Emergency FAQ

How do I know if my computer has spyware?

Web pages keep popping up on their own
Programs run and you are not sure what they are for
You suspect a program is tracking my user names and passwords and sending them out

The problem may not be as bad as it seems. To ensure your computer is protected, do the following:

Close all programs
Run a full spyware scan using your anti-spyware software (make sure the scan is set to quarantine all detected items)

If you are very worried about data being transmitted during the scan, you can disconnect your computer from the Internet. To do this you can either:

Disable your network connection through Windows. For example, for Windows XP you will need to:

1) Open the Network Connections preference in the Windows Control Panel

2) Select the network connection currently in use from the list of installed dial-up or high-speed network connections

3) Click on disable in the pop-up menu that appears

4) Close the control panel

When the scan is complete, you can re-enable your network connection.