I reccomend using AdAware and an anti-virus programme to let the pros have a go first. All they do though, is what you can do if you have a little information about computers. Advanced users can do all of this, beginners some of it.
Reboot, don't start any programmes. If you suspect a virus or dialler is hijacking you at startup press Ctrl-Alt-Del and look at the running processes. A good indication is new shortcuts on the desktop, or in Favourites, attempts to use dial-up, new icons in the bottom right, or monitor flickering.
Then check these folders for suspicious files like .exe .scr .pif that could be viruses, spyware, diallers, or trojans
WIN98 - C:\ root directory, the windows directory, windows system and system32 directory.
WINXP as above and all username directories under documents and settings as well as all system folders.
Any files that you find that are new or suspicious, type in to google and see what you get BEFORE deleting them.
You should then go to your cookies folder and delete EVERYTHING manually except index.dat which it will not allow. Then go to the Temporary internet folder and delete EVERYTHING manually, the cookies should already be gone. Delete EVERYTHING form the internet History folder or just using Internet properties from the control panel and check to make sure that your startpage and search page have not been hijacked. For example an old one http://www.123.com which appears as a search startpage but adds sex links, a dialler programme, will give you more trojans AS SOON AS Internet Explorer starts up.
Then Read up on what svchost does, it is a .dll manager and most spyware or viruses will be running through it, like the HLLW.Nachi.B virus. If you know what you are doing look at the windows registry for the items that came up in a spyware search (ie cyberdoor) and remove them.
No liability accepted, April 2004
