Successful Spyware Removal with Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Oh no. Not again! That was my first thought when my laptop started opening advertising pop-ups all by itself. This, I knew, was not good. I'd been infected with a trojan -- a piece of malicious software or "malware" intent on hijacking my browser to push advertisements.

Spyware is no joke. In some cases, it does harmless if annoying things like changing your desktop background or shoving pop-up ads in your face. But it can also slow your system to a crawl. Worse, spyware can make you a victim of identity theft by broadcasting to hackers any sensitive information you type on your computer, such as credit card or social security numbers.

The First Attack

A few weeks ago, one of my children was surfing the Web for a homework assignment, using my main PC since it has a printer attached. He encountered a pop-up that looked like an authentic Microsoft Windows message, warning him that the system was infected with spyware and he'd better "click here" to remove it.

Since I'd lectured him over and over about not hosing the computer I use for work, he panicked and clicked the pop-up as instructed. There followed a hellish week as I tried every spyware removal strategy I could find on Google.

I ran Ad-Aware, Spybot Search and Destroy, and Norton (which had already been running when the trojan invaded). Nothing worked. I couldn't even figure out for sure which spyware trojan I had -- was it Vundo, Zlob, Antivirus XP 2008? I didn't care. I just wanted it gone, especially after it popped up an ad for a porn site when I was in the middle of a virtual conference for my job. Color me embarrassed.

In desperation I even tried the laborious manual removal methods described all over the Web. I pored over my HijackThis logs and my running processes, quaking every time I had to tinker with my registry. But the trojan survived every reboot, and in the end I had to go for the nuke. I backed up all my data and reformatted the hard drive.

At least I didn't throw the computer away. According to Lavasoft (quoting a 2007 Consumer Reports article), 850,000 households replaced their computers in response to a spyware infection. I call that a bit drastic.

Attack of the Trojan Spyware: Part Deux

So there I was, my laptop sick as a dog and coughing pop-up ads. I began a half-hearted Google search for spyware removal, hoping I'd find a method that didn't involve typing "format c:".

And lo! I was saved. On 2Spyware.Com, a site dedicated to spyware removal and malware detection, I found a link to Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. One scan later, my laptop was alive again.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Kills Zlob Dead

Because many spyware trojans gain access to your system via rogue anti-virus software, I was taking a risk installing any spyware removal tool. But I had a good recommendation from 2spyware.com. And I figured if I was going to have to do a hard drive reformat anyway, I might as well give the program a chance.

I downloaded and installed Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware quickly, with no problems. I double-clicked its icon on my desktop and selected the Update tab first, figuring I ought to check for the newest spyware removal definitions before I did a scan. There were no updates available. Next I selected "Perform full scan" and clicked Scan, then aimed the program at Drive C.

The scan took just over thirteen minutes according to the log. The program found and removed Trojan.Zlob, Trojan.Agent (a fake threat displayed by rogue anti-spyware programs), and Trojan.Downloader (a program that downloads other malware from remote sites and puts it on your system). I rebooted the laptop, and found myself in command of my browser again. No more nasty-girl pop-ups.

And, It's Free

The free version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware does the same level of scan as the paid version. According to the Web site, it is effective against viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits, dialers, spyware, and malware. Activating the full version for $24.95 unlocks realtime protection, scheduled scanning, and scheduled updating.

Not the Total Solution

I want to do a little more research before I buy the realtime protection module for Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, since I've had bad experiences with software running in the background. And, Anti-Malware doesn't find the tracking cookies and other more vanilla threats that Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad-Aware are so good at squashing, so I'll be keeping those.

It's worth noting that because spyware trojans are constantly being updated by their (evil) creators -- Zlob is updated every 15-60 minutes, according to Lavasoft researchers -- your results may vary if you are infected. However, Malwarebytes appears to update its spyware removal definitions frequently.

So I've got to say, all hail to Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. I could swear I heard a tiny voice screaming, "I'll be baaaaack!" when I clicked Scan, so I'm sure I'll need this excellent spyware removal tool again.