How To Get Rid of Spyware
If you think your Anesthesiology computer is infected please or page Curtis, 256-1861. We will run Spybot and/or Ad-Aware, two free malware removal programs. If you believe your home PC is infected, we suggest you acquire and run these programs. Both are currently available for download and installation from www.download.com. You may search there for the programs. Both programs have an update feature you should use before scanning your system. Most items found in scans are cookies. Cookies are generally not malevolent and some save our usernames and passwords for trusted sites. Others contribute to tracking you on the internet. We have found it safe to remove every single item found during the scan, but of course we can't guarantee it'll work flawlessly on your computer. Sometimes Spybot will not be able to remove all spyware/adware, in which case it will suggest you restart your system. Then it will automatically run again. Occasionally you may wish to run both Spybot and Ad-Aware to assure peace of mind. Keep those programs, and run them (after doing an update) as often as you feel necessary. Sometimes further work is required to get the vestigial progam leavings removed, such as having to edit the registry to eliminate programs that seem to come back every time you restart. Editing the registry should only be done when you are absolutely certain about how to go about it. Never edit the registry on a Department of Anesthesiology computer.
Keeping up with Microsoft updates, patches and fixes is a bit of a chore, and in many cases quite a lengthy process for a user with a modem connection to the internet. In the Department, we have automated the process for those using Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When at home, frequent visits to http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp will reveal which updates you should have to patch the numerous holes in Microsoft products. Windows 98 updates cannot be automated. Clicking on the Start button will reveal the Windows Update.
