How Does Adware Affect Computer Performance?
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What is Adware?
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Adware is software that displays advertisements on your computer. It gets installed on your computer along with other programs or when you are cruising the Internet. Almost every computer gets infected with adware at some point in time. Adware can cause minor computer problems to major computer problems. A computer that is infected with a lot of different adware programs will likely experience a lot of problems, including a slowdown of the operating system and changes in computer settings.
Slowdown of the Operating System
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Adware programs run constantly in the background, usually without the user's knowledge. Any program that runs uses up processor resources and memory. When multiple adware programs are running simultaneously, the processor and memory can get overloaded, and the computer will run very slowly. Sometimes the computer is so overloaded that it barely functions at all. Basically, the more adware programs that are on a computer, the slower the computer will run.
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Changes in Computer Settings
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The most common changes that adware makes on a computer are to the Internet browser. It can change the homepage and add a toolbar to the browser. These changes to the browser do not necessarily slow down the computer's performance, but they do cause an annoyance to the computer user.
Adware Multiplies
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Many adware programs cause additional adware programs to install on a computer. There are two main ways that this happens. Some adware installs additional adware without any actions being taken by the user. Other adware programs trick the user into installing more adware. It does this by opening up pop-up windows. When the user clicks on the pop-up window, more adware is installed. Adware pop-up windows can be very tricky. For example, some pop-up windows will have a button that says "Close Window." The close button is actually an install button. When the user clicks the close button, more adware is installed on his computer.
Getting Rid of Adware
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There are many programs available on the Internet that remove adware. Unfortunately, some of the supposed adware removal programs actually put adware on your computer. Two good adware programs are Ad-Aware and Spybot. Both programs offer free and paid versions. Computers that are severely infected may need to be cleaned by a professional.
Tips to Avoid Adware
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Follow these four tips to minimize adware infection:
1) Never install programs or download files from any source that you do not trust 100 percent.
2) Do not open any e-mail attachments that you do not trust 100 percent.
3) Always close a pop-up window by clicking on the "x" at the top corner of the window.
4) Run an adware scan on your computer at least once a week. Using more than one program is even better, because not every program can catch every piece of adware.
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