Spyware is software that covertly gathers user information through an Internet connection without your knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.

Adware is software that can display advertising banners. Many times these applications run independent of a web browser and will start displaying ads on your computer without you doing anything. Adware is most often integrated into free applications as a way for developers to recover costs or generate revenue.

Getting rid of spyware/adware on your computer can be daunting task, but with the right tools you can get rid of most of it. The first thing you need to do is download and install a couple of spyware removers. The top FREE removal applications I recommend are:

• SpyCatcher Express
• Spybot Search and Destroy
• Ad-Aware
• Windows Defender

The first thing you want to do after installing the software is check for updates. Each software package does this a little differently, but it should be easy to find in the menus somewhere. This will get you the latest detecting definitions. Once you have those run a full scan of your system and remove anything it finds

It will not hurt anything if you run all of these applications. Each program does essentially the same thing, but some of them look for things others do not.

If you are still having problems it is most likely related to a virus. Make sure you anti-virus software is up to date and do a complete scan of your system. If you do not want to pay those yearly subscriptions for anti-virus software see our Anti-virus page.