Spyware and adware removal programs - Germany

Afternoon all,

I've noticed my laptop seems to runnning much slower than normal, and can take up to 10 minutes to shutdown! Looking in Windows Task Manager, I can see 8 or 9 instances of a svchost.exe running.

Through Google, i've done a bit of research and discovered this is a normal windows process, but:

- i've checked on other pc's, and they've only got 6 instances running
- one of mine appears to be using more RAM than any other process
- svchost.exe is often used as a mask for trojans and other spyware

I've now reinstalled MS AntiSpyware (after it ran out on 31/12 without telling me) but it can't find anything...

Can anyone recommend a solution?

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

Yes I run the same program Nofxmike does. It does a good job.

LavaSoft.

- Try their AdAware program.

- Switch to FireFox immedaitely.

Sorry, (should have said in my original post) i've tried SpyBot S&D and Spyware doctor.

I'm also running Norton Internet Security.

well if its for personal use (if you're not a freelancer etc.) you can try this.
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

Pull up every single program you use and turn them off from auto running. Then uninstall every single program that you used once, but most likely will never run again (save the install if you want). Get the program TweakReg cleaner and run it after all this stuff. Run several spyware programs and the regclean program. After all this, run the defrag program and then check the running processes. Most should have dissappeared by now.
You can also adjust your cache so that it is forced to dump and reload. That helps with the internet and if you like to download loads. Clean out all cookies and temp files.
OR put all your real data on an external drive and wipe clean and reinstall. That actually might take less time.
Are you in Munich or in the UK? Haven't seen you since curry night ages ago.

Hmmm... i'm currently trying to run AdAware, but its crashing on the webupdate (same thing MS AntiSpyware did until I killed the large svchost.exe...)

Thanks for all the suggestions people, hopefully i'll get it sorted soon.

@eurovol - you've confused me a little bit with your first suggestion (and I claim to work in IT ), but I think I might end up having to reformat... Am trying to avoid that at the moment though. And yes, unfortunately i'm back in the UK. Should hopefully be returning to Munich over the summer for a few weeks again to attend a language course, and if not i'll be coming over for a holiday. I miss Curry Night!

Open the Adaware site and allow popups from this site. Then run the update and you should be able to get it from now on. This is a problem with XP SP2 and is easily fixed by simply allowing it to download the file to your computer.

As for the first suggestion, you are running Adobe, Quicktime, MSOffice and probably a dozen other programs that have the "fast start-up" option. That means that they are running all the time. They will cause your startup and your shutdown to take up extra time. Sometimes up to 5 minutes! Turn off the "run in background" or system tray or auto start. This is a load of crap as it only takes 30sec or less to start up all of these programs when you actually use them.

Ok

- i've installed all the recommended spyware/antivirus programs suggested

- i've discovered one virus that Norton didn't detect, and taken care of it.

- shutting down doesn't seem to take so long anymore.

But i've still got 8 svchost.exe tasks running.

Can anyone with more Windows knowledge than myself clarify whether this is ok?

Having loads of svchost.exe stuff running is not necessarily the problem. Its quite normal on xp to have a load running, but it is also VERY normal to have loads of crap running that you really do not need.

Bring up a DOS prompt, and type

Tasklist /SVC

It'll give you a list of the processes running, and a bit more info on the stuff that each svchost is doing.

You can also run regedit and have a look at this key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Svchost

Which gives you inof about the different svchost groups. A copy of Sisoft sandra or something can run a wizard on your services and advise you on which ones are likely to be redundant.

My mate told me all this shit of course, I'm no computer geek.

I second xargon w/ running firefox instead of IE although some web sites are still just too "special" to be rendered by firefox - and if you spend any time on Microsoft's websites (which you probably don't?) then you may get the message telling you not to use anything except IE.

I would recommend installing at least two extensions to firefox to block most ads: Adblock and Adblock Filterset.G Updater. Adblock lets you block images from particular sources/sites and the filterset is a periodically updated list of "ad sites" which will stop the ads from being requested and rendered, speeds things up AND stops the source of most of the adware before you get it.

Yeah, I discovered the Tasklist /svc at work, but for some unkown reason it says "'tasklist' is not recognized as an internal or external command" on my laptop...

Which is completely baffling to be honest... damn M$...

Bloody adware sending me mad, popups about all kinds of viruses i've got running and can't access any web pages unless i disable Norton.

I've loaded Spyware doctor too and that killed about 150 instances but not got rid of them all obviously.

Any ideas folks?

Oh yeah i've got a Norton Homepage alert constantly popping up telling me that it has blocked multiple attempts to change my homepage even though i've disabled Norton!

AVG is a good free anti virus tool with daily updates.

SpywareTerminator is a great free anti spyware tool with a runtime shield.

Stopped using IE a long time ago...as others have mentioned, one option is:

1. Install Firefox
2. Go to Recommended Add-Ons and install Adblock Plus
3. Filter your cookies via Firefox pull-down menu: Tools --> Options --> Privacy. Either:
a) tick 'Accept cookies from site' and change Keep until option to 'ask me every time'; visit your most frequently used sites and select 'Allow' or 'Block' depending if it is a cookie from a site you trust or one from an ad site. Restart Firefox and change Keep until option to 'I close Firefox'.
OR tick 'Accept cookies from site', change Keep until option to 'I close Firefox'. and after selecting Exceptions button, enter all the sites you trust manually.

And a list of the best-ever freeware utilties with one for Spyware utilities:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm#3

I Agree with Jay..

If your still looking for a remover/scanner try: Super Anti-Spyware
It catches some things Lavasoft Ad-Aware misses.

I suggest that you let - http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ - have a go at scanning your computer. The few times when I have messed up and opened up a nasty virus, it has always been able to clean up the computer. I also second (or maybe 8th) the use of Firefox. I cant even remember the last time I opened IE.

Is there anywhere in Munich one can take a laptop and have it checked out by an expert for any unwanted spyware that may be running. I have McAfee security center on mine but I always wonder.

Acting on a hunch i just de-installed Norton.

Result - computer about 5 times faster and problems dissapeared, at least for the moment anyway.

Somehow or other it looks like the Norton Antivirus program itself was the thing that had become infected.

Ty for all your help and suggestions guys.

Norton AV is utter crap.. I think it actually is a virus
300MB+ for an AV program is just plain Bloatware..

Just have to say, this is like having a new computer !

Bloody Norton must have been robbing me for ages.