Looking for help? Check this page often for help with many common problems, questions, and Do-it-yourself computer repair tips.

Spyware and Adware :

What is spyware/adware? Spyware and Adware keep track of where you go on the internet, give you popups, slow down your computer, and generally wreck havoc on your pc. Certain spyware even tracks what you type into your computer, looking for Credit Card numbers, account numbers, passwords, and more.

How does it infect your computer? The most common way you get spyware is by giving the spyware creators permission to install it. Generally you receive a gray box, like the on pictured below in figure 1.1. When you click yes, you are giving that website permission to install software on your pc. Another way spyware gets onto your computer is through ad-supported software, especially music sharing programs such as kazaa. Additionaly, the most malicious spyware infect your computer using security flaws in Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer.

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Figure 1.1 Security Warning from Internet Explorer

How you can I protect myself? The first layer of protection is to keep windows updated with the latest security updates. You can do this by opening Internet Explorer, Clicking on tools > Windows Updates. Install all the critical updates available. For a more complete tutorial on updating windows, visit ##############.

The next step you can take is to get two free removal tools. On is called ##### Spybot - Search & Destroy, and the other is ####### Lavasoft's Ad-aware. Download and install both tools, and run them about once a week. Be sure to update both of them each time they are run. Spybot comes with built in immunization by blocking the security warning for known spyware. Although they have some overlap, each one catches spyware that the other one does not. For a more complete tutorial on Ad-Aware, visit ########. For more help with spybot, click #######.