All the Techtips in this series prior to this one are for removing Spyware after it gets onto your computer and even thought it might be perfectly fine just to know how to remove Spyware sometimes removing spyware actually breaks your computer so, the best policy, as always, is to prevent Spyware from ever installing itself in the first place.

As mentioned at the beginning of this series there is no single comprehensive solution that will remove all forms of Spyware so it is always necessary to use multiple programs to get at all of the Spyware. However, there are many different spyware and adware scanners out there that can do an adequate job but to my knowledge there is no substitute for HijackThis.

Of the three antispyware programs (Adaware, Spybot Search and Destroy, and Hijackthis) mentioned in this series Spybot Search and Destroy provides the most options. Some of the best options available allow you to schedule scans, immunize your computer against known threats, and enable a function that not only blocks known Spyware from installing itself but monitors your computer for changes made to critical settings.

Downloading and installing the antispyware programs can be done quickly but you can get the most out of doing it properly. If you were able to boot into "Safe Mode with Networking" you can download the software right away but if you weren't able to boot into the networking option you should reboot your computer as you would regularly and follow the instructions for each of the Spyware programs.

There isn't much you can be told about which programs you want and which ones you don't but I'll do my best to tell you which ones are known to be Spyware.

There are many Spyware removal programs, and all of them claim to be able to keep a computer clear of any Spyware. However, the reality is that there is no single solution to all Spyware issues. The good news is that there are three free programs that can be used together to remove the majority of Spyware.