Microsoft Spyware preventer or Microsoft Anti SpyWare

Step 5: Surf and download more safely
The best defense against spyware and other unwanted software is not to download it in the first place. Here are a few helpful tips that can protect you from downloading software you don't want:
. Only download programs from Web sites you trust. If you're not sure whether to trust a program you are considering downloading, ask a knowledgeable friend or enter the name of the program into your favorite search engine to see if anyone else has reported that it contains spyware.
. Read all security warnings, license agreements, and privacy statements associated with any software you download
. Never click "agree" or "OK" to close a window. Instead, click the red "x" in the corner of the window or press the Alt + F4 buttons on your keyboard to close a window
. Be wary of popular "free" music and movie file-sharing programs, and be sure you clearly understand all of the software packaged with those programs

Get rid of spyware
Many kinds of unwanted software, including spyware, are designed to be difficult to remove. If you try to uninstall this software like any other program, you might find that the program reappears as soon as you restart your computer. If you're having trouble uninstalling unwanted software, you may need to download a tool to do the job for you. Several companies offer free and low-cost software that will check your computer for spyware and other unwanted software and help you remove it. Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) include antispyware software in their service packages. Check with your ISP to see if they can recommend or provide a tool. If your ISP doesn't offer a removal tool for spyware and other unwanted software, ask people you trust to recommend one, or see the links in step 1 below. Keep in mind that removing unwanted software with these tools may mean you will no longer be able to use a free program that came with the spyware.

To remove spyware
Use Windows Defender. Windows Defender comes with Windows Vista. If you use Windows XP SP2, you can download Windows Defender for no charge.
Run the tool to scan your computer for spyware and other unwanted software.
Review the files discovered by the tool for spyware and other unwanted software.
Select suspicious files for removal by following the tool's instructions.

To try to identify and remove deceptive software from your computer, use one or all the following methods.

Note : Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

Note : If you use an operating system that has the System Restore feature such as Windows Millennium Edition and Windows XP, set a valid restore point before you follow these steps. You can use the restore point to restore to the computer configuration that you had before you made the changes if you do not want the changes.

Note : Deceptive software programs may not follow standard practices for installation. Therefore, the software may not be found in the locations that are described in the following steps.
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
3. In the Currently installed programs list, find programs that you do not recognize or are named similarly to the program that is causing the unwanted behavior.

Note : Some programs that have unfamiliar names may not be deceptive software. Some programs may have come preinstalled on the computer from the manufacturer or may be important components of other software that you have installed on your computer. We recommend that you use caution when you remove programs from your computer.
4. Click the program that you want to remove, and then click Remove. To remove the component, follow the instructions that appear on your screen. You may have to restart your computer.

Use the built-in program remover
If the program that you want to remove is not listed in Add or Remove Programs, you may be able to use the built-in program remover to remove the program. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then search for a folder with the name of the program that you want to remove or the name of a program that may have included the program that you want to remove.
2. Point to the Program_Name folder, and then click the file to remove the program if the file exists. For example, the file might be named Unist.exe, Uninstall, or Uninstall Program_Name.
3. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to remove the program.
Find the program folder with Windows Explorer

Some programs do not register with Add or Remove Programs and do not have a Start Menu folder. These programs may have a folder on the hard disk drive where the program that you want to remove is installed. This folder may contain a file that you can use to automatically remove the program. To find the program folder and remove the unwanted program, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Explore.
2. Expand the folder tree to look for a folder with the name of the program that you want to remove or the name of a program that may have included the program that you want to remove.
3. When you find the unwanted program's folder, click the folder.
4. In the right-pane, if a file to remove the program exists, double-click that file. For example, the file may be named Unist.exe, Uninstall, or Uninstall Program_Name.
5. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to remove the program.

Note If you find a folder for the program that you want to remove, but you do not find a remove file to remove the program, do not delete the folder or the contents of the folder. If you delete the folder or the contents of the folder, you may adversely affect your computer performance and operation. For example, Windows may not start, programs may not start, or programs may stop running.

Use antivirus software
Some deceptive software can be removed by some antivirus programs. However, not all antivirus companies detect or remove this software because it is different from viruses. Contact the manufacturer of your antivirus program for more information about removing deceptive software.

Anti-spyware programs
Report on scan of an infected system from Lavasoft's Ad-Aware
Many programmers and some commercial firms have released products designed to remove or block spyware. Steve Gibson's OptOut, mentioned above, pioneered a growing category. Programs such as Lavasoft's Ad-Aware SE and Patrick Kolla's Spybot - Search & Destroy rapidly gained popularity as effective tools to remove, and in some cases intercept, spyware programs. More recently Microsoft acquired the GIANT AntiSpyware software, rebranding it as Windows AntiSpyware beta and releasing it as a free download for Genuine Windows XP and Windows 2003 users. In early spring, 2006, Microsoft renamed the beta software to Windows Defender, and it was released as a free download in October 2006. Microsoft currently ships the product for free with Windows Vista. Other well-known anti-spyware products include:

. PC Tools's Spyware Doctor
. Sunbelt Software's Counterspy
. Trend Micro's HijackThis
. Webroot Software's Spy Sweeper
. ParetoLogic's Anti-Spyware and XoftSpy SE

Major anti-virus firms such as Symantec, McAfee and Sophos have come later to the table, adding anti-spyware features to their existing anti-virus products. Early on, anti-virus firms expressed reluctance to add anti-spyware functions, citing lawsuits brought by spyware authors against the authors of web sites and programs which described their products as "spyware". However, recent versions of these major firms' home and business anti-virus products do include anti-spyware functions, albeit treated differently from viruses. Symantec Anti-Virus, for instance, categorizes spyware programs as "extended threats" and now offers real-time protection from them (as it does for viruses). Recently, the anti-virus company Grisoft, creator of AVG Anti-Virus, acquired anti-spyware firm Ewido Networks, re-labeling their Ewido anti-spyware program as AVG Anti-Spyware. This shows a trend by anti virus companies to launch a dedicated solution to spyware and malware. Zone Labs, creator of Zone Alarm firewall have also released an anti spyware program.


Microsoft Anti-Spyware, in real-time protection blocks an instance of the AlwaysUpdateNews from being installed.

Anti-spyware programs can combat spyware in two ways:

. 1. They can provide real time protection against the installation of spyware software on your computer. This type of spyware protection works the same way as that of anti-virus protection in that the anti-spyware software scans all incoming network data for spyware software and blocks any threats it comes across.

. 2. Anti-spyware software programs can be used solely for detection and removal of spyware software that has already been installed onto your computer. This type of spyware protection is normally much easier to use and more popular. With this spyware protection software you can schedule weekly, daily, or monthly scans of your computer to detect and remove any spyware software that has been installed on your computer. This type of anti-spyware software scans the contents of the windows registry, operating system files, and installed programs on your computer and will provide a list of any threats found, allowing you to choose what you want to delete and what you want to keep.
Such programs inspect the contents of the Windows registry, the operating system files, and installed programs, and remove files and entries which match a list of known spyware components. Real-time protection from spyware works identically to real-time anti-virus protection: the software scans disk files at download time, and blocks the activity of components known to represent spyware. In some cases, it may also intercept attempts to install start-up items or to modify browser settings. Because many spyware and adware are installed as a result of browser exploits or user error, using security software (some of which are antispyware, though many are not) to sandbox browsers can also be effective to help restrict any damage done.

Earlier versions of anti-spyware programs focused chiefly on detection and removal. Javacool Software's SpywareBlaster, one of the first to offer real-time protection, blocked the installation of ActiveX-based and other spyware programs.

Like most anti-virus software, many anti-spyware/adware tools require a frequently-updated database of threats. As new spyware programs are released, anti-spyware developers discover and evaluate them, making "signatures" or "definitions" which allow the software to detect and remove the spyware. As a result, anti-spyware software is of limited usefulness without a regular source of updates. Some vendors provide a subscription-based update service, while others provide updates free. Updates may be installed automatically on a schedule or before doing a scan, or may be done manually.
Not all programs rely on updated definitions. Some programs rely partly (for instance many antispyware programs such as Windows Defender, Spybot's TeaTimer and Spysweeper) or fully (programs falling under the class of Hips such as BillP's WinPatrol), on historical observation. They watch certain configuration parameters (such as certain portions of the Windows registry or browser configuration) and report any change to the user, without judgment or recommendation. While they do not rely on updated definitions, which may allow them to spot newer spyware, they can offer no guidance. The user is left to determine "what did I just do, and is this configuration change appropriate?"

Windows Defender's Spynet attempts to alleviate this through offering a community to share information, which helps guide both users, who can look at decisions made by others, and analysts, who can spot fast-spreading spyware. A popular generic spyware removal tool used by those with a certain degree of expertise is HijackThis, which scans certain areas of the Windows OS where spyware often resides and presents a list with items to delete manually. As most of the items are legitimate windows files/registry entries it is advised for those who are less knowledgeable on this subject to post a HijackThis log on the numerous antispyware sites and let the experts decide what to delete.
If a spyware program is not blocked and manages to get itself installed, it may resist attempts to terminate or uninstall it. Some programs work in pairs: when an anti-spyware scanner (or the user) terminates one running process, the other one respawns the killed program. Likewise, some spyware will detect attempts to remove registry keys and immediately add them again. Usually, booting the infected computer in safe mode allows an anti-spyware program a better chance of removing persistent spyware. Killing the process tree can also work.

A new breed of spyware (Look2Me spyware by NicTechNetworks is a good example) is starting to hide inside system-critical processes and start up even in safe mode. With no process to terminate they are harder to detect and remove. Sometimes they do not even leave any on-disk signatures. Rootkit technology is also seeing increasing use,[39] as is the use of NTFS alternate data streams. Newer spyware programs also have specific countermeasures against well known anti-malware products and may prevent them from running or being installed, or even uninstall them. An example of one that uses all three methods is Gromozon, a new breed of malware. It uses alternate data streams to hide. A rootkit hides it even from alternate data streams scanners and actively stops popular rootkit scanners from running.



Fake anti-spyware programs
Malicious programmers have released a large number of fake anti-spyware programs, and widely distributed Web banner ads now spuriously warn users that their computers have been infected with spyware, directing them to purchase programs which do not actually remove spyware - or worse, may add more spyware of their own.
The recent proliferation of fake or spoofed antivirus products has occasioned some concern. Such products often bill themselves as antispyware, antivirus, or registry cleaners, and sometimes feature popups prompting users to install them. They are called rogue software.
Known offenders include:
. errorsafe (AKA system doctor)
. Pest Trap
. SpyAxe
. AntiVirus Gold
. SpywareStrike
. Spyware Quake
. WorldAntiSpy
. Spylocked
. SpyShredder
. SysProtect
. Spy Sheriff
. Spy Wiper
. PAL Spyware Remover
. PSGuard
. Malware
. WinAntiVirus Pro 2006
. WinFixer
. Spydawn
. ContraVirus
. UltimateCleaner
. MagicAntiSpy
. AV System Care
. Registrycleanerxp.com
. SecurePCcleaner
. PCSecuresystem

Notable programs distributed with spyware
. Bonzi Buddy
. Dope Wars
. ErrorGuard
. Grokster
. Kazaa
. Morpheus
. RadLight
. WeatherBug
. EDonkey2000
. Sony's Extended Copy Protection involved the installation of spyware from audio compact discs through autorun. This practice sparked considerable controversy when it was discovered.
. WildTangent The antispyware program CounterSpy used to say that it's okay to keep WildTangent, but it now says that the spyware Winpipe is "possibly distributed with the adware bundler WildTangent or from a threat included in that bundler

Examples of spyware
These common spyware programs illustrate the diversity of behaviors found in these attacks. Note that as with computer viruses, researchers give names to spyware programs which may not be used by their creators. Programs may be grouped into "families" based not on shared program code, but on common behaviors, or by "following the money" of apparent financial or business connections. For instance, a number of the spyware programs distributed by Claria are collectively known as "Gator". Likewise, programs which are frequently installed together may be described as parts of the same spyware package, even if they function separately.

CoolWebSearch, a group of programs, takes advantage of Internet Explorer vulnerabilities. The package directs traffic to advertisements on Web sites including coolwebsearch.com. It displays pop-up ads, rewrites search engine results, and alters the infected computer's hosts file to direct DNS lookups to these sites.
Internet Optimizer, also known as DyFuCa, redirects Internet Explorer error pages to advertising. When users follow a broken link or enter an erroneous URL, they see a page of advertisements. However, because password-protected Web sites (HTTP Basic authentication) use the same mechanism as HTTP errors, Internet Optimizer makes it impossible for the user to access password-protected sites.

Zango (formerly 180 Solutions) transmits detailed information to advertisers about the Web sites which users visit. It also alters HTTP requests for affiliate advertisements linked from a Web site, so that the advertisements make unearned profit for the 180 Solutions company. It opens pop-up ads that cover over the Web sites of competing companies.

HuntBar, aka WinTools or Adware.Websearch, was installed by an ActiveX drive-by download at affiliate Web sites, or by advertisements displayed by other spyware programs - an example of how spyware can install more spyware. These programs add toolbars to IE, track aggregate browsing behavior, redirect affiliate references, and display advertisements.

Movieland, also known as Moviepass.tv or Popcorn.net, is a movie download service that has been the subject of thousands of complaints to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Washington State Attorney General's Office, the Better Business Bureau, and others by consumers claiming they were held hostage by its repeated pop-up windows and demands for payment. The FTC has filed a complaint against Movieland.com and eleven other defendants (list), charging them with having "engaged in a nationwide scheme to use deception and coercion to extract payments from consumers." The complaint alleges that the software repeatedly opened oversized pop-up windows that could not be closed or minimized, accompanied by music that lasted nearly a minute, demanding payment of at least $29.95 to end the pop-up cycle; and claiming that consumers had signed up for a three-day free trial but did not cancel their membership before the trial period was over, and were thus obligated to pay.

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