Overview: Kazaa is the most popular filesharing application out currrently. Just like companies like Napster their days are numbered. Being number one in an industry like this means you'd better have some of the best lawyers that money can buy! This means you'd better have gobs of cash floating around which means selling your data and displaying ads. According to them they have no spyware. "No application included with your KMD installation, or KMD itself, collects personally identifiable information about users without their consent." and also "Kazaa Media Desktop contains banner advertising and the option to install other third party applications in order to remain free to the user." To sum it up, it may have some spyware type applications that are "optional" PLUS the ads themselves by alot of peoples definition is in fact spyware. I still have not written what I define as spyware and am not yet ready to make public statements about this. Here's a bit of information for you to make your own judgement.

On Kazaa's site I found this about their ads:
Kazaa is supported by advertising displayed by the GAIN Network (using GAIN AdServer software) and Cydoor. Cydoor displays ads at kazaa.com and in the Kazaa. The GAIN Network delivers online advertisements that are selected based in part on how you surf the Web.

Above I bolded the part that throws up a flag for me! This proves that they are tracking something based upon your browsing habits. Tracking data on people for commercial use is spyware by anybody with common senses' definition. I've already posted a guide to removing Gain/Gator/Claria. The Cydoor removal will also be coming through in the near future.

Kazaa Media Desktop should be completely removed from your system in favor of a free version called Kazaa Lite Resurrection. KLR is better in really every way that I can think of.

Class: Adware + Spyware

Removal Instructions:

First of all use the uninstallation tool built into the windows control panel.

Destroy the Autorun:
Remove the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run\kazaa
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run\p2p networking

Also make sure you click start --> Run and type in msconfig. Then select the startup tab. Any references that contain the registry locations listed above.

End These Processes:
kazaa.exe
mmod.exe
pgmonitr.exe
topsearch.dll
adm.exe

Major DLL's:
atl.dll
admdata.dll