Adware and how to tell if you're infected

Adware and how to tell if you're infected

When it comes to malicious programs, one of the most annoying is so called adware. Adware is software that, once installed on your machine, will begin to serve advertisements mostly in the form of pop-ups. Companies who make adware make money off advertisers who pay them each time their ad is served on an infected machine.

Here's some of the things you can do to tell if you have adware:

1)You keep getting pop-up advertisements.

Pop-up ads come in two forms. Either the website you're visiting is serving them, or you have adware on your machine that spawns pop-ups each time you surf the internet. If you go to a website like Google or Microsoft, and you see a pop-up ad, then this is an almost sure sign that you're infected with adware. Pop-up ads can also be served when you just start up your computer, or when you run an application.

2)Your computer is running slowly

Adware will often take up your computers processing power in order to serve pop-up advertisements. Therefore, if you're computer seems to take a long time to do simple tasks or it just seems to be running slow in general, then the odds are pretty good that you have some form of spyware or adware. Many people see their computer running extremely fast when it has nothing on it or when they reinstall windows. The reason is because their machine is no longer infected with spyware.

3)Your settings are being tinkered with

One thing adware often does is change personal settings, in order to display even more ads. Symptoms include changing your homepage to something else, adding websites into your favorites menu, installing new toolbars or adding icons to your desktop. The technology exists now to do this just from someone visiting your website, but quite often, adware companies will install new toolbars and change your homepage once your computer is infected.

Once you suspect you have adware on your machine, it is very important to do something about it before it gets any worse (adware companies will often install more adware on infected machines). To do this, you need to get a spyware or adware removal software. What this does is scan your machine for known adware, and then take measures to delete it. In some cases, your computer may be infected so badly that the only solution is to reinstall windows.

The best protection against adware, of course, is to not download it in the first place. Remember to never click on a link in an email from a sender you are unfamiliar with (adware often infects people who download it from spam emails) and always take caution when downloading .exe files. Don't run a .exe file unless you trust the source or you downloaded it from a trusted software directory. By following these simple guidelines, you can greatly reduce the risk that your computer will get infected with adware.

by Dave Edwards
Keyword : Adware

Better Computer Performance - 9 Free Or Inexpensive Fixes

Better Computer Performance - 9 Free Or Inexpensive Fixes

Poor computer performance by your Windows-based machine can sneak up on you gradually. You may find its performance deteriorating increasingly until one day you realize you must fix it or buy a new one. Signs of poor performance can include applications running very slowly, programs closing or freezing up suddenly, and a generally slower response time to OS (operating system)-related commands. I have compiled 9 fixes for you here that you can leverage right now to greatly improve your computer's performance.

Fix #1: Download and run MS Service Pack 2:

Every operating system requires patches and upgrades by its maker from time-to-time, with Microsoft XP being no exception. While Service Pack 2 was released in 2002, some people with older systems are still not running it: make sure your computer is. You can download it FREE from Microsoft's Web site.

Fix #2: Run the Disk Cleanup utility:

Your computer likely has a number of unused and unneeded files that take up valuable space on your hard drive and slow performance. Run your FREE, built-in Disk Cleanup utility to automatically remove these files. Find it by going to: Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup and following the prompts.

Fix #3: Defragment your hard drive:

Over time, your computer will store files in an increasingly inefficient manner on your hard drive, affecting file retrieval times and other performance factors. To fix this, you need to defragment your hard disk drive. To do this for FREE, just go to: Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Defragmenter. First, highlight the drive you want to clean up (e.g., C drive) and choose Analyze. Once complete, choose Defragment. Note that the defragmentation process could take up to an hour or more, so do this during a time when you can step away from your computer.

Fix #4: Run an anti-virus tool:

Computer viruses are malicious programs that drastically affect your computer's performance, either all at once or insidiously over time. You can stop a virus attack by installing and running anti-virus software which performs regular scans, locates the offending viruses and quarantines them.

Fix #5: Clean your registry:

Your computer's registry is a tool that most non-computer specialists never see but which is vitally important to computer operations. Your registry stores settings and options for your hardware, operating system, and other software. Unfortunately, given its fundamental role in the performance of your system, your registry is often the target of attack or infection. To thoroughly and automatically clean your registry, run a regular registry scan using a registry cleaning tool. I recommend RegCure, which recently found 1,626 problems with my registry (ugh!), is cheap and easy to use.

Fix #6: Run anti-spyware software:

Spyware is computer software that installs itself in your computer and performs a number of unwanted functions, including monitoring your computer usage and interfere with your control.

It represents a real threat and has become a significant problem in recent years. Fortunately, fixes are easy to find and include a number of free and inexpensive anti-spyware programs. Try SpyBot Search & Destroy. Get it FREE online.

Fix #7: Increase your computer's memory:

Today's applications require more and more memory (RAM) to run. If your computer is more than two years old or if you selected the minimal memory option upon purchase, you might benefit from adding another 1 GB or more to your computer. Check online or at your local computer dealer for pricing.

Fix #8: Clean your hard drive:

More comprehensive than the Disk Utility tool introduced above, cleaning your hard drive with professional cleaning software is a great way to improve performance. Try CCleaner for FREE by doing an online search.

Fix #9: As a last resort, re-format your hard drive:

If after trying all of the above items and your computer still performs poorly, a last resort is to completely reformat your hard drive. Warning: proceed with caution since this action will erase your entire hard drive, including your operating system (OS)! If you decide to take this route, consult an online tutorial for how-to steps. At minimum, remember two things: be sure to back up all of your files and applications and retain a copy of your OS on CD so that you can re-install it later.

by Jed Jones
Keyword : Better Computer Performance

The Number One Way to Kick Spyware!

The Number One Way to Kick Spyware!

Tired of spyware slowing down your computer?

If you answered yes, then I am going to help you. If you are tired of random web pages popping up when you're not even surfing the web, then I am going to help you. If you're tired of having tons of toolbars in your browser than you never installed, then I can help!

Adware Alert is a great program to keep spyware off of your computer, and to remove existing problems. It's user friendly, and offers a totally free scan with no strings attached.

If you have tried everything else, and nothing seems to work. Then Adware Alert is perfect for you!

I'm not some paid marketer, I'm a real person just like you. I've been searching for months for a program to help me remove the spyware\adware that plagues my computer. Now I've finally found it.

by Curtis Ryan
Keyword : Kick Spyware!