How to Remove Spybot-Search & Destroy

Purge Selected Items

NOTE: If Spybot has found and removed Spyware 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 Spybot.
   If you have a shortcut on your desktop, double click it.
   or
   Click Start, then All Programs, then Spybot - Search & Destroy and then Spybot - Search & Destroy.
2. On the left side, click "Recovery".
   
   NOTE: If this window is empty, you may skip the remaining steps. Exit Spybot. Go to the next section.
   
   
3. Select (place a check) beside ALL the backup files that contain quarantined items.
4. Click on the Purge Selected Items button.
5. A dialog will appear, stating that the backup will be removed. Click Yes.
6. When the Recovery window is empty, Exit Spybot.

Delete Spybot's Scheduled Task

NOTE: If Spybot was set to check your computer on a weekly or monthly basis, you will delete this task that pointed to the old application. You will re-create this task in the new version when it is installed.

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 mentioned in step 3, go to the next section.
   
   
3. Right Click on Spybot - Search & Destroy - Scheduled Task and choose Delete. Click Yes.
4. Close the Scheduled Tasks control panel.
   
   NOTE: Do not close the Control Panel window at this point.

Use Add/Remove Control Panel to Remove Spybot

1. Open the Add or Remove Programs control panel.
2. Scroll down in the list of programs and select Spybot - Search & Destroy X.X (where X.X is the version number of the currently installed program).
3. Click Change/Remove.
4. In the warning message that asks "Are you really sure you want to completely remove Spybot - Search & Destroy ... ", click Yes.
5. Wait for SpyBot to be uninstalled. When asked "Would you like to restart now?", click Yes.
   

Delete Spybot's Program Files folder and Configuration folder

NOTE: You will delete two Spybot's folders. This will allow the new version a clean start when storing its information.

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. 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.
   
   
5. Click on the Start button and then choose Control Panel.
   
6. Open the Folder Options control panel.
7. Click the View tab. Under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders. Click OK. Close the Control panel window.
8. Open My Computer. Open the Local Disk (C:). Open the Documents and Settings folder.
9. Open the All Users folder. Open the Application Data folder.
   
10. Right Click on the Spybot - Search & Destroy folder and choose Delete. Click Yes.
11. 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.

Empty the Recycle Bin

1. Empty the Recycle Bin.