How to Run a Ad Aware Scan on a Computer
- 1). Open Ad Aware. Start the application by either clicking on the Ad-Aware icon on your desktop or by selecting “Start,” “All Programs,” “Lavasoft,” “Ad-Aware” and then “Ad-Aware” again. When the program opens, it may start an automatic scan–if it does, select “Stop Scan” and then “Finish” (on the next screen).
- 2). Get the latest anti-spyware definitions. Select “Web Update” from the left side of the Ad-Aware window. In the small box that opens select “Update” and if an update is available, you need to download it. When the download is complete, select “OK.”
- 3). Use Ad-Aware to scan your computer. Select “Scan” and after that select “Smart Scan” (you can also perform a "Full Scan" but it will take longer to run). Let it run the scan entirely, which may take some time to complete. This will occur especially if you have not previously run one or if it has been a long time since you did. You will be able to view the “Overall Scan Progress” and the “Section Progress” on the Ad-Aware window. The “Scan Details” section will inform you of the scan type, total objects scanned, total infections found and more.
- 4). Delete any spyware found. When finished, click on the “Privacy Objects” tab located in the middle of the window. Right-click the box by “Tracking Cookie” and then click on “Select All Objects” to place a green check mark in the box (and any other boxes also). Click on the “Remove” button and wait for them to be removed. This possibly will take several minutes, but you must wait for ALL of them to be removed. You may get a warning about some not being able to be removed until you run a scan on start-up. If you get this, select “OK” and then do a restart and let Ad-Aware run again. Otherwise, click “Finish” and you will see a screen showing all of the infections found and how many were deleted. Close the program by clicking on the “X” in the upper right corner.
- 5). Keep your system protected. Repeat this process at least weekly to maintain your computer's security. If you are an administrator, you can set it up as a “scheduled task.” This will only open the program regularly, though, not actually run it. You will still have to manually scan your system when the program opens unless you buy one of the pay versions offered on the Lavasoft Ad-Aware website (see Resources below).
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