Spyware Removal

Spyware Removal is the act of removing or eliminating spyware and other malware from a computer.

Typically removal involves determination of all of the files and registry entries that are part of the spyware infection, stopping any running spyware processes that are stand-alone executables (as opposed to dll library files), stopping and disabling any services that are part of the spyware, removal or resetting of any registry entries that are used to start or support the spyware, and removal of all of the files related to the spyware.

Sometimes the Windows add/remove programs facility can be used to uninstall the spy, but that is not usually the case. Sometimes the spyware is bundled with another application in such a way that removal of the spyware also affects proper running of the application, but this is more usually the case with adware, rather than with spyware.

Spyware often includes library files (".dll" files) that associate themselves with other executables, such as explorer.exe (the Windows desktop), and such as rundll32.exe (a Windows programs made specially to support stand-alone dll files.) In order to stop the dll files from executing it is necessary to stop the .exe file or .sys file with which the dll has associated itself. In the case of the windows desktop, the explorer.exe process must be stopped before the associated malware .dll files (typically registered as Browser Helper Objects) can be removed from the system.

When a malware file cannot be removed from a computer, for instance because the application cannot be stopped, a usual approach to remove the malware is to setup a request for Windows to remove the file at the next system restart.

Most anti-spyware programs attempt to establish a backup or quarantine of the removed files and registry entries, so that they can be restored if there was a judgement error in the determination of what files or registry entries should be removed.

Blockadware.com is a very good reference for spyware identification, adware and spyware removal tools, computer-protection tutorials, adware and spyware advisories, anti-spyware software reviews, and other adware and spyware information.

If there is a suspicious file on your computer you can determine if it is malware in our known malware file names.