The Worst Kind Of Spyware
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Harmful programs can normally be deleted by anti-spyware software, but there are some malicious programs that cannot be removed by any software. Things like this include:
-- Programs that resists your attempt to find or uninstall it.
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Software that is actually "2 in 1" type programs, so that when you delete one instance of the spyware, the second spyware program is installed.
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Spyware with sophisticated programming, so that when it detects that it is being installed, it will re-install itself in the registry.
These types of programs can be extremely annoying, and so you need to know what additional methods there are in order to remove them.
A good solution is to run your computer in safe mode. To do this, when you login, select the option "run in safe mode" (available in windows 2000 and XP). This will prevent programs from running properly, so you have a better chance of being able to delete spyware. You will also want to disconnect your computer from the internet if you suspect programs in the background are recording your personal information.
Unfortunately, there are additional problems that may occur even when you run in safe mode and disconnect your computer from the internet. An example is programs that run in your PC's critical system process, so that they are neither detected nor deleted by anti-spyware software. These programs can often run even when you boot your computer in safe mode.
Even worse is the fact that many spyware programs never leave any disk signature on your computer, so that you may never know they have infected your machine. Other harmful programs may even disable known AV programs from running, so as to prevent anti-spyware programs from detecting it.
If you happen to have a lot spyware like this, it can be very difficult to remove, as AV programs may not be particularly useful. The worst case scenario is that you will need to reinstall windows on your machine. This involves doing a backup of your entire hard drive, and beginning from scratch.
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