Ad-Aware question.

[TNDemo]

I am not sure I am choosing the right options. When I tell it to scan it goes through the motions and comes up with the following info:

0 processes identified
31 registry keys identified
4 registry values identified
52 files identified
0 folders identified

87 new objects (with flashing ladybug)

The next step asks to either quarantine, show logfile or next. If I click on quarantine (and what is the difference in quarantine and removal?) it asks for the file name. What do I put in there? I tried just clicking next and it said "no objects selected for removal. Continue?" Then it goes back to the beginning screen.

What do I need to do to get rid of the things it finds?

[proud patriot]

1. I put a check next to each thing it finds

then click next , then it asks if I want to remove the
objects selected I click yes ..Walla !

I hope that is the right way to do it ..

[Old and In the Way]

2. Hit next instead of quarantine

make sure all the boxes are checked (if they are dataminer or malware files), then click next....that will delete the files instead of saving to a quanrantine file.

[Bossy Monkey]

3. S/he also needs to go unquarantine all the quarantined items

run Ad-Aware again and delete them too

[Greyskye]

4. If you have a lot of items found

...you can do a 'right-click' to bring up an option which will allow you to check all of the items found at once. Saves quite a bit of time if you have a lot of registry items found.

Ad-aware rocks!

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Ok, first things first....

When you run AdAware, the first thing you should do is be online and click "Check for Updates." That will give you the latest reference file if there is one. No sense running it without the latest file, is there?

The new file, if there is one, will automatically download and install itself.

Then run it and click everything it finds and quarantine them.

The thing with "quarantine" is that there might be some programs that need the nasties in order to run, and if you just delete them, you can't get them back without a reinstall. Quarantining lets you restore things the way they were if you have to. Everything qurantined is altered so that it can't run or be used unless restored, so the system is as safe as if they were removed.

You rarely have to restore, of course, but who knows. Not all things are that evil. For instance, the sponsored mode of Eudora used to require a small piece of "spyware" to download the ad that AdAware always caught until I put it on the ignore list.

You can always open the quarantine list and delete the files and cookies later if you're sure you don't need them.

Clicking on everything and just deleting them instead of quarantining them usually works just as well, but I'd go for the quarantine until you're sure of what's going on.

[SmileyBoy]

6. I've got kind of a question myself about this:

I have 498 quarantined files. Should I go into there and just remove them all???

The good thing is that every time I'm running it (I run it daily) I'm getting "0 files detected"!!!!:-)

And NO POP-UPS!!! Ad-Aware ROCKS!!!!

[TreasonousBastard]

7. If they're old...

and everything else works, why not?

They're just taking up disk space.

[SmileyBoy]

8. I right-clicked, then selected "delete all archives".

Is that the one that works???

[TreasonousBastard]

11. That'll do.

You could open them and see what's in there first.

Almost guaranteed 90% of them are tracking cookies, though.

[TNDemo]

9. Thanks everyone.

I did not know to check the little boxes. DUH. Hopefully this will help things.

Signed,

Tech Tard

[LTR]

10. Check the little boxes

Not a bad idea to run AdAware at least once a week, if the machine gets sluggish, or after installing questionable software. I got 'Common Name' and a few other little nasties by accidentally clicking on a web site link (which turned out to be bogus). Had to run it twice to get rid of all the crap, then go into 'Program Files' and track down the folders and their remnants.

Also, install another program called 'Spybot'. Sometimes it picks up things AdAware doesn't, and vice-versa.

After quarantining and/or deleting the little nasties, be sure to run the last program installed, if you suspect the program as the spyware installer. It may try to reinstall spyware, or it may not work at all. If the former, re-run AdAware. If the latter, get rid of the program altogether.

Some common programs that contain spyware are some freeware apps from CNET or ZDNET, file sharing progs like the official Kazaa, and even some little app called 'WAV to MP3 Encoder. The new one is LOADED with this crap!

[TreasonousBastard]

12. I've mentioned Pricelessware before...

and one of the reasons I go there first for freeware is that they thoroughly check everything out for spyware.

http://www.pricelessware.org/

The usenet group alt.comp.freeware is the source of most of the stuff on that site, and much more. If the regulars there give something a clean bill of health, it's pretty much a sure thing.