Can I get rid of spyware using system restore?

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Summary: System Restore can "undo" some of the viruses and spyware on your system, but it cannot remove infected files.

I have an HP Pavilion with Windows XP running. In the last week I have had trouble with pop-ups or websites downloading automatically to my desktop. I used to be able to do a System Restore to remove them but they just do it again once I go online. Help.

System Restore is a very cool feature.

But this is not what it was meant for.

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System Restore will allow you to restore your system's configuration to a previous state. In some cases that means that viruses or spyware will be "undone" as part of the process. But system restore does not remove infected files from your system, and you can quickly get infected again. It also does nothing to prevent new threats from arriving.

The bottom line is that System Restore isn't enough. You need to be scanning for and preventing some of these things. This article would be the place to start: How do I keep my computer safe on the internet?

Related:

Ask Leo! - How do I keep my computer safe on the internet?
Ask Leo! - I run Anti-Virus software, why do I still sometimes get infected?
Ask Leo! - I suspect spyware or a worm, how do I get rid of it?
Ask Leo! - What's the best Pop-Up Blocker? Anti-Virus Software? Anti-Spyware Software?

Article 480 | Posted November 10, 2004

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Recent Comments

1 Comment

Ok so my system restore is turned ON - this has no effect I can never restore my system anyway it just does not work

Posted by: ben at September 3, 2008 9:05 AM

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