Ad-Aware Personal Edition

It isn’t enough to protect yourself from viruses, worms, and Trojans. Your system can become bogged down with spyware, adware, and malware. Getting rid of unwanted popup screens and annoying search hijacks requires anti-adware software. In a previous Tutor Tip (Spybot Search and Destroy), I told you about Spybot Search and Destroy, a free program to hunt down spyware on your computer and get rid of it. Spybot works on adware, but no single program can rid you of all adware. The second tool in your arsenal should be Ad-Aware from Lavasoft. You can download the free "personal SE" version of Ad-Aware at http://www.lavasoft.com/support/download/.

Once you have downloaded the program, you can install it easily. Simply follow the on-screen instructions. To run Ad-Aware, double-click the icon on the Desktop or click the Start button and go to All Programs (Programs in Windows 98). Click on Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal and then Ad-Aware SE Personal.

Updating Definitions
When you start Ad-Aware, it will check to see if you are using the latest version of the program and whether your antispyware definitions are up-to-date. Be sure to download the latest version before running a scan. The antispyware definitions are akin to the virus definitions used by your antivirus program and should be updated. If Ad-Aware finds your definitions to be more than 15 days old, it will ask if you would like to check for updates. The answer is yes, so click OK. This procedure will require an Internet connection. If you are not already connected, do so. Then, click the Connect button on the Performing WebUpdate screen. Ad-Aware will inform you when the update is complete.

Note: You can manually update the definitions by clicking the "Check for updates now" link above the program’s Start button or by clicking the globe icon (WebUpdate tool) in the upper right corner of the main screen.

Scanning for Spyware
Click the Start button in the lower right corner of the status screen to begin the scan. On the next screen, you may be asked to select a "Scan Mode." If this is the first time you are running Ad-Aware on your system, select "Perform Full System scan." For most, the smart system scan can be chosen. Make your choice and click Next. This will start the scan, which will take a few minutes to complete.

After the scan is completed, you will be presented with options to "Show Logfile" and to proceed to the "Next" step. Make your selection and, if you choose to view the log, simply use the "back" button to return you to the previous screen. When you click the "next" button you will open the results screen where you can review the objects detected by Ad-aware.

Please be sure to review each item that has been presented in the results screen before removing it. Ad-aware is designed to report possible suspicious content present on your system and to allow you a simple method for removing it should you so decide. Note that Lavasoft does not suggest or recommend that everything detected by Ad-aware should be removed. It is up to you the user to make that determination.

According to Lavasoft, "All items detected by Ad-Aware are qualified using a Threat Assessment Chart (TAC) prior to inclusion. The system is based on a total of 10 points, 1 being the least and 10 being the most threatening and/or problematic. Behavior and intent weigh more heavily towards becoming a legitimate detection than do the technical aspects." You can read more about this in the "Threat Assessment Chart - TAC" section of the Ad-Aware help file. Information about the items Ad-Aware detects can be found in Lavasoft’s TAC database.

What to do with a Detected Item
Every item detected by Ad-Aware will be categorized as either Critical Objects or Negligible Objects. Among the Negligible Objects will be things called "MRUs." MRUs (or MRU Lists) store information about the most recently used items, for example files, search words and programs. MRU Lists are not considered to be a threat to your privacy. Ad-Aware supplies you with the ability to remove these MRU lists if you wish to do so. If you are not sure what to do with an item, quarantine it.

The Negligible Objects list shows the following:

* Obj.: Select objects by ticking the box
* Type: Tells the type of the object
* Description: A brief description of the object
* Location: Tells the location of the object
* No. Items: Tells the number of objects in each MRU List

Critical Objects should be removed, but you can view the list of Critical Objects and determine whether or not to delete them. The list includes the following:

* Obj.: Select objects by ticking the box
* Name: Names the company that developed the object or the target family
* Type: Tells what kind of object it is, such as File, Registry Value, tracking cookie, etc.
* Category: Tells the category in which Lavasoft has it listed, such as Data Miner, Malware, etc.
* Object: Tells where the object is located: its path in Explorer, or its location in the Registry
* Comment: includes the name of the object and a brief description. To read the complete text in the comment scroll to the right side of the screen, open the window full screen, hover your mouse over the entry, or use the right click-context menu.

If you have made the decision to remove an item or multiple items - tick each entry individually or select a single item from the list - right-click with your mouse, and then select the appropriate option from the right-click menu. When you are satisfied with your selections, click the Next button to begin the removal process.

If you have decided to keep an item, select it from the results list (be sure to unselect other content you wish to remove following this step) and right-click the entry to open the right-click menu. Either select each item individually for each component to be ignored or choose the "select all objects" option. Select the "add selection to ignore list" to add this content to your ignore list. Ad-aware will not present this item to you when you perform further scans. Once this content has been added to your ignore lis,t you will be taken back to the scan results screen where you can repeat the above process as required, to not select anything more (all items are unchecked), or to remove the content as you choose.

If you are not certain about an item, you can Quarantine it. Quarantined objects are not deleted from your system, but will not be running on your system, either. You can view and manage quarantined items by clicking the lock icon (Quarantine Manager) on the main status screen. In the Quarantine Manager you can choose to restore the item or permanently delete it.

Ad-Aware should be used to scan your system at least once a week. This will reduce pop-ups and other annoying ads and make your Web surfing experience a more pleasant one.