How to beat spyware, step-by-step (Part 1)

I've had so many readers email me of late with spyware problems that I figured a detailed tutorial on how to get rid of it was in order.

Got spyware? Here's how I handle infestations, step by step. (You might want to bookmark this page... just in case.)

1) Boot in safe mode. You can get to safe mode (a simplified version of Windows that disables a lot of extra gunk, possibly including some spyware apps) by restarting your PC and tapping F8 during boot. Soon you'll get a menu of options. Select "Safe Mode" (it's at the top of the menu) and wait for the machine to fully boot. The system will look funny (with a black background and larger icons, probably), but don't worry about it. This is only temporary. (Also note that some very nasty spyware applications can disable safe mode, so if you find this doesn't work, just boot normally.)

2) Run your antivirus application. This is of course assuming you have an antivirus application. You're in safe mode now, so run a full scan of your PC at maximum security levels (include the option to scan within compressed files, for example). This will probably take an hour or more, so be patient. Fix any problems the virus scan turns up. Reboot into safe mode again using the procedure in step 1.

3) Run two anti-spyware applications (or more). Not all anti-spyware apps will find all spyware infections, so you really have to use more than one. I run SpyBot and AdAware (both are free), and if you have a third application, go ahead and run it too. The more the merrier. Of course, fix anything and everything the apps find.

4) Reboot normally. (Not in safe mode.) Now take stock. Still got spyware? It's time to move along to my more advanced techniques for removing the nasties.

Continued in Part 2...