How to Find Spy Software Loaded on My Computer
Owning a computer is a great convenience, but it is important for anyone who uses a laptop or desktop PC to practice safe computing. Spyware and adware are often used by hackers and unscrupulous companies to gather information about your buying habits or even to capture each keystroke you type into your computer. Finding and removing this spyware and adware should be an important part of your computer maintenance.
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Instructions
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Watch for signs of possible spyware infection as you work on your computer. If you notice that your home page has changed and you cannot change it back, chances are your computer is infected--either with spyware, adware or a virus. Other signs of a spyware infestation include slow performance and a larger than normal number of pop-up ads.
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Download a spyware removal tool and install it on your computer. Spybot is an excellent product, as is Spysweeper. Microsoft also makes a very good spyware and adware detection tool. Just be sure to update the software as soon as have it installed -new spyware definitions are constantly added to keep these products up to date.
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Run the spyware detection tool and allow it to do a complete scan of your system. This initial scan may take a long time, so you may want to schedule it for the overnight hours or a time when your computer will not be in use.
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Run a second, or even a third, spyware detection tool on your system. Often one spyware detection tool will find infections that another one missed. While having two separate virus detection products on the same PC is not recommended, installing one or more spyware detection tools should not cause any problems.
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