Definition of Adware
Adware is software that, once downloaded to your computer, automatically displays or downloads advertisements on your computer. A particularly invasive form of adware known as spy-ware even tracks your personal information without your consent. Many computer programs available for download for free or at a low cost use adware as a way to increase revenue. Adware can cause your computer to run slower and increases the number of pop-up ads when you are browsing the Web (or even at times when you are not browsing the Web).
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How Does Adware Get onto a Computer?
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Adware usually piggybacks onto software that you download from the Internet. Free or very inexpensive software developers sometimes balance their costs by including such advertisements paid for by various sponsors. When you download one of those programs, such as a peer-to-peer file sharing program like Kazzaa, you are also downloading the adware file. When you run the program you downloaded, the adware is activated. Most adware is harmless, but some adware is so invasive that it can continue to run even when you are not using the program it came with.
Beware of pop-up ads asking you to "click here to see what you've won" or ads that have a "cancel" or "Exit" button right in the ad. Those can be malicious adware downloads disguised as other ads. Instead of clicking the buttons the ad provides, always "X" out the browser window directly to help prevent unwanted downloads.
What is the Purpose of Adware?
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The companies that allow you to download their software for free (freeware) or at very little cost often need to use adware in order to generate revenue. Advertising companies pay the software companies to include adware with the program, similar to the way advertisers pay television stations to include their commercials with regularly scheduled programming. Many software companies give consumers the option of paying for an adware-free version of their applications, or downloading a free version paid for by the adware.
Malicious forms of adware that affect your computer's performance are not usually downloaded with freeware. A lot of times, malicious adware, sometimes called "malware," is downloaded without the users' knowledge when they visit certain Web sites. That form of adware is usually advertising that was not paid for. -
What Does Adware Do?
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Usually, adware is harmless and runs in the background while you use freeware. It allows advertisements to be displayed on banners in the program window. More invasive forms of adware cause pop-up advertisements that block the screen, sometimes when you aren't even using the freeware. Sometimes, the adware is a form a spyware that tracks the types of Web sites you visit and generates advertisements based on that information. The danger of that kind of spyware is that many times it's not just collecting statistics about your Web browsing, but also personal information to sell to third-parties.
Adware can negatively affect the performance of your computer. With extra programs running in the background, your computer uses more RAM and does not operated at its optimal performance. For that reason, many people choose to get adware-blocking or adware-removal programs to delete the unwanted applications.
Checking for Adware
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A lot of the time, the freeware you download comes with a user agreement that explains how much and what kind of adware is included with the software. That is not always the case, but you should always read the user agreement just in case. It may even go so far as to let you know if the adware is spyware and what kind of information the spyware is collecting.
There also are many signs that your computer may be affected by adware and spyware. If you notice an excessive number of advertisements when you run certain applications, those applications have adware. Also, a key sign is if your computer is experiencing pop-up ads on the desktop, especially if you are not running the freeware or browsing the Internet. If your Internet homepage is suddenly different, or if you see new tools in your toolbar, those could also be signs. More signs include new, unwanted bookmarks; automatic redirection away from Web site URLs you type in; your computer runs slower than normal; your Internet applications run slower than normal; your computer freezes frequently; or other programs on your computer do not run efficiently.
Getting Rid of Spyware
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The easiest way to keep your computer running well is to avoid adware to begin with. Avoid downloading free software, read user agreements carefully, and don't click on strange advertisements and pop-ups.
Also make sure your computer's anti-virus software is up to date. Most anti-virus software these days include anti-spyware protection.
If you know which programs are the harmful ones, you can remove those programs manually if you know how. There are also many anti-adware and anti-spyware programs available on the Internet. Those programs are designed to scan your computer for harmful spyware and adware and remove those programs.
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