One way to is to stop spyware from installing itself by using the 'kill bit' which blocks specific ActiveX controls. It marks that control as incompatible or not runnable.

When you have determined you are infected, many times you need to do a certain amount of cleaning before you can clean the rest of the system. This will do just that.

Reading HighJackThis (HJT) logs is not for the faint at heart. It lists each and every possible point that a highjacker could use your system to infect you so the log can get quite big. Most entries are benign and it is up to you to figure out what is malicious and needs to be removed. You may want someone else to look at the log (see 'sites that analyze a HJT log'). But if you want to try it yourself, read on.