How to Get Rid of All Adware

Adware are small advertising files. You automatically download such a file when you visit some websites. These files can cause havoc to a computer. For example, if your PC is running slower than normal, if you are receiving additional popups or certain websites are not loading, adware is infesting your PC. You can use several free programs to get rid of all adware from your computer. Ad-Aware is strictly an adware -emoval tool. AVG and Trend Micro HouseCall remove viruses as well as adware and spyware. AVG is downloadable, while HouseCall is an online scanner. All three applications are free to use.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Open your adware program or go to the HouseCall website (see Resources). Click on the "Update" option in the main window of the application. Wait for the update files to download. On HouseCall, select the "Click Here for Free Scan!" link. Then press the "Get HouseCall Free Scan" button.

2. Close all programs except the necessary Windows application, the adware application or the browser for HouseCall. If you keep your browser up, close all tabs except for HouseCall. Shutting down the applications will allow the adware programs to completely scan your disk.

3. Run the scan. In Ad-Aware, select the "Scan Now" play button. In AVG, select the "Computer Scanner" option. Then press "Scan Whole Computer." You must accept the terms of HouseCall by clicking on the box. Select the "Launch HouseCall" link. Choose the method to scan. You have the choice of "Java" based or "HouseCall Files."

4. Wait until the scanner finishes. Depending on the speed of your Internet and computer, this may take up to two hours.

5. Get rid of all adware. Select the "Remove," "Clear" or "Finish" tabs. This will remove all of the adware on your PC. The option to get rid of the adware depends on your specific application.

6. Restart your PC. Run the adware program again. This will ensure that all adware is gone.

Tips & Warnings

• Manually removing adware from your computer is nearly impossible. You need a program to accomplish this task. Trend Micro HouseCall requires Java or Applets on your computer before it scans. This is normal.

• Some adware-removal programs do more harm than good. They can install applications on your PC that act similarly to adware. When using another program, download from a trusted website and company.

Resources

• Ad-Aware
• AVG
• Trend Micro HouseCall