Spyware? It's All Written in Hell.

Spyware sucks. It just plain sucks. And anyone connected with the creation, development, promotion, employment, distribution sucks too. Damn it, how many times do I have to say quit using Yahoo. They have Claria and 180solutions all over their stuff. While I am at it, you can call it adaware, malware, spyware, thiefware, dungware, garbageware, junkware or whatever! It's an invasion of privacy! Would you let someone come into your abode and pilfer through your personal stuff? In my opinion, this is by far the worst problem we are facing when it comes to using the internet. These creeps should be gathered and sent to the South Pole in their undies!

The worst of the worst is PSGuard, aka SpySheriff, aka Shudder Global Limited. These jerks hijack your desktop wallpaper and take away the ability to change it. They also flood your computer with registry entries that have to be eradicated or it cannot be removed. It'll keep coming back! Several people claim to be able to remove this scum, but it will take extensive registry hacking and the use of SEVERAL anti-malware tools. Get ready to spend hours in front of the computer if you are a tech and days if a user. Best solution? Format C: will get it.

Tools? Most are listed in the Cybersouth Links. Use Spybot Search & Destroy. Install it properly. Don't know how? Email me. Use Lavasoft's Ad-aware (I use the free version). Install it properly. Don't know how? Email me. Use JavaCoolSoftware's SpywareBlaster. Install it properly. Don't know how? Email me. Use CCleaner. It can be downloaded at MajorGeeks under the drive cleaners category. As a matter of fact all these programs can be found there. Use a good anti-virus; AVG Free Edition is used at the beach house. Hey, if these tools help then donate or upgrade. These people put many hours into developing something to help us all.

If you get a really bad infection don't begrudge your tech for charging. They will spend much time correcting errors. Personally, I won't return a computer without installing the above tools and tuning each tool to work at optimum. Beware the signs that say $45.00 for spyware removal. It would scare me to think they charged just a dollar a minute and only spent 45 minutes trying to clean a machine. You can barely download and install the above mentioned tools in that amount of time.

Here's the most important tool that you have to fight Spyware; CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSPERSON!!!! Yahoo should be forced to put banners all over their site confessing to the use of spyware, not just small print in some EULA. Raise hell about this horrible invasion of privacy. Also, please back up your critical data. More than likely if you get the PSGuard infection, you will have to format your hard drive, especially if you have ignored it and let it run in the background. A final note; it seems that Yahoo is watching this site. That will be interesting.

"The real danger is the gradual erosion of individual liberties through automation, integration, and interconnection of many small, separate record-keeping systems, each of which alone may seem innocuous, even benevolent, and wholly justifiable."
-U. S. Privacy Study Commission, 1977 (1977!?!, Call your Congressperson!)