Removing spyware, as seen in the previous section, is often a long and cumbersome task, and may even cause other programs to not function. Even if a particular spyware is listed in Add/Remove programs (Start->Settings->Control Panel, then click on Add/Remove Programs), there is no guarantee that the program will fully remove itself. Many of their installations leave components throughout the Windows and System folders, and will leave a messy trail throughout the Windows registry, a scary territory where few users dare to tread. Furthermore, as in the case of WebHancer, simply removing the program may cause the system to malfunction.

However, there are programs which will remove the spyware automatically and (in most cases) painlessly. I mentioned two of them in the previous section, because they are arguably the best (lowest maintenance, least invasive, gives the user the most control) spyware removers. The two programs are called Lavasoft AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy. They both work in similar ways: the user installs them, runs them, and then is told that they have such-and-such components, and the user chooses which components they wish to remove.

Spybot goes one step further and divides its "findings" into different categories: "Spyware" and "Problems." The "Problems" include stuff that spyware may try to phone home with, including all log files, browser histories, and windows MRU (lists of directories opened in Explorer, and commands run from the windows commandline, which is Start->Run) registry keys. A user generally will not have to delete these "Problem" components, but can do so for either extra security or aesthetic reasons.

For more information about or to download Ad-Aware, go to the creator's website Lavasoft.de

For more information about or to download Spybot Search & Destroy, go to the creator's websie security.kolla.de

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