If you have a computer and you access the Internet, chances are that at some point you've probably come across adware. Many people now run adware protection software on their computers to try and avoid this pest. But what exactly is it, and can running an adware protection program actually cause you as many problems as it solves?
Adware is a form of software that runs in the background on your computer. Usually you agree to put this software on your computer in return for a free program that you want to install. Mostly adware is fairly harmless, and just results in ads popping up on your computer, or perhaps a few changes to your toolbars or layout. The frustrating part is that most of accept adware as a price to be paid when getting software for free, but it's quite possible that the adware has been infected either with a virus or an element of spyware.
Spyware is different to adware, because its purpose is to spy on your Internet habits and report the details back to a central computer. This can be harmless, and used purely for market research, but the more dangerous forms of spyware may also record personal information or banking passwords, amongst other things. Gator is a very common form of spyware, and very few people have escaped it. Mostly it just tracks your website surfing habits, but some variations of it can really mess up your computer.
So if adware and even spyware are delivered via software programs, it does raise the question - is your adware remover software safe? After all, it's just software, and many people download it from the Internet. It's quite common for an adware remover program to be available for free, or even have a free trial version - and this is where you need to be very careful.
If you're planning to download some adware protection software, take some time first to do a search of the Internet for the software name. For example "adware remover reviews" (replace adware remover with the name of the product) and see what you find. If the program has perhaps won some awards, or you find numerous good reviews, then you're probably okay to go ahead and download it. Check to make sure the reviews are from reputable websites such as download.com or well-known pc magazines.
If you've downloaded adware protection software in the past and you haven't been able to find any good reviews for it online, the first thing you need to do is find some respectable software, download it, and do an immediate scan of your computer. If you find evidence of adware or spyware, then it's probably a good idea to remove the old protection software first, then scan your computer again and remove the offending adware or spyware programs. You need to delete the old program first, otherwise it might just reinfect your computer again when you reboot.
This may sound like a bit of work, and it does take some time. But if it means that your computer runs smoothly without interference from adware or spyware, then it's worth every minute you spend.
If you want to read more about dealing with adware, click over to Hayley's site at http://www.adwareremovalexpress.com |
No comments:
Post a Comment