Guide to Spybot Search & Destroy:

How to Download, Update and Use Spybot

• Download Spybot
• Install Spybot
• Update Spybot
• Immunize your PC
• Scan your PC
  

What is spyware?

Spyware is computer software that collects personal information about users without their informed consent. Personal information is secretly recorded with a variety of techniques, including logging keystrokes, recording web browsing history, and scanning documents on the computer's hard disk. Purposes range from overtly criminal (theft of passwords and financial details) to the merely annoying (recording Internet search history for targeted advertising, while consuming computer resources).

TCMP endorses the use of a free spyware removal program called Spybot.  Follow these instructions to download and configure the program, as well as to update it and run scans to clean your system of spyware.

Download Spybot:

Point your web browser to the Spybot S&D homepage and click on the download link called Spybot - Search & Destroy^©® 1.6.2.  Select a mirror to download from.  If one isn't currently working then click the back button and try another one.  After selecting a mirror click the Download Now button.  Be careful not to fall for advertisements that also have large download now buttons.  Save the file to your Desktop (or some other location you can easily find).

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Install Spybot

After the download is complete, double-click the file you saved to begin the installation.

Click OK to accept the default language:

Click Next to begin the installation.

Choose I accept the agreement, then click Next

Click Next to accept the destination installation folder

Click Next to accept the default components

Click Next to accept the default Start Menu folder location

Choose the icons you want to appear and set the type of protection you want for your system:

Recommendation for protection settings: TCMP recommends the SDHelper protection. If you have 512 megabytes of RAM or more, you may consider using Tea Timer protection. The Tea Timer setting is best for experienced PC users who want to exercise more control over changes made to their system. It requires 5 megabytes of system resources and results in considerably more pop-up warnings that need to be evaluated.  The messages may not be easy for a casual PC user to interpret, and blocking system changes during updates or software installs can possibly lead to nasty problems. 

Click Install to begin the installation

Click Finish. The program will initialize and prompt you to answer a few more questions.

Click Next (or click Create registry backup if you so choose)

Click Next (you do NOT need to search for updates. That step will come later.)

Click Next (you do NOT need to immunize the system at this point. That step will come later.)

Click Start using the program

Check the box for "Don't show this message again. Then click OK. Spybot will launch itself.

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Update Spybot

How often should you update Spybot? Once a month is probably adequate, but you should update more if you notice general slowness problems or lots of pop-ups when web browsing.

When Spybot opens, do the following to update the software:

[1] Click the large Update button on the left panel

[2] Click Search for Updates at the top of the screen. Allow a minute or so for the updates it finds to appear in the Update list below.

[3] When the list is populated, right-click the Update heading above the items in the list.

[4] Left-click Select All so that all the boxes are checked for downloading.

[5] Click Download Updates. This may take a while, depending on the speed of your internet connection. If the updates do not start downloading within a minute, it probably means the location site is too busy. If this happens, click Cancel in the Update progress window, click on the current Location, choose any another one from the drop-down list and click Download Updates again.

When all the items have green checkmarks next to them, it means they've all successfully downloaded.

Note: Spybot may close and re-launch itself after the updates are downloaded.

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Immunize your PC

Beginning with version 1.2, Spybot allows you to immunize your system against some spyware. In addition to scanning your PC for spyware, it's important to immunize your system after each update to ward against spyware that the program is capable of blocking outright.

[1] Click the large Immunize button on the left panel

[2] Click OK when it's done immunizing. If you receive a message that all known bad products are already blocked, then you can skip Step 3.

[3] Click the Immunize button at the top of the screen.

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Scan your PC

You should scan your PC for spyware at least monthly, more if you notice general slowness problems or lots of pop-ups when web browsing. These are common signs of spyware infections. Always run an update first, so you scan for the latest spyware threats.

To run a scan, open Spybot and click the Search & Destroy button [1] on the left panel. Then click Check for problems [2] at the top of the screen. Scans usually take 15 minutes or less to finish.

When the scan is done, click Fix selected problems. If it finds no problems on your computer, Spybot will display the message "Congratulations! No immediate threats were found."  Otherwise click the Fix selected problems button.