Spyware Removal

At Geek On The Run, we look back at 2003 as the year spyware surpassed all else as the root cause of most problems on our customers' computers.

In fact, the first job we did back in 2004 was a spyware-removal job. The patient was a year-old Gateway. The machine was running Windows XP Home Edition on a fast CPU with plenty of RAM. It even had all of the current Windows updates. It was a powerful machine that had been well-maintained by its owner.

Except for one thing.

After one week in the hands of its owner's college-aged son (who downloaded a lot of, um, shall we say "interesting" stuff), this relatively new, powerful, well-maintained PC was so full of spyware that it had become totally unusable. It was struggling along and using 100 percent of its substantial system resources doing nothing but running dozens of spyware applications and opening endless popup windows, to the point that it had no resources left to open user applications.

Well, we got it running again. After we yanked out a few hundred spyware programs and more than a thousand of their related files and registry entries, the machine breathed a massive sigh of relief and came to life again -- running like the day she was built.

Happy endings are always fun. But the whole problem could have been avoided by rejecting the life-sucking spyware that caused the problems in the first place.

What is Spyware?

Simply stated, spyware is a catch-all term for any type of software that is designed to mine your computer for data, log your keystrokes or other use of the computer, or allow unauthorized remote access to your computer.

Spyware may arrive on your computer in the form of a trojan or other virus, or it may be placed on your machine by a script kiddy or amateur hacker who came upon your computer during a random scan for vulnerable IP addresses.

Much less commonly, spyware may be placed on your machine by someone who specifically wants to track your activities for one reason or another.

But the great bulk of spyware is less glamorous. In fact, it isn't even illegal. Most spyware is advertising-related. If you have ever downloaded a "free" program like KaZaa, Bonzi Buddy, Gator, or many, many others, then it's almost certain that you have spyware running on your computer. Even simply visiting some Web pages (especially "adult" sites, warez sites, hacking and cracking sites, and some "free" online diary and journal sites) can install spyware on your machine.

Removing Spyware

Once it's on your computer, spyware can be tough to get rid of. Many recent spyware applications are more difficult to remove than "traditional" viruses. Remember: Spyware writers are motivated by money. They have a vested interest in keeping their spyware on your PC.

To further complicate matters, spyware programs usually don't have the same names as the programs they came with. By uninstalling KaZaa, for example, you don't actually uninstall the mountains of adware and spyware that hitch-hiked along with KaZaa. They stay on your computer and keep running, even after you uninstall the program they came with. Removing the spyware itself requires a lot more digging.

Luckily for you, we hate spyware as much as you do. If you live or work in Nassau, Western Suffolk, or Southern Westchester Counties in New York, we can help. Spyware removal is one of our specialties, and we'll come to your location to thoroughly purge your system of aggressive marketing spyware that hogs your computer's resources and violates your privacy.

For more information or to set up an appointment for a housecall, please contact us.