Insider Quick Fixes for When Your Computer is on the Fritz!

Pop-ups popping up with reckless abandon? Mouse moving on its own? Random key presses not registering? Abnormally slow, jerky, or laggy performance?

If you’re in the unfortunate position to have answered “yes” to any of the above, you may have a bit of spyware or adware clogging up your virtual works. However, if you’ve caught things early before they get out of hand, they shouldn’t be too severe (embedded too deeply within your registry) for you not to be able to fix pretty quickly on your own.

Just follow the below steps in the order presented — without skipping any, and paying close attention to the details — and most average users of moderate tech-savviness (using Windows) will have their systems back to normal in about 90 minutes.

1. First, kill all running processes that aren’t critical to keeping your system running. See what’s running using your Task Manager (CTRL+Alt+Delete), referencing a free online database like this one to see which processes are necessary and which aren’t.
2. Next, download the latest versions of Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy (both are free).
3. Third, install the above programs. (Hey, I thought it was self-explanatory too, but some people… ;))
4. Next:
   (a) Kill your Web connection.
   (b) CTRL+Alt+Delete to kill unnecessary processes again (as in Step 1), this time INCLUDING killing any firewalls, antivirus, antispyware, etc. you have running!
   (c) Run the FULL (DEEPEST) Ad-Aware scan.
   (d) RESTART your ‘puter.
5. Next, REPEAT STEP 4. (Do this as many times as needed ’til it seems like all the nasties are gone.)
6. Then:
   (a) Kill your Web connection.
   (b) CTRL+Alt+Delete to kill unnecessary processes again (as in Step 1), this time INCLUDING killing any firewalls, antivirus, antispyware, etc. you have running!
   (c) Run the FULL (DEEPEST) Spybot scan.
   (d) RESTART your ‘puter.
7. Lastly, REPEAT STEP 6. (Do this as many times as needed to make sure the rest of the nasties are gone.)
8. Once your scans keep coming up clean … use your ‘puter as normal, and see how things go. ;)

Again, the steps above are all assuming you’re using Windows. Can’t help ya if you have another operating system. *shrugs*

Important things to remember are to restart after every scan. Minimum two or three consecutive scans using both programs above, respectively, are recommended, to make sure whatever it is is gone. (Meaning, do two Ad-Aware scans … THEN move on to Spybot, and do two of those scans. Got it?)

If this doesn’t work for you or it only works partially, you should then break out the big guns — i.e., Hijackthis and some good online HJT forums — but that’s totally beyond the scope of this article. I may do a continuation and post it here the next time I’m feeling less harried, frantic, busy, and/or lazy.

Much luck! I’d love to hear if the above works for you.

 Respected Business & Marketing author H.T. Major has nearly a decade of collective experience fine-tuning the art of creating effective, efficient business websites that SELL, and boosting the conversion of existing sites. Now she offers supremely affordable website, photo, & business design services that are not only about creating "pretty pictures", but about creating RESULTS: visit ChumpChangeWebDesign.com.