These free tools will help you scan and remove spyware from your computer.
Ad-Aware Spyware Killer
Ad-Aware is designed to provide advanced protection from known Data-mining, aggressive advertising, Parasites, Scumware, selected traditional Trojans, Dialers, Malware, Browser hijackers, and tracking components. With the release of Ad-Aware SE Personal edition, Lavasoft takes the fight against Spyware to the next level.
Bazooka Spyware Killer
The Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner for Windows should be considered part of your toolkit for scanning your machine. After running removal tools such as Ad-aware and SpyBot, consider downloading and running this tool to search for spyware these other packages may not have found. Though it will not remove threats from your machine, the site does maintain an online database of instructions for manually removing spyware it detects.
On a personal note, I recently cleaned a machine that had a large amount of spyware and adware. The two aforementioned removal tools worked well, but did not clean everything. Bazooka helped by spotting more installed threats, and the online database, for the most part, assisted in removing them.
Since this tool only shows you how to remove threats and does not delete them automatically, if you are not comfortable in modifying your computer's registry, you may want to contact a professional or knowledgeable individual to assist in removing these nuisances.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is considered to be the next step in the detection and removal of malware. We compiled a number of new technologies that are designed to quickly detect, destroy, and prevent malware. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware can detect and remove malware that even the most well-known Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware applications on the market today cannot. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware monitors every process and stops malicious processes before they even start. The Realtime Protection Module uses our advanced heuristic scanning technology which monitors your system to keep it safe and secure. In addition, we have implemented a threats center which will allow you to keep up to date with the latest malware threats.
SpyBot Search & Destroy Spyware Killer
Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you haven't intentionally installed, if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been "hijacked" (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don't see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging. Spybot-S&D is free, so there's no harm giving it a try to see if something has invaded your computer.
SUPERAntiSpyware
SUPERAntiSpyware is the most thorough scanner on the market. Our Multi-Dimensional Scanning and Process Interrogation Technology will detect spyware other products miss! Easily remove pests such as WinFixer, SpyAxe, SpyFalcon, and thousands more! Repair broken Internet Connections, Desktops, Registry Editing and more with our unique Repair System. Our Dedicated Threat Research Team scours the web for new threats and provides daily definition updates.
Windows Defender
Windows Defender is software that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software by detecting and removing known spyware from your computer. Windows Defender features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, minimizes interruptions, and helps you stay productive.