Symptoms of Adware Infection

Your PC is probably infected with adware if:

• You have downloaded music online
• Your PC is running extremely slow
• Your PC is invaded by those horrible popup ads
• Your homepage keeps changing

If any of the above are true then it is likely that your computer is infected with adware.

“But what is adware and how do I get rid of it?” I hear you say.
What is Adware?

Adware is advertising that is integrated into software. It is a small program that is installed with a software application, usually freeware or shareware. Adware displays web-based advertisements through pop-up windows or through an advertising banner that appears within a program’s interface. As you already know, these are highly annoying and need to be removed.

Adware is only installed with the user’s permission – you’re thinking “I never gave permission for it to be installed on my PC!”, but you did. If you’re like me, you rarely bother reading the End User License Agreement and this is where you are told that the adware will be installed on your PC. So by accepting the End User License Agreement you are effectively giving the advertisers permission to infect your PC with adware.

The increase in the number of spyware that infects your computer is directly proportional to the number of anti-spyware available on the market and internet. This means an internet user looking for a program to protect his computer is faced with a wide array of spyware removal programs and downloads. Choosing the right download for his system becomes extremely difficult for him. Therefore, he should download an anti-spyware software only from a reputable website to avoid ending up with more spyware while downloading. The important thing is to check the authenticity of a software or program before downloading it on to your system. I would suggest that you read the license agreement carefully before clicking on the download button. It is also advisable to download more than one program as one may not suffice to combat the multitude of invisible spyware that may infect the computer.

An effective spyware removal download will purge your system of any spyware and if it comes with a spyware program, will prevent any further spyware activity on your computer while it is connected to the internet. Some of the reputed software download sites for anti-spyware include McAfee, spywareinfo.com, all-internet-security.com and tucows.com. To download spy removers from pop-up prompts will be as good as paying for spyware as most of these pop-ups are from spyware developers themselves. Even if it does cleanse your system once, there is every chance that you may be infected with it again and again.

Sometimes it’s not just running your anti-virus program to get rid of a terrible virus such as a rootkit. What a rootkit does is hack its way through allowing itself to have master privileges on a computer. Then it disguises itself so that most antivirus software won’t be able to recognize it. Then, once it is disguised from the major anti-virus programs, it begins to download malware such as spyware and other types of viruses. Rootkits are usually only detected with a trained eye from a virus removal professional.

What are the symptoms of a rootkit?

1. If you have a respected virus removal program installed and running and are still continuously running into spyware and viruses, this is the number one sign you have a rootkit.
2. Your anti-virus program is not running or is missing altogether. It’s common practice for rootkits to kill anti-virus programs.
3. You are connected to the internet but not able to view web pages. Rootkits like to change the proxy settings in your internet options so you can’t go online to view websites or download anti-virus programs.
4. Your desktop background changes or is disabled every time your computer starts.

The new Windows 7 operating system is extremely efficient and powerful, but it is still known to be effected by certain problems due to the registry. This is a section of Windows that keeps logs of all the information necessary for the system to run well, but it is often the main cause of errors and problems on your computer. In order to remedy this problem, you will need to invest in something called the registry cleaner.

Here are some pointers to help you finding a good one.

The registry should not be discounted; it is a vital part of your system, it keeps track of settings and other important information which is necessary for the computer to function well. Without the registry your computer would not be able to keep track of settings and information. The reason that the registry often has problems is that it is constantly in use. When you save files or settings incorrectly it can damage or corrupt the system. This is where the registry cleaner comes in.