Ad-Aware Instructions
This is a general walk-through of the operation of Ad-Aware. If you need instructions for downloading files to your computer, please click here. If you need instruction or just want to see the installation procedure for Ad-Aware, click here. If you have any issues or questions about these instructions, please contact Layman's PC Sales and Service.
Once Ad-Aware is installed and started, it performs a check of the current definition file. The definition file is what contains all the information about the items you are scanning for. As new adware applets come out, Ad-Aware has to update it's definitions so it can detect the latest adware applets. If it finds your current definitions are out of date, it will present you with this window. You will need a connection to the internet to perform updates.
Once an internet connection is established, click the 'OK' button to begin the update procedure.
Click the 'Connect' button to scan for updates.
If there are new definitions available, this window will come up. Click 'OK' to download and install the latest update (the download and install procedure for the update is completely automatic).
Once the update is finished installing it will present this screen. Click 'Finish' to close the update applet and start the program.
At the program's main window, press the 'Start' button in the lower right corner.
Layman's PC Sales and Service recommends using the 'Perform full system scan' option for best results. The 'Perform smart system scan' option is a fast scan that just scans for the most common items. The 'Perform full system scan' option is a long, more in-depth scan that looks for all items known to Ad-Aware. The 'Use custom scanning options' and 'Scan volume for ADS' are both for more advanced users and therefore beyond the scope of this article.
Make the selection that best suits you needs, and press 'Next' to begin the scan.
This is the screen that appears during the scan. It shows in real-time the current operation, number of files scanned, and the number and types of items found. The length of the scan depends on the amount of data and programs stored in your computer, the fragmentation of the data on your hard drive, and the scanning option you selected in the previous step.
Once the scan is complete, it will display this screen showing a list of what it's found in your system.
Right click the list of items found and click 'Select All Objects' from the menu that appears. With all items checkmarked, click 'Next'.
It will prompt you if you want to remove the items found, click 'OK' and Ad-Aware will remove the selected items.
You will be returned to the main screen after the items have been removed.
If you have any questions, concerns, or need any additional information or help, please contact Layman's PC Sales and Service today.