AntiVirus, Popup Stoppers, Firewalls and other Tools
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What exactly is spyware and adware, how do you know if you have it on your computer and most importantly, how can you get rid of it? If there's spyware on your computer, it's likely you installed it yourself. When you downloaded that free music player or utility, you may not have known the software was also designed to collect and transmit information about you. In most cases, publishers disclose this secondary functionality in end-user agreements. However, as you well know, most of us never read end-user agreements, at least not completely. We just click OK and go, especially when we're downloading freeware. And sometimes, even if you read an entire agreement, the description of the spyware component is too ambiguous to make clear what the component does. In any case, there may well be spyware on your computer. To rid yourself of it you'll first need to find it. Of course the best thing is to avoid it to begin with and we'll tell you how below. There are several preventative measures you can take to identify spyware before you download it unknowingly. Be selective about what you install on your computer. Visit the software company's Website to learn more about the technology itself and what it may or may not install on your computer. Don't just click those "Yes, I accept" buttons when installing freeware. Instead, read each license agreement carefully. Use only trusted download sites, some of which now indicate which of the freeware products they offer have a spyware component. Spyware and Adware love to disguise themselves or tag themselves onto the back of another program and have already infected many unsuspecting people. Below are two of the largest offenders and how to get rid of them. http://www.gator.com/ Gator is one of the most persistent and insidious spyware/adware programs on the Net. It will install itself onto your computer many times without even asking, chiefly by hiding itself in cleverly-written EULAs (End-User License Agreements) or tagging itself onto other programs like eWallet. After its GAIN (Gator Advertising and Information Network) software is installed it starts gathering information on what websites you travel to and especially what you buy online. It also proceeds to solicit you with online popup ads based on the sites and links you have clicked to in the past. This program is included in almost all file-sharing programs such as Kazaa, Morpheus and Bearshare, so if you're using or planning on using any of those programs beware. Here are some instructions on the installation and removal of this particular spyware program from your system. (Ad-aware can be downloaded from the Lavasoftusa.com address provided in this article.) Once you install Gator on your system it slowly begins to download the rest of its components from a remote server. For this reason, Gator may or may not show up in your Add/Remove Programs dialog box. But that box is still the best place to start. Here's how to remove Gator using the Add/Remove Programs dialog box: Single-click the Start Menu, mouse over Settings, and then single-click the Control Panel. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. Locate "Gator eWallet" and click on it. Click the Remove button. The next step is to download and install Ad-aware. Ad-aware will clean up any leftover pieces of Gator or allow you to remove it in its entirety if it didn't show up in the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. Here's how to use Ad-aware to remove Gator: Launch Ad-aware. Under "Sections to scan," place a check mark next to My Computer. Single-click the "Scan now" button. If Gator was removed from your computer already, then you should have about five remaining entries to delete. If it's still installed on your system, then Ad-aware should find about 50 or more entries to delete. Place check marks next to each entry marked "Gator." Single-click the Continue button. Click OK. http://www.bonzi.com/bonzibuddy/bonzibuddyfreehom.asp Bonzi Buddy is another HUGE offender perhaps even more annoying than Gator. This little purple menace will install itself on your computer many times without your knowing and proceed to slam your computer with popup ads and even goes as far as to install random software on your computer as it sees fit without asking your permission. Bonzi Buddy installs a hidden file at /windows/explorer/explorer.exe (not to be confused with the legitimate /windows/explorer.exe) and another called dlder.exe, both of which are recognized by anti-virus software as backdoor spyware Trojans. These record user activity on the web and return the infected user's unique ID, IP address, web browser and all URLs visited to an IP address somewhere in the US. The info that Bonzi sends back also contains usernames and passwords. Bonzi Buddy is also well known for damaging system files on many computers and bringing even the best computers to their knees by eating up all of their system resources. Here's how to get rid of it: 1) First you need to close the Bonzi Buddy Program. Click on Bonzi and say "Goodbye" to close it. Next, right-click on the dollar sign icon next to your clock and choose "Exit." 2) Now click on Start > Programs > BonziBUDDY > Uninstall BonziBUDDY Bargain Hunting Tool and allow the uninstall program to finish. 3) Go to Start > Programs > BonziBUDDY > Uninstall BonziBUDDY and allow the uninstall program to complete. 4) Restart your computer. Sometimes the uninstall is not successful because a manual removal was tried previously, or a key file was deleted that the uninstall process needs. In these cases, reinstall the Bonzi Buddy software and then proceed with the normal uninstall as shown above. Not only is spyware intrusive it can be damaging to your system and it can compromise your private information such as credit card numbers, etc. Below are some links to more info on spyware and adware along with links to tools for finding and removing it as well as preventing it from getting on your computer in the future. http://www.trapware.com http://www.spywareinfo.com/ http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/ http://www.popupcop.com/ http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp