How to Find Spyware
Spyware programs are small pieces of malicious software that are surreptitiously installed on a computer for the purpose of collecting information on a user’s Internet browsing habits. Many spyware programs are used to serve up unwanted advertisements and spam and are therefore more of a nuisance than a danger. But some are much more malicious and are designed to steal passwords, bank account numbers and other confidential data. Spyware programs typically are hidden in software that can be downloaded for free over the Internet, or in peer-to-peer software products that are commonly used for swapping music and video files.
Because spyware programs are designed to operate in stealth a user often doesn’t know that their system has been infected. But there are several symptoms that can indicate the presence of spyware. A computer infected with spyware will start serving up pop-up advertisements, or start running much slower. Users could also find themselves being directed to different home pages or find tool bars and icons on their systems that they did not add. In case you suspect your system is infected, here’s how to find spyware on your computer.
Run a scan: Several tools are available today, many of them free, which are designed to scan your system for the presence of spyware programs. Microsoft’s Windows Defender for instance, can be downloaded for no charge and can be used to scan for spyware and other unwanted programs on your system. Other free programs include LavaSoft’s Ad-Aware, Webroot’s Spy Sweeper and Spyware Doctor from PC Tools. Doing a simple Google search for free spyware detection tools will provide numerous other similar tools to choose from. Review the spyware files discovered by these tools and follow the instructions for removing them from your system. Many of these products come with recommendations on how serious the threats are and offer one-click options for removing malicious programs. Such tools offer the best option for how to find spyware on your computer.
Use Add/Remove Programs to see if any new software has been installed: Spyware programs often change system configuration settings or add new programs on your computer. So one way to locate a spyware program is to Click on the ‘Start’ icon on the bottom left corner of the screen and select ‘Settings’ and then choose ‘Control Panel’. Click on Add/Remove programs to see if there are any programs that have been added to the list of programs installed on your computer. If you see anything that you don’t recognize, chances are that it could be a spyware program. You can then do a manual un-installation of any malicious files or use a spyware-removal tool to do it.
Check your System Registry: This is an option ONLY for experienced users. Spyware programs almost always make subtle changes to the system registry in order to remain concealed or in order to capture and steal data from your computer. Registry monitoring tools, many of which are free can help analyze changes made to the Windows Registry by taking ‘snapshots’ of the registry at various times and comparing them to see what changes have been made to the registry. Any changes that are detected this way can then be rolled back or undone using Undo/Redo functions or using the Regedit function. Using the registry function offers a good option for how to find spyware on your computer but it is something that should only be attempted by expert users. If the changes are not done properly they can permanently damage your computer.
Use the Windows Search function: You can use the Windows search function to quickly search your computer for specific spyware programs by name. This is a fairly quick method for detecting malware but can only be used if you know exactly what spyware program it is you are looking for.
