Question for the computer experts out there

[celestia671]

I recently ran across a program called 'Wild Tangent' on my pc, it even has its own control panel installed. What is this? Do I need this on my computer, or should I remove it?

[DoktorGreg]

1. Well, I doubt you CAN uninstall it in the conventional way.

That is spyware.

You need to go download spybot and run that a few times. That should take care of it.

http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download

On Edit: It might break some program you though was free, keep that in mind.

[On the Road]

I've Heard That Spybot is Itself Spyware

Is there some truth to this or just an attempt to get users to switch to a commercial product?

[celestia671]

5. I've never heard that.

Everything I've seen written about Spybot was pretty positive. I have AdAware too.

[On the Road]

8. The Place I Saw That Claim

was promoting its own software, so I'm suspicious about it.

However, even if Spybot did do some surveillance of my own machine as part of its mission of controlling malicious software, I'm OK with that as long as it's not destructive or commercial.

[Lisa0825]

6. I have heard nothing but good things about Spybot, HOWEVER,

you have to be careful to get it from the source. Some companies have been known to provide it on outside sites, and attach their own spyware to it.

[celestia671]

2. Damn spyware!

Will that junk ever be outlawed? I have spybot and ran it twice last night. I'll try doing a couple of more times. Thank you!

[Lisa0825]

4. If spybot doesn't catch it, try Adaware. I heard that it gets updated

more frequently than Spybot, so sometimes it catches things Spybot doesn't. That was the case for me last month.

[Lisa0825]

3. I heard some people got it after downloading AIM. Another question ...

My next door cube-rat installed AIM on her computer for a week, when her boss was working from home, and wanted to talk on it. Now she wants to delete it. I tried to help her, but it just won't go away! We tried add/remove programs, and also AIM's uninstall program, and neither worked. Is there anything else to try aside from just deleting the files themselves?

[celestia671]

7. AIM does come with alot of spyware

I recently tried to delete mine too, but it wouldn't let me, said it was missing a driver or something like that.

[DoktorGreg]

11. AIM reinstalls the spyware the next time you run it EOM

EOM

[Don_G]

9. You Can Run HijackThis

I believe it's a free download. More information and a link to the download can be found here: http://www.computercops.us/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=112215

[quisp]

10. Ad Aware from Lavasoft

should clean you right up. As far as an IM client, I would recommend GAIM (http://gaim.sourceforge.net/) because it's free/open source software and it spyware and malware free. Plus it's one client for all your IM software (i.e.: AOL, MSN, Yahoo!, etc.)