Note: June 2, 2007, Computer Support is shipping new EN systems with Microsoft's Windows Defender as its primary anti-malware program. Older EN's that shipped with SpywareBlaster and SpyBot should follow these steps to remove these programs. You can then follow the steps from How To Install and Configure Windows Defender to install Windows Defender.

These steps are written for computers with Windows XP Professional.

Turn off Protection and Purge Selected Items

NOTE: SpywareBlaster and SpyBot both add "protection" to Internet Explorer. Before removing them, we want to turn off this protection. This should ensure a clean removal. Also if Spybot has removed malware from your computer, it maintains a list of these items in a Recovery section. These items should be deleted prior to uninstalling SpyBot.

1. Open SpywareBlaster. Click Start, then All Programs, then SpywareBlaster and then SpywareBlaster.
2. Under Quick Task, click the Disable All Protection link.
3. Exit SpywareBlaster by clicking the X (Close) button in the upper right corner.
4. Open Spybot. Click Start, then All Programs, then Spybot - Search & Destroy and then Spybot - Search & Destroy.
   
   Note: If SpyBot begins to download updated definintions, click Cancel.
   
   
5. On the left side, click "Recovery".
6. If this window is empty, go to Step 8.
   If items are listed in the Recovery window, select (place a check) beside ALL the backup files that contain quarantined items.
7. Click on the Purge Selected Items button. A dialog will appear, stating that the backup will be removed. Click Yes.
8. On the left side, click "Immunize".
9. At the top of the window, click Undo. Wait for the process to complete.
10. In the Browser helper to block bad downloads is installed section, UN-CHECK the Enable permanent blocking of bad addresses in Internet Explorer checkbox.
11. Exit SpyBot by clicking the X (Close) button in the upper right corner.

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NOTE: If Spybot and SpywareBlaster were set to check your computer on a weekly or monthly basis, you will delete these tasks.

NOTE: Please close any open programs at this time.

1. Click on the Start button and then choose Control Panel.
2. Open the Scheduled Tasks control panel. If you don't see it, click the Switch to Classic View link on the left. Then open the Scheduled Tasks control panel.
   
   NOTE: If you don't see the Spybot - Search & Destroy - Scheduled Task or SpywareBlaster mentioned in step 3, go to the next section.
   
   
3. Right Click on Spybot - Search & Destroy - Scheduled Task and choose Delete. Click Yes.
   Right Click on SpywareBlaster and choose Delete. Click Yes.
   
4. Close the Scheduled Tasks control panel.
   

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Remove with Add/Remove Control Panel

1. If needed, slick on the Start button and then choose Control Panel.
2. Open the Add or Remove Programs control panel. Wait for the list of installed software to appear.
3. Scroll down in the list of programs and select SpywareBlaster vX.X (where X.X is the version number of the currently installed program).
4. Click Remove. In the warning message that asks "Are you sure you want to completely remove SpywareBlaster ... ", click Yes.
5. In the list of programs, select Spybot - Search & Destroy X.X (where X.X is the version number of the currently installed program).
6. Click Remove. In the warning message that asks "Are you really sure you want to completely remove Spybot - Search & Destroy ... ", click Yes.
7. Wait for SpyBot to be uninstalled. When asked "Would you like to restart now?", click Yes.
   

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Delete Program Files folder and Configuration folder

NOTE: To complete the removal of these programs, you need to delete two Spybot's folders and one SpywareBlaster folder.

1. After the computer has restarted, open My Computer. Open the Local Disk (C:). Open the Program Files folder.
   
   NOTE: If you see a blue screen that states "These files are hidden.", click the Show the contents of this folder link. You will then see the folders in the Program Files folder.
   
   
2. From the View menu choose Details (if not already selected).
3. Right Click on the Spybot - Search & Destroy folder and choose Delete. Click Yes.
   
   NOTE: If you have more than one Spybot program file folder, delete them as well.
   
   
4. Right Click on the SpywareBlaster folder and choose Delete. Click Yes.
5. Close the Program Files window.
   
   NOTE: The remaining folder to delete is a "hidden" folder. Hidden files and folders will appear dimmed to indicate they are not typical items. Usually, hidden files are program or system files that should not be deleted or changed. Steps 6 - 8 will ensure that you can "see" these hidden folders. You may skip these steps if you know that you can already see hidden files and folders.
   
   
6. Click on the Start button and then choose Control Panel.
   
7. Open the Folder Options control panel.
8. Click the View tab. Under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders. Click OK. Close the Control panel window.
9. Open My Computer. Open the Local Disk (C:). Open the Documents and Settings folder.
10. Open the All Users folder. Open the Application Data folder.
    
11. Right Click on the Spybot - Search & Destroy folder and choose Delete. Click Yes.
12. Close all open windows.
    
    NOTE: If you followed Steps 6 - 8 to "show" the hidden folders and would like to "hide" them again, repeat Steps 6 - 8 but choose "Do not show hidden files and folders" instead.
    

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Empty the Recycle Bin

1. Empty the Recycle Bin.
2. You can now follow the steps from How To Install and Configure Windows Defender to install Windows Defender.

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