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Spybot - Search & Destroy


Advanced Tools

1.)

This section covers the advanced tools that come provided with Spybot - S & D. While using these features is not necessary, it should be highly recommended as it can greatly increase your computers performance, and load times while also helping to keep you protected against many of the most common types of spyware and adware.



2.)

From the main Spybot menu, locate on the top of the screen, and click the Mode menu.
Change the selection from "Default mode" to "Advanced mode".



3.)

You'll then be prompted with a message concerning Advanced mode. Hit Yes to continue.



4.)

Now that we're in advanced mode, a few more options should appear on your left hand menu.
To access the tools we're going to use, simply select the Tools option at the bottom of the menu.



5.)

While there are many different advanced tools, we're only going to focus on the few most important. Any other tools that you may try to use that are not covered in this tutorial you may USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. You are responsible for any critical system changes you may make. Let's start by double clicking on the ActiveX tool.

6.)

ActiveX controls are plug-ins that allow for added functionality to certain web applications. These controls are always downloaded for whatever page they are necessary, but some ActiveX plug-ins can be used maliciously. From the ActiveX menu in Spybot, valid known ActiveX controls are shown with a green check icon. Unknown controls are shown with no icon. Bad ActiveX applications are shown with a red icon. Any results on the list that have a red mark should definitely be removed. Results with no icon can be removed and this often is a good idea. There is no need to worry about losing something important since if the plug-in is necessary, it will be re-downloaded when you visit the page it is necessary for.



7.)

To remove an entry, simply left click on the entry in the lower window to select it. Once the entry you wish to remove is highlighted blue, simply click the Remove button above.



8.)

Once you hit Remove you will be prompted with a confirmation dialog. Hit Yes to remove the plug-in.



9.)

Once you have removed all red marked entries and any other unmarked entries of your choosing, let's return to the Advanced Tools main menu. Click on the tools section of the left hand menu.



10.)

Next let's check for BHO's. Just like ActiveX controls, BHO's are built to help your browser by adding functionality, but again they can also be used to harm your system. Left click on the BHO's option on the menu.



11.)

Like the ActiveX menu, you should remove any entries that do not have a green check next to them if you do not know what they are. Definitely remove any entries that have red marks next to them.



12.)

To remove an entry, simply left click on it to highlight it and then hit the Remove button.



13.)

You then will be prompted to confirm your selection. Hit Yes to continue.



14.)

Once you have removed all the necessary BHO's, let's return to the main menu by again clicking on the tools
heading on the left hand menu.



15.)

At the main menu, now let's take a look at the "Hosts File" menu.



16.)

Adding Spybot's host files to this list will help block bad IP addresses on your computer. This will help prevent you from getting spyware and ad-ware in the first place. To add this list, simply click the "Add Spybot-S&D hosts list" button.



17.)

Once the list has been added, let's again return to the main advanced tools menu.

18.)
Let's now take a look at the last tool we'll cover, the System Startup list. Left click on it in the window to launch it's menu.


19.)

On the system startup menu, check for any entries marked in red.
For such entries, make sure that their checkbox is empty, and then hit the "Delete" button on the top of the window.
For additional information about some of the entries, click the menu expansion on the right of the screen.



20.)

Once you click the Remove button, you will be prompted to confirm your selection. Hit Yes to confirm.



21.)

You're now finished with our tour through some of Spybot's Advanced Tools.
Click on the Spybot-S&D menu header on the left hand menu to return to the main Spybot menu.



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