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Ad-Aware SE Personal - Anti-Spyware
Ad-Aware SE Personal is a free anti-spyware software package that can be downloaded from the Lavasoft website in a matter of minutes. The updates (or definitions) are also free. As with all 'free' software, it has certain limitations, but of all the free one's, we have found this one has the fewest.
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On the left is a picture of the icon that will be deposited on your desktop after you have downloaded the software from the Lavasoft website. The first thing you will have to do once downloaded is make sure you have the latest updates from Lavasoft (definitions). Double-click on the Ad-Aware icon to start the programme. make sure you are already online and when you are asked if you would like to connect to the Lavasoft Servers, to update your definitions, click 'OK'. |
You will see the definitions being uploaded by a progress bar, after which you can click 'OK' and continue.
When you first start up Ad-Aware, you will be presented with a window similar to the one below. Please note in this example we are using Ad-Aware SE Personal 2007, the 2009 and 'Anniversary' versions are broadly similar!
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| Click on the 'Scan now' button in the bottom right-hand corner. You will then see the following screen: |
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| You now have a choice of a quick 'Smart Scan' or a 'Full Scan' - it is up to you which one you choose, but we recommend a quick scan at least once a week, followed by a full scan once every two weeks. Once selected, click 'Scan'. |
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| Now the scanner has started looking through your computer to find any spyware. The figure in the center (Total Objects Scanned) will continue to climb as the files are checked, the line below it will list of spyware, some serious, some not so serious, found on your system.
Once the scan is complete (this can take anything up to 30 minutes), you will be presented with a results page, looking something like the one below, notice that there are only 35 negligible items, these are only 'cookies'. |
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| Tick every box showing on the results page by clicking in the small box, then click 'Remove'. |
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| Your computer should now be clean and free from spyware. Click to finish and you will then go back to the start page again when you can close the programme - and that's it! |
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