- 1). Press "Ctrl," "Shift" and "Esc" simultaneously to open Task Manager. Click the "Processes" tab, then sort by user name.
- 2). Look for a user name different than your own, excluding "Local Services," "System" and "Network Services." If a process is running under an unfamiliar user name, search the full name of the process (located under "Image Name") in a search engine.
- 3). Right-click the process and then click "End Process Tree," if the process comes up in the search results as a form of monitoring software.
- 4). Click "Start," then "Control Panel." Click "Programs and Features." Browse through the list of installed programs for any unknown software. Use a search engine to look up the program name. If it is a monitoring program, look at the buttons on the left side of your taskbar to see if the icon for this software is present. If so, right-click the icon and click "Exit" or "Close," if the option is present.
- 5). Return to the "Control Panel." Click "Windows Firewall." Click the link located on the left side of the window, "Allow a program through Windows Firewall." Press "Continue" if User Account Control appears.
- 6). Scroll through the list of programs and uncheck any that appear suspicious. Only uncheck programs you are sure you do not need; if necessary, use a search engine for guidance.
- 7). Download spyware removal software such as Adaware. Install and run the software. Run the program's update utility to ensure all spyware and malware definitions are up-to-date.
- 8). Scan your entire computer using the spyware removal software. If any spyware is found, follow the program's instructions to properly remove or quarantine the infection.
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