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Spyware &
Adware |
What is spyware/Adware? How
do I know if I have some on my computer?
How do I get RID of it?!?!?!?
Read this:
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Spyware
is basically a type of program that gathers
information about you without your knowledge. This
information may be distributed to many sources or
just a single source. Note that if a program
alerts you that your personal information may be
shared it is not "technically" spyware,
but it can be considered "Adware".
Spyware programs can be extremely annoying and can
wreak havoc on your system. They can cause slow
downs, lockups, and all sorts of other problems.
The bad news is there are hundreds of these types
of programs out there. Some common spyware
programs include: Hotbar, Comet Cursor, Xupiter,
Gator, Offer Companion and BonziBuddy. Don't
download these! |
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Now,
what to do about it. There are two great programs
out there: Spybot Search & Destroy and
Ad-Aware . Spybot is very thorough, but it often
lists files that aren't spyware making it more
likely that you accidentally delete something.
Ad-Aware is the easiest to use. |
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Download
Ad-Aware here: http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/ |
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Download
Spybot Search & Destroy here: http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10122137.html |
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Remember,
Spybot likes to include things on the list that
aren't spyware like updaters for programs and even
Microsoft's Media Player! The best thing to do
before checking something off is to double click
for a description of the program. If it is a
program that you want to keep, just don't check it
when you select "Fix Selected Problems".
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