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The best way to avoid spyware and adware is to only visit reputable, known Web sites, and to avoid installing "helpful" free programs on your computer (such as screen savers or Tool bars). Be careful when closing a pop-up window; many of them offer a button for you to click to cancel or ignore it.  In reality, this installs the unwanted software on your computer. Instead, always close the entire window that the pop-up opened in by clicking on the X in the upper right-hand corner, or by right-clicking on the window's tab on the Start Tool bar and selecting Close.
Windows
There are various software packages that can help protect your Windows computer from spyware and adware.
Important note: If you have LANDesk Management Suite (LDMS) or LANDesk Security Suite (LDSS) installed on your computer, you should not install any of these applications. Spyware detection and removal systems are built into both LANDesk products. Installing these applications will interfere with their functionality. If you are unsure if you have either of these products installed, please contact the IT Service Desk (Help Desk) at 646-2999 and select from the options provided, send electronic mail to help@dartmouth.edu, or call your department's IT support office.
Recent packages include:
- Windows Defender is free software offered by Microsoft. To download the software, see Microsoft Windows Defender. For questions about other products, see below.
- Ad-Aware by Lavasoft was previously used at Dartmouth. However, there were reports of it interfering with registry settings in Windows and, thus, is no longer recommended. If you have administrative authority on your computer, remove the software by going to Start- >Control Panel ->Add or Remove Programs.
- Spybot Search & Destroy is free software. Users can leave it on their computer and run it monthly or when they feel it necessary to do so. To download the software, see Spybot Search & Destroy. It is important to note that this should not be installed on computers that have LANDesk installed on them.
- HouseCall by TrendMicro is a free, online scanning application that will inspect your computer for spyware, viruses, and trojans. To run it, see Trend Micro. Be aware that this program can take up to three hours to run, so you may want to run it overnight. If it runs while performing other tasks on your computer, your response will be slow.
Mac OS X
- No information is currently available.
Linux
- No information is currently available.
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