<p>What happens when I do a "system restore?" i have all this spyware stuff and I think I want to do a system restore. What will I lost, mp3's? AIM?</p>
<p>anyone? my comp is actin up on me.</p>
<p>I'm not sure what you mean but... why don't you just try an anti-spyware program? Assuming you haven't already done so, just go to download.com and get adaware or something. It'll get rid of most, if not all, your spyware while leaving your programs and music intact.</p>
<p>i thought they cost money.</p>
<p>You won't lose any files, but your system will be restored back to the point you choose. So you'll lose AIM, if you choose a date that it was not installed, but the MP3s and other files you'll still have.</p>
<p>You can always undo a system restore if you don't like what it did.</p>
<p>The only problem with the restore is that you need to know the date that your system was infected by the spyware, in order to go before that point.</p>
<p>Get Sypbot: Search and Destroy as well as Adaware. Update each, then disconnect from the internet. Run both. If that does not solve the problem, then you may have to boot Knoppix or some other live CD and manually remove the spyware that remains. If ALL else fails, run system restore. It's messy and occasionally ineffective, so I try to avoid it.</p>
<p>Google: "Webroot" or "Spybot" and download either one.</p>
<p>(How do you know you have spyware if you don't have an anti-spyware program to detect them?)</p>
<p>Both are excellent anti-spyware programs. Webroot has a 30 day free trial period. Try before you buy. Spybot is a free program that asks for donations if you like the program. Either one should be able to clean your pc of spyware.</p>
<p>A System Restore depends entirely on date it was done. You may lose changes in files that you have worked on or new files that you created after the Restore point date. And any spyware on your pc at that Restore point will still be there after the restore. You may only lose the most recent spyware that got on your machine since the date of the last restore point...</p>
<p>Or how bout running both? Just as a failsafe...</p>
<p>As well as Ad-Aware (as someone else suggested). Also, there shouldn't be any need for Knoppix. If the problem persists, download Hijack This! and post the results on a computer forum (you can use the one on Gamefaqs.com). They will recommend you reboot in safe mode (they'll tell you how). Good luck.</p>
<p>Yeah just stack window washer, spybot, and adaware first before you go doing a system restore going into it blindly.</p>