Ad-Aware Free adware removal tool.

SmitFraudFix is a tool that effectively deals with a number of desktop hijack malware including AdwarePunisher, SpyLocked, VirusBurst, and WinMediaCodec.

HijackThis is an advanced tool for spotting malware buried in a system. This tool is not for the basic users out there because it brings up a whole load of false positives, but it does have its uses. It’s very useful for finding badware buried deep in a system.

If you know what you’re doing, you can fire up HijackThis and sift through the log files yourself looking for nasties, if not, you can always post your log file to the support forum and hope that one of the members there is able to help you.

Other useful tools

There are a couple of other useful tools that I want to mention. The first is a free antivirus product from Avira called AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic. This offers protection against viruses, worms and Trojans and it can find and delete rootkits. You can also load this app onto a USB flash drive and carry it around with you.

The other tool is the McAfee AVERT Stinger. This is a cut-down, stand-alone antivirus utility that can be used to detect and remove certain viruses. This utility scans for medium and high risk threats and it’s another tool well worth adding to a USB flash drive for emergencies.

For more assistance contact Ron Parachoniak, rap@phas.ubc.ca ( Sysadmin )