If you have been wondering "how can I delete adware and spyware for free," there are several products available on the Internet to help. These products are not only free but also come from reputed brands. I will try to cover some of these products in this article. In this section, we will talk about the products that Microsoft created to help you with the question – how can I delete adware and spyware for free.
Microsoft Security Essentials
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is a free product from Microsoft. People call it an anti virus but it is more than just that. Microsoft Security Essentials (or MSE for short) includes the famous Windows Defender and plenty of other antispyware software tools. It does not however, make it complex for you to handle the software. It is an install, configure and forget software. All you need to do is
download MSE from Microsoft website and install it. Once installed, you will be prompted to update the virus and spyware definitions. Once this is done, configure the program for a scheduled scan and for exclusions if you wish. That is all. After the configuration, MSE acts as a real time shield against viruses, adware and spyware. It keeps a watch on all incoming connections and detects the malware at the computer port itself. In some cases, you are notified and asked if you wish to receive the data. In other cases, MSE itself decides not to allow the data packets inside and deletes them before they can enter your computer.
Note: There is a set of rogue software under the name “Security Essentials” doing rounds on the Internet. I strongly recommend that you stay away from the fake Security Essentials and only download MSE from the Microsoft website.
Microsoft Windows Defender
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comes bundled with Windows Vista and Windows 7. It is available as an add-on to Windows XP. If you have a copy of the original Windows XP, you can always
download Windows Defender from the Microsoft Website.
If you are using Windows Vista and Windows 7, our article on Using Windows Defender in Vista and Windows 7 helps you use the free antispyware manually. For Windows XP, you can see the Defender icon in the system tray and also in the Programs menu so that you can open it and configure it to your choices. Configuring mainly involves exclusion of files that you do not want to be checked and scheduling a scan, if you wish. Windows Defender is good software and is recommended for everyone who uses Internet Explorer.
Malicious Software Removal Tool
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Another answer to how can I delete adware and spyware for free is the Malicious Software Removal Tool
. The antispyware and adware remover is also a product of
Microsoft Corporation. Known as MSRT for short, you download the Malicious Software Removal Tool from the Windows Update website. The MSRT is upgraded every first Tuesday of the month. If your Windows Update settings are set to automatic, you upgrade to the new version automatically. If the Windows Update is not set to Automatic, you can visit the Windows update site manually (Tools menu in IE8 -> Windows Update) and select Custom Install. Look for Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) and download it. The tool runs quietly in the background and offers you protection against adware and spyware. To invoke the tool manually, press Windows key plus R. This opens the Run Dialog. Type
MRT (skip the letter “S”) in the box and press Enter. You can see MSRT in action.
Please turn to the next page for more answers to the question – how can I delete adware and spyware for free!
