1st quit using internet explorer and get a
real browser,
firefox knows no equal. to add to those already mentioned,
pest patrol finds a lot of things spybot leaves behind. another really good removal tool is
hijack this. for protection, make sure you're using the newest version of spybot with teatimer included and
spyware blaster, both are great for blocking malware. be careful when removing objects with hijack this and pest patrol, as they both allow you to remove pretty much anything(including windows components).