Spyware Problems and Cleanup
Spyware cleanup can be a real nuisance, which is why it is much better and easier to avoid getting the problem in the first place. Spyware can affect your computer and privacy in many different ways because it can slow your computer performance, cause annoyances like pop-up ads, and track your personal usage information. Some spyware is not intentionally malicious. This means that it is not intended to cause problems like viruses or other computer malfunctions. However, whether it is malicious or not, spyware will cause problems for you, even if it is only minor problems like irritation, wasted time, and additional hassles.
Hints for Spyware Cleanup
If you are thinking about beginning spyware cleanup, the first thing you should know is that it will undoubtedly take a great deal of your time. Most spyware is intended to be hidden so that its presence often goes undetected. Therefore, it can be difficult to remove because computer users first have to find out if the spyware exists on the computer and then find out where it is located before they can begin the process of removing it. Some spyware is relatively easy to remove once it is located, but others can require considerable time and effort, and sometimes even computer expertise.
If you do not know if you need to begin the process of spyware cleanup, there are some clues that can signal a strong possibility of spyware on your computer. If you cannot surf the Internet or even do other computer tasks without popups continually appearing, your computer takes longer loading and performing simple tasks, your favorites list shows gambling or porn sites that you did not bookmark, or your browser is continually redirected, you may need to check and see if you have spyware.
The first part of spyware cleanup, as mentioned earlier, is detecting the presence of spyware. One good way to do this is to frequently analyze your task list. This will show you everything that is running on your computer at the time, so if you are familiar with it you will recognize anything that is new or different. The same is true for your start-up list. This shows you what runs upon starting your computer and therefore could be slowing your system down. If you are not an expert with computers, the best way to handle spyware cleanup is with special spyware and adware programs. You can get many of these programs as free downloads from the Internet, and they will check your system to find spyware and then help you remove. Some good ones to try are AdAware and SpyBot Search and Destroy. However, if you use these programs, be sure to update them and run them regularly to protect your system.