Spyware Removal Tips For Computer Dummies

If you observe that your computer has recently become quite sluggish and is behaving a bit strangely, it might be one of the first symptoms of spyware infection on your system.

What is spyware?

Spyware is a software program that is usually sent to your computer packaged with other programs and has the capability to secretly install on your computer. Once a spyware program is installed on your computer, it starts collecting your personal information and tracking your Web browsing and computer activity. The malicious program then sends this collected information to affiliate websites for advertising purposes. Many more dangerous spyware programs may also steal your credit card and banking information and use it for malicious purposes.

Signs of spyware infection

In addition to drastically slowing down your computer, a spyware infected computer may also show a few other symptoms. The most common symptom is when you notice that the homepage of your web browser has changed, and you are unable to reset it to your original homepage setting. You may also notice additional Internet toolbars, such as the Mirar toolbar that you did not add yourself in the browser window. Moreover, despite of uninstalling these unwanted toolbars and other such obstructive unwanted software, you may find them reappearing on your computer again and again. You may also find yourself being bombarded with several unwanted popup ads as soon as you open your web browser, and sometimes even if you have just started your computer.

Now that you know how to recognize spyware infections on your PC, let's have a look at a few tips that will help you in removing spyware from your system.

How to remove spyware?

First and foremost, you need an antispyware tool. This tool is different from antivirus tools and is specifically designed to weed out spyware from your computer. It is recommended that you opt for an antispyware tool that offers live automatic updates and real-time protection. These two features together help you ensure that your computer is protected against the latest spyware at all times. You must also schedule the antispyware tool to perform regular full system scans to detect and remove any spyware files that might have infiltrated your computer.

Spyware programs also add several entries in the Windows registry. Some of these entries are in the form of manually non-removable embedded registry keys. It is these keys that are usually used by spyware programs to reinstall themselves on your system. This is the reason why, to ensure complete spyware removal, it is recommended that you regularly use a good registry tool to thoroughly scan the registry and weed out any unwanted, malicious information from it.

How to prevent spyware infection?

Spyware are offending programs that have the capability to create havoc on your computer by quietly working in the background. To prevent spyware infections, you must regularly use your antispyware tool and follow the spyware registry tips discussed here. You must also be vigilant about the software programs and files, especially freeware, that you download to your system because quite often spyware programs come packaged with the downloaded content.