The first commandments for your computer sanity must be:
1.Do not copy any file if you don't know or don't trust its source.

Warning: some of the Anti-Spyware products or web sites can be of unknown, questionable, or dubious value as anti-spyware protection.
You can find information about rogue/suspect Anti-Spyware Products on these web sites:
Anti-Spyware Products (www.spywarewarrior.com)

Also, you can find information about rogue/suspect Anti-Spyware web sites on these web sites:
Anti-Spyware web site (www.spywarewarrior.com)


The others commandments can be:
2. Any time you have doubts about a file or message, do not download, execute or open it.

3. Be very careful when downloading files from the Internet. Check their source every time and make sure that an antivirus program already verified the files on the download site. If you are not sure about this, copy that file on your hard disk or on a floppy disk and recheck it using your own antivirus.


To know the file extensions is very important for don't make into error, but you suspect always, appearances can be deceptive.
One of the biggest collections of file extensions in the net is on www.icdatamaster.com

Also, if a "non-Microsoft".exe file is located in the C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System32 folder, there is a high risk for a virus, spyware, trojan or worm infection!
You find information and user opinions about common Windows files in the net on the site www.anti-spy.info, and about WinTasks Process Library on the site www.liutilities.com



Active protection
Install an anti-spyware scanner (or two...)
One basic tool in every user's toolbox of software ought to be an anti-spyware scanner:

SpywareBlaster
SpywareGuard
Spybot Search & Destroy
Winsonar 2005 XP (http://digilander.iol.it/zancart/)

Install anti-spyware protection
Scanning for spyware and adware isn't enough to protect your PC. You also need to take preventative steps to ensure that unwanted software doesn't come back. One effective way to prevent spyware and adware from returning is to install an anti-spyware prevention program such as:

SpywareBlaster
SpywareGuard
Spybot Search & Destroy
Microsoft Windows Defender
Winsonar 2005 XP (http://digilander.iol.it/zancart/)



If your PC is already infested

Clean your PC as best you can.
Download and run one (or both) of these free anti-spyware scanners and remove whatever spyware and adware it finds.

Ad-aware Personal Edition
Spybot Search & Destroy
Microsoft Windows Defender

Visit a spyware removal forum.
Once you've cleaned your PC as best you can, visit one of the following spyware removal forums:

SpywareInfo forum (http://forums.spywareinfo.com)
Aumha forum (http://forum.aumha.org)
CastleCops forum (http://castlecops.com)
Cexx.org forum (http://boards.cexx.org)
Spyware Warrior forum (http://spywarewarrior.com)
Tech Support Guy forum (http://forums.techguy.org)
TomCoyote forum (http://forums.tomcoyote.org)

You can find a more complete anti-spyware tools (Spyware/Adware/Hijackware Tools) on the web site Www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/index.html



More information

Other sources for the curious, where you can find a lot of tools on privacy, net security, net privacy, mal-ware control & info, crypto info & resources, desktop privacy & security, etc. on these web sites:
Eric Howes' Page on site www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/index.html
Spyware warrion on site www.spywarewarrior.com
Spyware Guide on site www.spywareguide.com