Antivirus/Spyware Scan

• Scanning your computer for viruses and other harmful applications is the first and most important step. Changing your passwords and other data will need to be done later, but the first step is to get the harmful applications off your system. If you don't have any anti-spyware or virus applications, there are many good programs available for downloading, like AVG and Spyware Doctor. These applications can find both viruses and keyloggers, so run a full system scan using one of these programs, but note that this process may take a while.
  
  

Application Check

• Even if your scan finds something, it's beneficial to check in other places for malicious programs, since keyloggers may attempt to pass as legitimate programs, or hide in the background. Open your "Add/Remove Programs" utility from the Control Panel and look for any unfamiliar programs that are installed on the computer.
  
  Also consider looking for any tasks that might be running. Check the icons in your taskbar, and also check the Task Manager (right-click on the Windows toolbar at the bottom of your screen and click "Task Manager") to see what programs are running. If there are any unfamiliar programs with strange names, these could be keyloggers. Spywareremove.com publishes an up-to-date list of keylogger names that you can reference (see Resources). If you find one of these applications anywhere, stop them as soon as you can and then uninstall them.
  
  

Password Changes

• Keyloggers and viruses have access to everything you do on your computer, so not only could your passwords be compromised, but other information like credit card data, PINs and anything else you may have typed in is also at risk. If you believe you have had a keylogger program on your computer for a while, check all of the accounts that you access from your computer--but make sure that the virus or keylogger is gone before you change anything!