Computer Tips for ‘Regular’ People - Spyware. Adware. Viruses. What’s the deal?
I’ve run my anti-virus program and my computer is still slow and doing weird stuff. What’s wrong?
Sometimes your programs won’t work right, weird pop-ups show up in the middle of a project, or your web pages redirect to porn or other types of sites. You run your anti-virus software and the program reports that you have no viruses. What’s the deal?
The problem could be due to something called spyware or adware, or a Trojan. In terms of computer performance, these can be even worse than viruses. All of these types of things are called “Malware.”
Think of it in terms of “ware” … such as SOFT-ware or HARD-ware. In simplistic terms:
- SPY-ware spies on you;
- AD-ware gives you ads that you don’t want;
- MAL-ware includes the above and more, and delivers and installs something malicious on your computer.
A Look at What Might be Making Your PC Slow
If you have downloaded a free software program, it might have spyware (or adware) on it. Once the software is installed and launched, the spyware will send information about what you are doing on the Internet in order to create marketing or Internet surfing profiles. It can also route your Internet browser to gambling or porn sites, change your homepage to a site that you don’t like or, even worse, steal your passwords and credit card information. Most of the time, it runs without the your knowledge and typically affects your Microsoft Internet Explorer web surfing program. Since the companies interested in your Internet habits want to know what you’re doing online, the spyware programs generally are not created to crash your system. As long as your computer is running all right and you’re not aware that you’re being watched or having your information stolen, the spyware is doing its job, so to speak. You generally will not have too many PC problems until you try to uninstall the spyware.
Adware, on the other hand, not only can record your Internet habits, but it is responsible for creating those annoying pop-ups that you may experience when you’re surfing the net or doing other stuff on your computer. Adware tracks your Web surfing or online shopping so that marketers can send you unwanted ads that are targeted to your behavior and interests.
Spyware and adware programs can be nasty, but trojans are even worse and can completely shut down a pc. Many times, trojans are distributed as part of a computer virus. For instance, some trojan types of infections might look like a screen saver file but when opened, launch hidden programs, scripts or commands. Many times the trojan will launch without your knowing about it.
Some Quick and Easy PC Tips
Whether it’s a worm, a virus, a trojan, spyware, adware — you name it — you don’t want these types of programs on your computer. They can destroy data, mess with your operating system, make software programs not work, and steal your personal financial data or other information. If your computer is running very slow and you have defragged the hard drive or have run your antivirus program and there doesn’t seem to be a difference in speed, the best thing for a “non technical” PC user is to use a third party software to remove the malware.
You can often find spyware or similar programs by looking for unfamiliar executable files in your program files or odd entries in your registry, but for now, this article focuses on what “non-technical” people who aren’t sure how to clean up registry files can do.
Programs I Have Used for Years
I’m a big fan of Lavasoft’s programs. Ad-Aware 2008 Pro provides advanced features for IT professionals and savvy computer users for optimal control of scans, malware removal, and damage repair. Get Adaware’s pro version or free version. (To get the free version, click the Ad-Aware 2008 Free tab on the left.)
Another excellent program that I’ve used since the day it came on the market is AVG’s Internet security program. It’s an anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-adware and firewall all-in-one program. They have a free version, which is excellent, and several paid offerings that are simply the best in the PC security industry, as far as I am concerned. My experience with AVG has been much better than the “name brands” such as Norton or McAfee. Downloads are automatic and do not tie up your computer speed, the program is intuitive and easy to use, and it has caught more viruses, spyware threats and other malware problems than any other program I have ever tried. AVG’s antivirus program also scans your email for possible security threats and removes them before they have a chance to land in your in-box. It also scans and “certifies as virus free” your outgoing email. For home users, there’s a free AVG version that does not have all of the security perks as the paid version, but does an excellent job getting rid of viruses and spyware.
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