Did you catch them all?

Well that wraps up Pokemon week, we hope you enjoyed it! did you catch 'em all? (The Pokemon articles that is!) Check out our Pokedex for articles this week relating to all things Pokemon!

For our review on Pokemon Blue and Red click here...

http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/pokemon-week-pokemon-bluered-review.html

Interested in boosting your Black and White 2 Pokedex? Learn about Dream Radar here...
http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/pokemon-week-dream-radar.html

Want your very own Pokedex? Better look into our Pokedex Pro review here...
http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/pokemon-week-pokedex-3d-pro.html

Did you know Nintendo and EB Games are giving away free legendary shinies? Read about that here...
http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/pokemon-week-pokemon-promotion.html

Getting X and Y but not sure what it's about? Check out our brief preview here...
http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/pokemon-x-and-y-preview.html

Friday Flashback returned with our Pokemon snap review...
http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/friday-flashback-pokemon-snap.html

How did the Pokemon Franchise start and what games are there? Find out here...
http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/history-professor-sarge-pokemon.html

We hope you enjoyed Pokemon week here at What's it like! Let us know what franchise we should do next on our Facebook page!

-Sarge

History Professor Sarge - Pokemon!

Good evening students, please take your seats. Welcome to History Professor Sarge's first lesson. Today we will have a look at the Pokemon Video game franchise and see how it all began.

Pokemon began it's life as a concept based on Japanese Gatcha machines (the machines that have random toys hidden in capsules.)  The original idea was the player could purchase monsters from the Gatcha machines and use them to fight other people. The original name was "Capsule Monsters" which due to a copyright infringement became "Capumon" then became "Pocket Monsters" or Pokemon in the west as we know it now.

Believe it or not, the game was originally rejected by Nintendo, which is now a multi billion dollar franchise. The only thing that saved Pokemon from the chopping block was legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, as he saw potential in the series and became a mentor to the developer of Pokemon.

The first game developed was Pokemon Green and Red, however in the west we received Blue and Red which were very popular and sold well.

With the simultaneous launch of the anime series which followed Ash Ketchum, the Pokemon franchise cemented itself as a smah hit and has grown from a Magicarp into the Garydos we see today!

The game franchise can be split in two. On one hand, you have the RPG series which are considered the main Pokemon games, and on the other you have the spin-offs such as Pokemon Snap.

Here is a list of all Pokemon Games. I have sorted the RPG series in it's own timeline for your convenience.

Main RPG Series

Generation I (Game Boy)

Pocket Monsters: Red and Green (1996)

Pocket Monsters: Blue (1996)

Pokémon Red and Blue 1998)

Pokémon Yellow (2000)

Pokémon Trading Card Game (2000)

Generation II (Game Boy Color)

Pokémon Gold and Silver (2001)

Pokémon Crystal (2001)

Generation III (Game Boy Advance)

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (2003)

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (2004)

Pokémon Emerald (2005)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team 2006)

(Nintendo DS)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (2007)

Pokémon Dash (2007)

Pokémon Trozei! (2007)

Pokémon Ranger (2007)

Generation IV (Nintendo DS)

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (2008)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness (2008)

Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (2008)

Pokémon Platinum (2009)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (2009)

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver (2010)

Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (2010)

Generation V (Nintendo DS)

Pokémon Black and White (2011)

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 (2012)

(Nintendo 3DS)

Pokémon Rumble Blast (2011)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (2013)

Generation VI (Nintendo 3DS)

Pokémon X and Y (2013)

Console games (Spinoffs)

Generation I (Nintendo 64)

Pokémon Stadium (1998)

Pokémon Stadium (2002)

Pokémon Snap (1999)

Pokémon Puzzle League (2001)

Hey You, Pikachu! (2000) *Not released outside of Japan

Pokémon Stadium 2 (2001)

Generation III (Nintendo GameCube)

Pokémon Colosseum (2004)

Pokémon Box: Ruby and Sapphire (2004)

Pokémon Channel (2004)

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness (2005)

Generation IV (Wii)

Pokémon Battle Revolution (2007)

My Pokémon Ranch (2008)

Pokémon Rumble (2009)

PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (2010)

Generation V (Wii and Wii U and DS)

Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure (2012)

Pokémon Conquest (2012)

PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond (2012)

Pokémon Rumble U (2013)

So there you have it. A brief rundown of how it all began and then a not so brief list of game titles! Want to know the History of another franchise? Let us know on our Facebook page and we may do a themed week on your choice! Until next time gamers, I'm off to catch em all!!!

-Professor Sarge (B.ed,H.ed)

Pokemon X and Y - Preview

Looking forward to X and Y? We bet you are! So here at What's it Like we delved deep into the new Pokemon game to let you know of some huge changes!

For starters the game has made the huge jump from 2D sprites to 3D graphics and introduces a new generation of Pokemon (Mixed in with old favorites of course!) The game takes place in a new region based on Europe known as the Kalos Region. Players can not only choose to play as male or female but can now customize their appearance too, making Pokemon a bit more personal.

More new features to increase the depth of the Pokemon games include a mega training option and Poke amis (Poke Friend) which allow you to participate in mini games to boost stats (similar to EV training) and also interact with your Pokemon by petting them and playing games which increase your Pokemons friendliness towards you.

Remember walking through Mt Moon and running into a horde of Zubat? Well now you can actually have Horde encounters, forcing you to battle multiple enemies at once! This will be a great way to boost your Pokemons XP and trust all in one go.

Finally the best thing about X and Y is it will be globally connected thanks to the 3DS online service and a worldwide simultaneous launch! This means you can battle online and be assured that you won't get smashed by someone who's had the game for 6 months.

At the time of writing, Pokemon X and Y is only a month and a half away. Nintendo and Gamefreak have added so many things that were lacking in the previous titles. It seems that when this launches, the world will go Pokemon crazy once again! It's not a question of whether you want this game, or even which version to buy... The real question you need to ask yourself is "Do you want to be the very best? Like no one ever was?"

-Sarge

Friday Flashback - Pokemon Snap!

Welcome back to Flashback Fridays! What better game to review for Pokemon Week than an old fan favorite, Pokemon Snap!

Pokemon Snap follows a budding photographer by the name of Todd Snap who has been tasked by the legendary Pokemon Professor Oak to assist with his studies. The setting is Pokemon Island and is almost untouched by humans offering the perfect study opportunity.

The game is technically an on rails shooter as you sit in a cart and traverse several courses of varying climates and habitats. Your job is to get the best photos of Pokemon which are judged by size, center alignment and pose of the Pokemon. But it wouldn't be much of a game if you simply were a snap happy camera buff taking photos of Pokemon right? Right! That's where the world interaction comes in. To get Pokemon closer to your cart and to make them pose, you unlock items as you progress such as fruit, which allow you to coax Pokemon into doing tricks. The staggered item unlocks encourage the player to revisit courses over and over as you find new paths and new Pokemon to photograph, increasing replay value.

For its time, Pokemon Snap utilized the N64 to bring the world of Pokemon to life and flesh out all your favorites from Gen 1. All 151 of them are here to find and snap, and they are all in great 3D detailed models. Sound  brings the ambiance up a notch and helps immerse you in this world and Pokemon cries are faithful to the anime series. One major setback is the games length. It features only around 7 courses which, even revisited, you can knock over on a lazy afternoon.

That being said there was something magical about seeing Pokemon in 3D and I remember hiring this game out for weeks on end. Rumours are abound of a remake for the 3DS and knowing Nintendo, where there's smoke, there's fire. This Pokemaniac can only hope for the day that comes out but until then, I'm grabbing this off the Virtual Console to try to "snap" them all!

So What's it Like?

Virtua Cop + National Geographic Documentary = Pokemon Snap.

I give it 8/10

Pokemon Week - Pokemon Promotion!

Starting today you can grab some shiny legendaries! All you have to do is head down to your local EB Games store, select "Mystery Gift" on your Pokemon Back or white (1 and 2) and receive your shiny Dialga! Be quick though as there is a limited promotion window of 2 weeks per Pokemon. Check their dates on the info-graphic below!

Nintendo announce the 2DS?

It's probably no secret to those who know me but I am a huge fan of Nintendo. I grew up with Nintendo, I play Nintendo and even though I enjoy Microsoft and Sonys console offerings, I will always buy Nintendo first. That being said, Nintendos latest move had me a little confused. Read on..

Introducing the Nintendo 2DS... It's a 3DS minus a D. That's right, it only plays 3D software in 2D. It's being released on Oct 12th and is clearly targeted at younger kids and people yet to make the jump to Nintendos next gen handheld.

It's coming in at about $70 cheaper than a 3DS XL but apart from the price point, the system doesn't have much to offer over its previous counterpart.

For starters, there is no improvement on battery life despite the lack of 3D and smaller screens. The system will play the exact same as an XL with the 3D off and still features online capabilities. It does however, take a hit in the sound department reverting back to mono speakers.

Another huge design change is the system doesn't fold in half any more resembling a tablet. In theory this makes the 3DS less portable than its counterparts and due to the button positioning, may make it awkward to hold.

Since aside from the price, it offers no advantages, I feel Nintendo should have put their R&D money into making the standard sized 3DS cheaper instead of making a cut down 3DS. Considering the disastrous Mini Wii launch, I was surprised at the 2DS from a business standpoint.

So far reactions have been rather lackluster... I'm sure come Pokemon launch, parents will see the value in the system when they have to upgrade. As for this gamer, I'm going to stick with my trusty 3DS XL. 

Pokemon Week - Pokedex 3D Pro!

Wasn't it cool how Ash would always consult his Pokedex in the Pokemon Anime series? It doesn't matter that he didn't use it in any way, shape, or form to his advantage but he would whip it out every now and then and check out the newest Pokemon data. I remember watching the show thinking "Wow, that thing is awesome, I wish I had a Pokedex!" Well daydream no longer child Sarge, Because the Pokedex Pro is here and it's loaded full of Pokemon...

The first thing you will notice about the Pokedex pro is that it's expensive. Tipping the scales at $20 which is roughly how much you could get a retail game for preowned. The second thing you notice is that all generations of Pokemon are present unlike the standard 'Dex. You see, when the 3DS was first released, Nintendo uploaded a free Pokedex for the fans which featured the original 151 Pokemon from generation 1. Once a day, the 'dex would upload 3 random Pokemon until you collected all 151 of them. The Pokedex pro is different as all Pokemon from all generations are unlocked and view-able from day 1...

As you can see from the screenshots, Pokedex Pros graphics are amazing and every Pokemon is brought to life in amazing 3DS with standing animations. You can trigger special animations by pressing the "A" button as well, showing off the Pokemons signature attack or move. The sounds include the original cries of Pokemon which was a shame. I was kind of hoping they would include the anime series cries, but that's not too big a deal.

So what good is the Pokedex Pro? Well for starters it's great for theorycrafting teams and showing which Pokemon can learn what moves. All the information you could ever want to know is included in the Pokedex pro. You can also use augmented reality cards to take AR photos of your favorite Pokemon battling on your desk, or take a quiz to test your Pokemon knowledge. Apart from these features, it's disappointing to say the Pokedex Pro left me wanting more. I was surprised to find that there was no interactivity between your Black and White 2 games and the 'Dex pro, unlike Dream Radar. It would have been nice to get some shiny Pokemon or even some standard Pokemon that you could upload once a week or so. 

As you can probably tell, the Pokedex Pro left this gamer wanting more. It's not that the Pokedex is bad in any way, it's just that when you pay a premium, you expect a few more features than a quiz and AR photos. As it is, the Dex Pro should be about half its current price, but it is still an essential purchase for die hard fans.

So What's it like? 

Encyclopedia + Pokemon = Pokedex Pro

I give it 7/10 

If you have a large desposable income, grab this now, If not, stick with websites like Bulbapedia. I'm off to build my ultimate team!

-Sarge out!

Nerd VS Wild - Sally Strikes again!

I have this theory about Sally, you see, I think the people at the GPS company decided that just to mess with someone they would implant an artificial intelligence personality into one of their GPS systems. The personality would be a cross between The Terminator, Hitler and Darth Vader. So I needed to get from Nowra to Batemans Bay, which I now know is about an hour and a half drive on a nice, sealed section of road known at the Princes Highway. Sally, being the soulless, evil and conniving GPS she is decided to play on my geographically challenged brain and sent us on the right path up until a town called Milton…

 We hate you too, Sally.

This is when Sally decided she would derail our pleasant drive and send me on a course that even Colin McRae himself, would have had trouble navigating on his best day.

Here’s a tip dear reader, if your GPS asks you if you want to take the short way, don’t! Instead take the longest, slowest and safest way. Milton is just north of Ulladulla which is roughly 45 minutes from Batemans Bay down the highway. Sally thought “f**k that” and sent us on a back road… well not a road, more like a motorbike trail which went up and down mountain ranges, through (yes through) a cow paddock and along a mountainside that had dense bush on one side, and a treacherous drop on the other.

GPS Makers please note, No-one likes to detour through Jurassic Park… or Deliverance for that matter

So Milton to Batemans Bay ended up being a 4WD trek that lasted about 2hours, chewing through triple the fuel we had budgeted for. Courtenay said in a way she was glad we were sidetracked because it allowed her to see in her words “some beautiful country.” I don’t know about you, but all I was waiting for was a T-rex to bust through the bushes ready to eat the Chernobyl van. Once we got to the cow paddock however, I realized that coming face to face with a pissed off bull the size of our car would be a sufficient enough scare.

“No Bull.”

The best part of the detour? After the horrendous crawl through the land before time, we came to this sign…

Even in the days of horse and carriage, 18 kilometers in 2 hours would be considered slow…

Pokemon Week - Dream Radar!

Do you have to catch them all? What price would you put on it? If you answered $3.90 then Pokemon Dream Radar is for you!!!

So what is Dream Radar? 

Dream Radar is an augmented reality game that utilizes the 3DS's gyroscopic controls. The story is that a Pokemon professor studies the dream world of Pokemon and gives you a tool to peer into them. The 3DS Camera surveys your surroundings, and puts clouds all around on your screen. You must then aim and fire at the clouds, earning dream points to unlock better scopes (what you look through) and upgrades. Along the way you will hit clouds with a unique Pokemon not featured in the current gen (such as Porygon and Swablu.)

This is where things get interesting. Once you get a certain amount of Dream Points you Unlock scopes that allow you to try and catch unique "formes" of Thundarus, Tornadus and Landorus! These Pokemon look amazing and can be uploaded to your copy of Black 2 or White 2 at any time.

Once you have caught them all you can then put previous DS Pokemon titles in which allow you to catch the legendaries on the cover! I got my Palkia and Dialga from Diamond and Pearl simply by putting in the games in my 3DS.

Uploading to Black and White 2 is simple due to the built in menu feature. This also transfers items Pokemon you captured may have been holding.

While the gameplay is simplistic and the premise may sound basic, there is a lot of fun to be had in Dream Radar. That, coupled with extending your Black and White 2 experience and its bargain price, make it easy to recommend to Pokemaniacs everywhere.

So What's it Like? 

Augmented reality + On rails shooter = Pokemon Dream Radar

As a game I give it 6.5/10. As an extension to Black and White 2, I give it 8/10.

-Sarge out!

PC Medic - Malware removal and you!

Malware is the nasty of nasties. Often disguised as normal software such as toolbars or browser extensions, Malware changes your system settings and installs software without your knowledge. Now I know you're going to think "I got a virus scanner so I'm ok." Unfortunately this is now the case as malware can slip behind virus scanners, leaving a trail of PC destruction in its wake.

Thankfully there's the PC Medic and he's equipped with Malwarebytes Anti Malware!

You can download Malwarebytes anti Malware here for free... http://www.malwarebytes.org/ Go on... it's the best you can do for your PC!

Now you can run a scan in safe mode or normal windows. Safe mode can be tricky to navigate but will offer a more thorough scan and better attempt at removal. To find out how to safe mode scan check out our previous PC Medic here. (http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/pc-medic-so-youve-been-hacked.html)

Malwarebytes will automatically prompt you to update your software after a certain amount of days, always update! Then simply run your scan.

The scan can be left overnight as it's fully automated and can take up to 2 hours depending on your hard drive size and system speed. It's so simple to use and a scan once a fortnight will ensure your data and computer are safe from malicious software.

Next Time on the PC Medic we will cover Anti Virus software and protection. Until then if you have any PC issues, Ask the SArge on our Facebook!

-PC Medic Sarge out!

Scam Alert! - Hax Return

Another week another scam to try to free you of your hard earned dollars. This one is particularly nasty however as it looks almost identical to the Australian Tax Office Website. Again they are asking for your personal details and also sending attachments through your email. There is a rule with email attachments that I live by... IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS THEN DO NOT OPEN IT. Even if it is from a friend!.

Remember, the ATO will never ask you for personal details except your login on their official site. If you look in the address bar and see an IP address instead of the Tax Website address, close your browser immediately and scan for spyware and malware. Check our previous postings of the PC Medic to find out how including free software.

This is an example of IP Phishing...

I have researched the depth of this scam and although there seem to be countless variations of it, here is some images of what the main ones look like...

Until Next time gamers, be smart and be safe online.

-Sarge out!

Pokemon Week - Pokemon Blue/Red Review

When I was a young lad, Pokemon was only just starting to take over the world. I would get up at 6.30am, switch the TV on to "Cheeze TV" and make sure my VCR (Some of you wouldn't even know what that is!) was set to record. I was a closeted Pokemaniac as being open about your love for Pokemon would get you a lunchtime full of wedgies.

So one day I'm walking through a department store and I see that there's a Pokemon Gameboy game. Curious, I bought it. And when I say I bought it I was 12 so I begged my parents to get it for me day and night until they did. I turned on my Gameboy and it was that moment I knew I wanted to be the very best... Like no one ever was.

*Note in this review I will be referring to Pokemon Blue. It is essentially the same game as Red with minor differences.*

The game starts off with THE Professor Oak asking you a bit about yourself. You tell him your gender, name and your rivals name and then you can start your adventure. Your character lives in the sleepy "Pallet Town," a picturesque river side town consisting of 4 houses and Professor Oaks lab. Just like the TV series, you are tasked with filling out the Pokedex, an encyclopedia of Pokemon. Along the way you battle fellow trainers and wild Pokemon alike, on your path to being the very best Pokemon trainer (like no one ever was!)

The game is a top down RPG with random encounters. The combat system have a paper scissors rock style with different Pokemon having different elements adding some depth and strategy to your Pokemon party selection. To start with you only have one Pokemon, you use your selected started to battle and capture more. It may sound a bit odd to the uninitiated but battling Pokemon is how you bond and grow with them.

Since the title debuted on the Gameboy system, the graphics are a little plain and not in color. After the release of the Gameboy color, some improvements were made largely due to the newer enhanced screen and basic color palette. 

The beauty of Pokemon Blue was the sheer scope of it all. The world was huge for its time and the amount of areas to explore and activities to do was amazing. I remember losing many hours to this game and going through a lot of AA batteries before I beat the elite 4. You can take a cruise on the S.S Anne (just like the show) and visit the safari zone too (just like the show!) I felt like my experience with Pokemon was enhanced by the TV show as I was essentially having my own Pokemon adventure like the shows "Ash."

It's hard to put a score on the game these days. Back in it's time I would have awarded it a 10/10, but that's because of gamelust. From a critics standpoint, even in this day and age I would award this game highly...

So What's it like?

Final Fantasy + Pokemon Anime + Card Collecting = Pokemon

I give it 8/10

I can't wait for the re-release on the virtual console, until then I will reminisce!

Sarge out!

Sims 4 Announced

Prepare to lose a lot of your spare time gamers as the Sims 4 has just been announced!

So the new major feature is now emotions. Yes I know your sims may have had emotion before but that was directly linked to their needs. Now your sims can be influenced emotionally by music, setting, or even their own house layout! These emotions can be used to manipulate your sims in social events and other interactions with other sims.

The Sims 4 will also feature a new AI script called "Smart sims" which makes sims think a lot more for themselves creating a more realistic interaction with the world around them.

Another reworked feature is the creation tools. Entire rooms can be moved at will with furnishings intact and the character creator is even more robust allowing you to create sims to look more how you want them to.

Apart from that, details are a little scarce. We will update you as soon as we have the info!

-Sarge out!

Nerd Vs Wild - Shoalhaven Heads

1.      Shoalhaven Heads

Due to an unfortunate incident involving my 3DS, a water bowl, and a failure of common sense, I had to make a pitstop at Nowra. So we googled places to stay and find a place called Tall Timbers at Shoalhaven Heads. This place had it all, warm water, a pool and most important of all free wifi! Nowra was only about 20/30 mins drive away so once I got my 3DS sorted, we settled in at camp and that’s when the rain set it. We still didn’t like the idea of travelling in the rain so we got a few extra nights accommodation there and went sightseeing. We backtracked about 30 minutes up the road to a small town called Kiama. Kiama was a beautiful town situated along the cliffs of the ocean. We were told by the receptionist at Tall Timbers we simply had to see the Kiama blowholes so we did. Well, I know it doesn't sound to exciting but the Kiama blowholes were awesome! You couldn’t really see where the holes were until the ocean erupted through them and the view of the coast was amazing.

Ruby the wonder dog as usual was getting a lot of attention  in her doggy raincoat and I decided I would pose for some tourists… See photo below.

dog rodeo... As awesome as it looks

While I like to say I had no regrets on this trip, I really wish we could have seen Kiama on a sunny day. I think it’s because it reminded me of home. To be honest I hadn't thought much about home at the time, but looking back I really missed it.

The next day we decided to see the small town of Berri. Berri is like one of those towns you see in old English shows like “Heartbeat.” I think I would love to move to a smaller town one day and settle in there, provided they had a video game store and internet!

It was time to leave and subsequently our anniversary too. The rain was still pouring down and little did we know this would be our worst anniversary ever…

What's it Like - Pokemon Week!

We want to be the very best... Like no blog ever was. To play games is my real test, to review them is my cause. I will travel across the coast, searching far and wide. For a games store to understand, the gaming that's inside!

Hahaha welcome to a fresh week of What's it like and this week we are dedicating our site to a childhood favorite of mine, Pokemon. Don't fret if you don't like Pokemon! There will still be all your favorite articles like Scam Alert, Nerd VS Wild and The PC Medic!

So why are we doing this? Well, I'm working on a new series called History Professor Sarge where we have a look at a gaming franchise and review some of its titles and extra things such as TV or Movies that go with it. If this week is popular we will continue History Professor Sarge and break down huge franchises like Resident Evil, Halo, Call of Duty and Battlefield! You guys can even vote what you want to see next so let me know on our Facebook Page.

So what can Pokemon Fans expect of Pokemon Week? Well for starters I will be writing about...

Pokemon Blue/Red
Pokemon Back and White 1 & 2
Pokemon Dream Radar
Pokemon Snap
X & Y Preview
and Pokemon Shiny promotions!

I'll be adding these stories on top of our usual stories for you to enjoy. Until then... Welcome to the world of Pokemon!

PC Medic - So you've been hacked...

Oh noes! Whether it's Facebook scam, Dodgy email, Free "Grown ups stuff," or simply surfing the net, chances are you have malicious software on your PC. Go on, check. Get Spybot S&D (Follow this link http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/user-beware-online-scams.html) and do a quick scan, I'll wait...

waiting...

Something pop up? It always does. There's no need to panic, but there is a need to take action. You see surfing the internet is like a one night stand, you need protection. Recently, a good friend of mine had her computer hacked from Spyware. Luckily, thanks to the free software on the above link, we were able to not only get rid of the malicious software, but also save all her data. 

When I traveled Australia I made money on the side by repairing computers. I would charge $30 if I could fix the problem no matter how huge. I made a bit of money simply clearing viruses added from toolbars and 3rd party software that takes advantage of peoples lack of software knowledge. Sometimes this sort of software installs itself without your permission, and that's where the trouble begins. 

Easy to use and best of all... FREE!!!

Let's start with basic virus and Malicious software removal. Once you have downloaded and installed Spybot, restart your computer and while windows is loading (before the loading logo) press "F8" a few times. This should bring up a boot menu. Select "Safe mode with Networking" and Windows will boot into safe mode. From here simply run your scan. When Spybot finishes its scan, simply press "Fix selected problems." Spyware is gone. If you are not confident going into safe mode you can run the scan normally, but there is a possibility it will miss software buried deep in your file structure.

This guy!

And that's it for Spyware removal. Seems easy right? That's because it is! When I was fixing computers, most of them could be fixed by running 3 different scanning programs. Spybot is the first program I use in virus removal, clearing the way for other scanners to detect hidden nasties. Over the next few days, I'll give you a rundown on the other scanners you can use to keep your PC and personal data safe from harm!

PC Medic Sarge signing out!