It isn't all that bad. Once you reformat, believe me, you'll find space on your hardrive you never knew you had.
And yes, it should be clean once you've formatted.
Below I have included a number of recommendations for how to protect your computer in order to prevent future malware infections. Please take these recommendations seriously; these few simple steps can stave off the vast majority of spyware problems. As happy as we are to help you, for your sake we would rather not have repeat customers.
1) Please navigate to
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and download all the "critical updates" for Windows. This can patch many of the security holes through which attackers can gain access to your computer.
Please either enable
Automatic Updates under Start -> Control Panel -> Automatic Updates , or get into the habit of checking for Windows updates regularly.
I cannot stress enough how important this is.2) In order to protect yourself against spyware, you should consider installing and running the following
free programs:
Ad-Aware SEA tutorial on using Ad-Aware to remove spyware from your computer may be found
here.
Spybot-Search & DestroyA tutorial on using Spybot to remove spyware from your computer may be found
here. Please also remember to enable Spybot's "Immunize" and "TeaTimer" features.
SpywareBlasterA tutorial on using SpywareBlaster to prevent spyware from ever installing on your computer may be found
here.
SpywareGuardA tutorial on using SpywareGuard for realtime protection against spyware and hijackers may be found
here.
Make sure to
keep these programs up-to-date and to
run them regularly, as this can prevent a great deal of spyware hassle.
3) Please consider using an alternate browser. Mozilla's Firefox browser is
fantastic; it is much more secure than Internet Explorer, immune to almost all known browser hijackers, and also has the best built-in popup blocker (as an added benefit!) that I have ever seen. If you are interested, Firefox may be downloaded from here:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/4) Also make sure to
run your antivirus software regularly, and to keep it up-to-date.5) Finally, consider maintaining a firewall. Some good free firewalls are
Kerio, or
OutpostA tutorial on understanding and using firewalls may be found
here.
Please also read Tony Klein's excellent article:
How I got Infected in the First PlaceHopefully this should take care of your problems! Good luck.
