How to Remove Trojans from Your Computer in 10 Minutes or Less

Once you understand how to remove Trojans, the process can be duplicated on a daily or weekly basis to keep your computer clean. The average anti virus programs will not remove Trojans easily, so if you have tried that route you may want to read the steps below for additional guidance. When Trojans install themselves on your system, you will need the help of a quality anti spyware software to complete the job.

A couple popular ways that Trojans attach to your computer will be through spyware and adware. This is why standard virus removers will not usually detect or remove such problems.

The list below will describe some of the common symptoms associated with Trojan viruses:

1. Files open randomly

2. You are experiencing slow computer problems

3. Your internet redirects you to sites that were not requested

4. The default home page on your PC is replaced with a tasteless site

5. Automatically loaded tool bars and pop ups appear

6. Your mouse has a trail as you drag it

7. Window start up button and others disappear

8. The PC shuts down without your command, or boots at will

9. Alt + Control + Delete is non operational

10. Your internet is moving like a turtle

It is a good practice to avoid doing your own Trojan removals without software help, no matter how detailed the instructions are that you are following. If you are not well-versed with executable files, save yourself the future pain of a crashed system and follow the steps below.

How to Remove Trojans in Three Steps:

Step One: Write a List of All Symptoms that You Have Noticed

Create a baseline measure of what issues you are experiencing. That way you will know whether or not the steps to follow work the way you hoped. You can compare the results after repair compared to the initial symptoms you have. Keep in mind that no one product is a miracle cure, but many problems will be cleared up from the first time a repair is conducted.

Think of when the symptoms most commonly occur (like start up versus when on the internet) and just write down any strange behaviors that your computer has shown you. You can start with the symptom list above, but do not be limited just to that list.

Step Two: Conduct a Free Scan with a Product Designed to Remove Trojans

The good news is that there are a handful of great products to help you with this step. You do not need to know how to remove Trojans if you have the right software. There are many similarities between top products. The best software programs tend to be effective across a variety of categories.

Look to scan with a software product that is easy to understand, one with extensive help files, ones with a large definitions (solutions) database, and seek ones with a variety of good reviews and not much negative on the search result pages that come up on the net.

If you understand how to remove Trojans, you will also be able to remove other forms of spyware, adware, and malware at the same time. The scan will show results well beyond just Trojans.

Step Three: If Severe Infections are Detected Purchase the Full Version Software

Once you get your results back, see if severe level threats were detected. If so, you should immediately take care of the problems by purchasing the repair utility in the same software that you just completed the scan with. The repair takes seconds compared to the download and scanning process.

I have a year round maintenance plan for my computers that include a solid spyware software, Windows registry cleaner, and a general anti virus program. You can eliminate most of the problems that arise by purchasing these three power tools. I usually scan weekly with each of the three products to keep up with threats on my system. I do not use real-time protection based products due to the system resources that are tied up.

For removal of spyware, adware, malware, and computer Trojans, find a product with extensive definitions database files (as previously mentioned).

Be sure to restart your computer after the repair to make sure that the changes go into effect. Go back to your initial list and see how many of the problems were completely eliminated. Now that you know how to remove Trojans, you can scan and repair additional times to see if additional problems are removed. It might also be a good investment to look into the other tools mentioned above (registry repair and general anti virus).

Author Resource:-> Daryl Moore specializes in reviews on anti spyware and adware software and writes straight forward reviews of top products at www.trojan-remover-tips.com/best-trojan-removal-software.htm. Complete details on the top product reviewed, Xoftspyse, can be found at www.xoftspyse-facts.com

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3 Reasons To Remove Spyware Quickly

Everybody that's had even a semi-serious spyware problem knows that spyware can seriously slow down your computer and put a real damper on your internet activities. Spyware puts a real burden on the speed of your computer. But have you considered these other reasons to remove spyware from your computer?

1. It attracts more spyware

Spyware is notorious for installing other spyware and adware programs. Once you are infected with one program, it's usually only a matter of time until it downloads and installs another spyware program to earn the maker even more money. This makes it even harder to clean out if you are trying to do it manually, without the help of an anti-spyware program. The fact is, removing spyware quickly is the best thing to do before the problem compounds itself.

Luckily, there are several quality anti-spyware tools and utilities that can help remove spyware quickly. Many of them even scan your computer for free to see if they can fix the problem quickly and easily.

2. Spyware makers are making money off of you

Did you know that spyware is an immensely profitable business for the makers? These unscrupulous characters make money off of slowing down your computer and tracking your activities. Your privacy may be getting invaded right now. They may even know that you are looking at this very web site!

They sell the data they collect to other advertisers who then pay the spyware makers to show their ads to you. For example, if you were always looking at video game web sites, the spyware programs would know that because they tracked your use and would then show you video game-related ads. These ads would either be affiliate ads which means that they get a kickback if you buy something, or they are just regular ads that companies pay them to show.

3. They could be tracking your activities

Being able to track user web site visiting behavior is a profitable game for these people. The spyware makers can then sell this information about you to other advertisers who may then begin to advertise on sites you visit regularly because they have a profile of your likes and dislikes.

Trying an anti-spyware utility allows you to scan your computer for free to see if there are problems it can fix. It's worth a shot to see if this problem can be fixed immediately. Good luck!

Author Resource:-> Ryan Gutierrez is a technology expert, specializing in internet security. Visit his site at http://www.removemyspywarenow.com to find articles about how to remove spyware.

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How to Remove Spyware From Your PC

Manual Analysis

One of these three programs should detect and remove any spyware on your PC. In the unlikely event that you have picked up a brand-new specimen that isn't yet included in the antispyware databases, you'll have to do some cyber-investigating to find and eject the interloper.

First, examine every process running on your machine to determine whether any of them is a piece of spyware. Window's Task Manager isn't up to this job because many spyware apps specifically hide themselves from it. Fortunately, they are less skillful at hiding from the many Task Manager alternatives. Two of my favorites are Process Explorer (which is free) and Security Task Manager (which comes in free and paid versions). Currently, only Process Explorer, which is now owned by Microsoft, is compatible with Windows Vista. A Vista-compatible version of Security Task Manager is coming, according to its producer, A&M Neuber Software. Either of these programs will show you everything that's running on your PC, and will help you determine whether a particular application should be there.

Warning: Stopping system processes and applications in this manner is risky. In some cases, if you kill the wrong program, Windows will shut down and reboot as a safety measure. While you probably won't render your system unworkable, you should back up all important documents and set a System Restore point (click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore, and follow the on-screen instructions).

Start one of the alternative Task Managers mentioned above, and closely examine the list of running applications on your PC. You're looking for something that's either out of place or behaving oddly. If you're using Process Explorer, unzip the archive you downloaded and double-click the ProcExp.exe program. Click OK after you read the initial dialog, and you'll be presented with a color-coded list of everything that's running: Programs highlighted in pink are Windows services; those in gray-blue are applications. Right-click the bar with the column names (it's just above the list of programs), and choose Select Columns. Check the Command Line box and click OK. A new column will appear, showing you the full path to each running app.

If you're using Security Task Manager, double-click the installer and step through the dialog boxes to complete the installation. The first time you run the program, it will take a moment to scan your PC. Unlike Process Explorer, Security Task Manager doesn't list Windows' own system processes (other than Explorer.exe) on this initial page. If you want to see those, click the Windows Processes button on the toolbar. The higher the utility's rating for a program, the more suspect it is. As you click the entries, the program tells you why it rated the selected application as it did. However, many legitimate programs engage in activities that Security Task Manager views suspiciously, so don't just assume that anything with a rating above 50 is dangerous; instead, use the rating as an indicator of what to look at first.

Here's where it gets tedious: If you don't know what a particular program is, what it does, or where it's supposed to live on your hard drive, you'll have to do some research. Check out the list of processes that are known to be either benign or malevolent at Uniblue Systems' WinTasks Process Library. Alternatively, you can enter the filename in a search engine and look through the results for a description of the process. Some legitimate processes get a bad rap as spyware, so it's important to corroborate any negative reports you discover.

Remove the Reprobates

If the program you want to remove from your PC doesn't have an entry in Windows' Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel, it has probably changed your Registry to make itself difficult to find and eradicate.

Enter HijackThis, a free program designed to remove Registry entries and other settings that spyware uses to take over your PC. Rather than removing the programs, HijackThis deletes the Registry entries that prevent you from deleting the software yourself. To familiarize yourself with how HijackThis works, read the Quick Start guide, but beware: HijackThis, if misused, can render your system unbootable. Be sure to proceed deliberately, and keep those essential backups close by.

It's a good idea to consult experts before making any changes with HijackThis. To do so, run the program by double-clicking HijackThis.exe, and then click Do a system scan and save a logfile. HijackThis will make a record of everything it finds and--in a few seconds--will create a text-file report that you can post online or send to your expert. Volunteers who use the message boards at TomCoyote, Geeks to Go, andSpywareInfo will help you sort through the log if you post it to the Malware Removal message board on any of those sites.

If you want HijackThis to dislodge a program, fill in the check box next to it and click Fix Checked at the bottom of the program window to delete the appropriate Registry entries. Then manually delete the related file. Reboot your PC into Safe Mode (press at the beginning of the reboot cycle, before the Windows logo appears), navigate to the unwanted file on your hard drive, right-click it, and select Delete. Easy as pie.

Rid Yourself of Rootkits

The nastiest spyware specimens--the worst of the worst--are rootkits. These programs hide themselves from Windows, from antispyware tools, and from utilities such as Process Explorer and Security Task Manager. If you suspect that a rootkit has invaded your PC, you still may triumph. A free utility called IceSword can find and remove many kinds of rootkits. The only downside (for all but about 1 billion of us)? The tool's instructions are in Chinese.

Fortunately, some smart people have created an illustrated guide in English for using IceSword. If you're considering using the program, read this guide carefully before you begin. As with HijackThis, a wrong move can cause serious problems.

Andrew Brandt is a security expert who originated PC World's Privacy Watch column.