can download the free scanner at http://
tinyurl.com/47cus. Once installed, click
the Tools tab and then select Software
Explorer. This handy widget lists all the
startup programs that load with Windows,
along with a wealth of potentially incrimi-
nating information, such as the date a
program installed, fi le location, fi le type,
and whether or not it shipped with your
OS. In the left-hand pane, highlight any
dubious entries and click the Remove
button. After you’ve cleared all of the
startup scourge, reboot your system to
a clean start!3: SCAN FOR SCOUNDRELS
Windows Defender isn’t good at just cus-
tomizing startup programs; it’s also a very
capable spyware scanner. On the main
screen, you can choose between a fullscan, which looks in all fi les and currently
running programs, or a quick search that
uncovers vermin in their most common hid-
ing spots. Run the full scan for a thorough
scrub, and then let Defender remove any
infections it fi nds.4: GET A SECOND
(AND THIRD) OPINION
New variants of spyware are released intothe wild at an alarming rate, and it’s impos-
sible for any single program to keep up
with them all. For this reason, we run at
least two different scanners on an infected
system, or more if the infection is especially
bad. Other programs we’ve had success
with in the Maximum PC Lab include A-
Squared (free, http://tinyurl.com/2gb93 ),
Spybot S&D (free, http://www.safer-networking.
org ), Ad-Aware (free, http://www.lavasoftusa.com ),MAXIMUMPC NOVEMBER 2007
HEAL & INOCULATE
Top 5 Deadliest Viruses
Viruses have existed for decades and number in the thousands, but these fi ve variants stand out as the nastiest of the bunch
You’ll want some programs to load with Windows, so choose only the items you want
to rid from your system.Microsoft has yet to release a version
of Windows immune to malware, but in
the absence of such an impenetrable
OS, Windows Defender kicks up the
protection several notches.1
MYDOOM One of the fastest-
spreading worms of all time, MyDoom,
and the variant MyDoom.B, set its
sights on SCO and Microsoft, prompt-
ing both companies to offer a $250,000 bounty to
anyone who identifi ed the people responsible for
its creation.2
NIMDA Just days after the
September 11 attacks, PCs worldwide
were hit by the Nimda virus, prompt-
ing speculation among conspiracytheorists that the virus was part of a terrorist
attack. No link has ever been made between the
two events.3
CODERED You’ve heard of the
drink, but the CodeRed virus had
a thirst for computers running
Microsoft’s Internet Information
Systems (IIS) web server, attaching the phrase
“Hacked By Chinese” to websites. One of the
targets included the White House.4
SLAMMER Can a worm infect
75,000 PCs within minutes of going
live? It can, and it did! Slammer’s
small footprint (365 bytes) played a
big role in its ability to double its infection rate
every 8.5 seconds.5
ILOVEYOU Love hurts, and in the
case of the ILOVEYOU virus, it stung
for over $5 billion in damages. Some
of those scorned include Ford Motor
Co., the Pentagon, and the British Parliament.