Rooting out the Rubbish

Run Ad-aware, SpyBot Search & Destroy, and/or Microsoft Defender

Run an On-Line virus scan

http://bitdefender.com/
http://housecall60.trendmicro.com/en/start_corp.asp?id=scan
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm

Note: Viruses that are embedded in System Restore points can be detected but not removed.  You may want to turn off the System Restore feature BEFORE scanning for viruses if you suspect that you have been infected infected for some period of time.  Instructions

Run MSConfig
Start --> Run --> type in msconfig --> OK --> Startup
The hardest part of running MSConfig is knowing what processes are safe to run as opposed to which ones are malware.  Here's some resources that you may want to use to help you sort out the good guys from the bad guys:

Startup - helps you determine whether a program needs to be run or not at startup.

AnswersThatWork.com - their renowned Task List is a wonderful resource.

Autoruns - has a comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations.  It shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup.  Autoruns goes way beyond Window’s MSConfig utility.

HiJackThis is for advanced users. If you are not familiar with running processes on your computer as well as anything ever installed that could tie into your web browser, it will not be much help to you and could be hazardous.

Antivirus Software

AVG AntiVirus (www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10503939.html?tag=lst-0-2). Free antivirus protection for home users on a single PC.

McAfee AVERT Stinger (http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/). Stinger is a stand-alone utility used to detect and remove specific viruses. It is not a substitute for full anti-virus protection, but rather a tool to assist administrators and users when dealing with an infected system.

Firewall

ZoneAlarm (www.download.com/ZoneAlarm/3000-10435_4-10532258.html?tag=lst-0-1). Protects your Internet connection from hackers.

Shields-Up (http://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?rh1dkyd2). This is a link ONLY - no download!  Both before and after you use ZoneAlarm, you can use this utility to check and see how well your firewall protects your computer.

PC Inventory Tools

Belarc Advisor Personal PC Audit (http://www.download.com/Belarc-Advisor/3000-2094_4-10525566.html?tag=lst-0-1). Builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware.

Everest (http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html). Inventories system information and diagnostics capabilities, including online features, memory benchmarks, hardware monitoring, and low-level hardware information.