Smiles turned upside down

Got your own spyware horror story?

One day my sister decided that the normal smiley faces that came with her instant-messenging program weren't enough. So she hopped along to a Web site with "free" emoticons and downloaded new ones. Her friend had said the selection at that site was amazing and that she should try them out. The Web site claimed it was "spyware free," so she downloaded some.

When I logged onto the computer a few hours later, I found a mysterious new Web search bar, so I immediately ran my copy of McAfee. It found CoolWebSearch, Cursor Mania, and popular screensavers. It successfully removed them, or so I thought. The next day the files returned after I restarted my computer! I got so annoyed that I headed to Download.com and searched for spyware killers. I found Ad-Aware, which I installed and ran. This time, I successfully removed the programs. Since then, I have switched to a Mac to avoid future nightmares.

-Stephen
Bristol, England

Reply from the Download.com editors:

We feel your pain, Stephen. While there are some rather gray distinctions between adware, malicious adware, and spyware, those programs you mention have caused Web surfers problems in the past. In the case of malicious adware or spyware, some programs are bundled with secret items that make them reinstall during start-up. Just when you think you've beaten them, they return with revitalized energy. Your recognition of the unknown toolbar, and your proactive approach to exorcising your computer, spared you a lot of future pain.

Ad-Aware is very reliable at detecting and removing malware, and also one of our most popular programs thanks to its high quality and user satisfaction. However, we urge users to use two different antispyware programs to cover all angles. Spyware Doctor and Webroot Spy Sweeper are both consistent performers that can complement Ad-Aware.

Macs are definitely plagued with fewer security threats than Windows machines, and currently offer greater resistance against spyware. However, with the correct precautions, such as the programs in our Security Starter Kit, you also can easily achieve safe Web surfing with a Windows PC.