I have spyware.. help!

[sweetjackie]

I have spyware, I know this because everytime I try to change my homepage it always changes back to a search engine and at the bottom it has a link that says "Get rid of spyware". I've clicked on it twice but it goes to this page where you have to pay alot of money to get this program, and I dont have money to spend. Also I know because the day it started my computer shut off without me doing anything and then when I turned it back and went online my homepage was an adelphia page telling me I had the spyware. I dont know why I didn't do anything, but now I want to do something. I just dont know what I'm suppost to do to get rid of it for free.

[Joleen]

There are many posts here about spyware and free applications or sites to cleanse your system.  Try taking a look.

[Raptor]

The last thing you should do is actually click the links. This will most likely result in more spyware being installed.

Search the http://www.computerhope.com database for more info concerning spyware.

Whilst doing so, run these programs;

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ - Adaware 6.0 - Free Edition

http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download - Spybot S&D - Freeware

[Joleen]

Raptor.. just point to the admin sticky.  I'm *sure* everyone is reading it anyway but they might need a refresher.

Jackie.. look here
http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=14;action=display;num=1089181015

[sweetjackie]

ok, thanks everybody!

[Raptor]

Sorry, bad habit.

[KhMeR]

this might help go to    housecall.trendmicro.com then press scan now.

[Raptor]

That will not help considering the fact that Housetrend Micro is a virus scan. If you have no experience concerning spyware, read the sticky- It is there. USE IT!

[Chir6]

Not only does it sound like you have spyware, its sounds like an all out browser hijack.  These pesky annoyances occur when visiting sites from the darker side of the web.  But fear not!  There is a solution for you.  First of all, you need an internet connected computer to navigate to http://www.totalaccesssolutions.com/modules.php?name=Downloads .  There you will find a collection of free utilities that every internet connected PC user should download.  Otherwise known as the Internet Essentials pack, you will also need to run these utilities on the problematic machine.  You may need to make use of a friends cd burner to do this, but it is highly recommended you do.  These tools will also improve system performance, as they remove all the nasty system resource hogging badness that manages to get onto your PC.