Scheduling Sweeps

You can set up Spy Sweeper to run sweeps automatically based on a schedule that you set. You can set up the schedule in any way that works for you. Here are examples of what you can do (assuming that you have Spy Sweeper set to load at startup):

Set Spy Sweeper to run a once a month on the first of the month.
Set Spy Sweeper to run a sweep every day at 3 a.m. This works well if your computer is on all night, and you are not working at 3 a.m.
Set Spy Sweeper to run on a specific day at a specific time, say Monday at 2 p.m., when you have a weekly staff meeting.

You can also have sweeps run automatically when you start Windows using the Windows Startup option in the Schedule Wizard. Remember that sweeps may take from several minutes to more than an hour to run, depending on your options. Using this scheduling option may delay your Windows startup.

Your scheduled sweeps will run as long as you are logged in to the user account from which you created the scheduled sweep. Spy Sweeper does not need to be open in the system tray (lower-right corner of your screen) for the scheduled sweeps to run.

If you have multiple people using your computer and each person has a user account, each user can schedule sweeps. You can only see the scheduled sweeps set up from the user account you are currently logged in with. You must be logged in to an account for the scheduled sweep to run, but Spy Sweeper does not need to be open in the system tray.

To schedule sweeps:

Start Spy Sweeper, if it is not already open, and display the main window.
For more information, see Starting Spy Sweeper.
In the icon panel, click Options.
For information about the Spy Sweeper window, see Understanding the Spy Sweeper Window.
The Options panel displays.
Click the Schedule tab.
The Schedule tab displays.
Click Add Scheduled Sweep.
The Schedule Wizard window displays.

Select where you want to sweep and click Next.

Click to see a description of each option.

Option	Description
Only Sweep Folders Where Threats Are Known to Reside	When you use this option, Spy Sweeper only looks in the folders where spyware, adware, and unwanted program files are typically found. Using this option performs a less thorough sweep. You should periodically sweep all folders.
All Folders on Selected Drives	Select this option to have Spy Sweeper look in all folders on the drives you select to sweep. This type of sweep will take longer to run. Using this option performs a more thorough sweep.

Select what you would like to sweep and click Next.

Click to see a description of each option.

Option	Description
My Computer	This option will sweep all hard drives installed in your computer.
Removable Disks	This option will sweep only drives that use removable media such as a floppy disk drive or CD drive.
Selected Drives	This option lets you select the drives you want to sweep.

Select what you want to sweep and click Next.

Click to see a description of each option.

Option	Description
Sweep Memory	Select this option to have Spy Sweeper sweep your computer's random access memory (RAM) for threats. Typically, you want to sweep memory each time you run a sweep. Spyware, adware, and unwanted programs commonly load into memory.
Sweep Registry	Select this option to have Spy Sweeper sweep your computer's registry for threats. Typically, you want to sweep the registry each time you run a sweep. Spyware, adware, and unwanted programs commonly create entries in your computer's registry.
Sweep Cookies	Select this option to have Spy Sweeper include all cookies in each sweep. This option will find all cookies and list them in the Removed panel after a sweep. You can then decide if there are cookies you want to keep. You may want to keep cookies that contain user names and passwords that let you log in to a Web site automatically or preferences you set for Web site. You may want to remove tracking cookies. Some Web sites now issue tracking cookies, which allow multiple Web sites to store and access cookies that may contain personal information (including surfing habits, user names and passwords, and areas of interest), then share the information they contain with other Web sites.
Sweep All User Accounts	Select this option to have Spy Sweeper sweep all registry entries, even those related to another user or login ID on your computer. Spyware, adware, and unwanted programs commonly create entries in your registry. Using this option makes sure all registry entries are swept. This option is only available to computer administrator accounts. For more information, see Understanding How Spy Sweeper Works with Multiple User Accounts.
Do Not Sweep System Restore Folder	(Applies only to Windows Me and XP.) Select this option to have Spy Sweeper skip the folder where Windows stores System Restore files. If a restore point contains a threat, Spy Sweeper will continuously report it found. However, Windows does not let Spy Sweeper quarantine or remove threats from a restore point. If the threat is installed on your computer, Spy Sweeper will find it and quarantine it.
Sweep Contents of Compressed Files	Select this option to have Spy Sweeper sweep compressed files such as .zip, .rar, and .cab files. Spyware, adware, and unwanted programs can hide themselves inside these types of files. You may want to use this option after you have found spyware, adware, or other unwanted programs, and you want to be sure that you have removed them. Note: Using this option may significantly increase the time required for a sweep the first time you use the option. After the first sweep with this option, Spy Sweeper will skip compressed files that have not changed, thereby saving time.

Select how often you want to sweep for spyware, adware, and other unwanted programs and click Next.
Select the specific time and day you want to sweep and click Next.
The available options depend on how often you said you want to sweep.
If you want to change your selections, click Back until you see the options you want to change.
Click Finished.
As long as you are logged in to the user account from which you created the scheduled sweep, Spy Sweeper will run sweeps based on your schedule.
To change a scheduled sweep, select it and click Change Scheduled Sweep.
To delete a scheduled sweep, select it and click Delete Scheduled Sweep.
To run one of the scheduled sweeps now, select the sweep from the list and click Run Selected Sweep.