So you have recently got yourself a computer and have been connected to the internet, you are wondering what a virus is? Well, the simplest way to explain is to imagine that you got a cold or any other sickness; a computer virus is exactly the same, it gets into your computer and eats away. Most of them are very harmful, and some are just created for fun. A lot of people do actually just create them for meaningless amusement and get quite a buzz out of being in control of somebody else’s computer.

Now more than ever, people have to be vigilant as to what files they download onto there computer systems, the internet is one of the fastest growing sectors in history, and although more and more trust worthy companies are appearing, behind them are more and more hackers and virus planters which are also popping up onto the scene.

All this being said, there will definitely be an increase in online data theft and fraud, and the way to stop this is to get protection. Just as you would take medicine to stop illnesses from occurring, the same thing can be said for viruses. Getting a free anti virus and anti spyware software can be helpful, but from experience they are not as well configured as the paid versions.

Once you have your anti virus software in place, you should not think that is the end of things, on a personal note I would run a scan at least once a week, as malicious viruses can often sweep past without being noticed. You should always keep your software up to date, a lot of people tend to ignore pop ups that state there anti virus is outdated. These are only popping up for your own benefit and you should take prompt action.

Surfing the internet can be very entertaining, it’s a great place to find information and immense deals, so if you are ever looking to buy anything online you should make sure that the site itself is secure, or they are alternatively using a trusted third party to process there transactions, such as PayPal. Be wary of anything that may look uncomfortable, as you do not know who you will be giving your bank details too. Once hackers and scammers get hold of bank details, they can cause a whole world of endless problems, such as debt, and in extreme cases bankruptcy and court summons.

Adware is a pain for all computer users out there. There is no arguing that fact, no one likes information about them collected without their knowledge no matter what it is used for. Some Adware is even bundles with software download. The reason for a software developer to bundle Adware to their program is because it helps them to recoup development cost. Or if they are offering the software for free, it’s even more important to them so they are not paying so much out-of-pocket costs. No, I’m not saying because of this you should like Adware, but it’s just a way for you to understand one way that Adware comes to be on your computer.

Adware will pop-up ads of different companies, sometimes based on other locations you have been to on your computer. Those pop-up ads slow you down when you are possible working, or even playing a game. I don’t know about you, but I have never seen a pop-up ad for something I even wanted. So to me and several others, this is just a waste of time.

Of course some software’s do offer a way to get around Adware. That is by purchasing a game instead of using a free version. Most of the time it seems like the cost is around $20. I think its well worth getting rid of all those pop-ups, but really it’s a choice for each person to make.

Some ways you may be able to tell if your computer has Adware are those pesky ads that pop-up all the time. Maybe you will notice that your computer is sluggish, or certain programs may be sluggish. You notice new software on your computer that you didn’t add. All these are signs of a possible Adware problem. There are software’s that you can purchase that will take care of this problem.

You may want to be careful too because some Adware may be spyware. Spyware will cause more serious damage to your computer than Adware.

But either way you look at it, Adware or spyware, neither is good to have on your computer. The software you can buy to combat this problem isn’t outrageous in price. So by al means go out and make that purchase. It will make your life much easier. Adware is a pain. If you want to a void it as much as possible, try not to download free software that it may be bundles with.

Spyware can wreck havoc on your computer, in fact it may be just as bad as getting a computer virus. Yes really it can be most people might actually wonder if this is the case. Well the fact is that some spyware is a computer virus. When we all think of a computer virus we think of our computer getting so messed up that it stops working. That’s what spyware can also do to your computer. And the thing about it if you don’t have an anti-virus program that checks for spyware too you could possibly have tons of it on your computer at this very moment.

They not only have software that will check your computer for viruses but also it will check for spyware, or they have separate software that you can also buy that is dedicated to finding only spyware on your computer.

What exactly does spyware do to your computer? And how does it get onto your computer? Well spyware is a way that your moves on your computer are tracked by this spyware and information about you is collected and kept by this spyware software. At times it will pop up ads to different places based on other choices you’ve made in the past. Spyware gets onto your computer by being bundled with downloads. Not every download has spyware, but there are some out there that are quite well used downloads that do have it attached. Some of these are yahoo instant messenger, Kazaa which is a program used to share audio and video files. Also you will at times find spyware attached to game downloads, one of the more famous ones was the game elf bowling.

There isn’t any way to really ensure that you will never get spyware on your computer, unless you decide to never download any programs again. And most of us know that sooner or later we will find a program that we just have to have, and this may be something that has spyware bundled with it. So really the best thing to do is to get software that will rid your computer of spyware and make sure you run it very frequently. This will ensure your computer to run correctly and possibly stop any trips to the computer shop because you computer is sluggish and not performing up to par.

As with anything when it comes to computers make sure that you get your computer fixed by an expert, not just someone who might say they know what they are doing. You want to have a working computer not a computer that is broke down two days after you get it back.

Removal of trojans can be very tricky using standard virus scan software due to their camouflaged file form they take in your computer, that is why they are called trojans. Once in operation, it is hard to get rid of them from your PC without using more advanced registry repair utility software.

Trojans are often inject your PC in form of spyware and adware. Some of the virus programs can detect the files but most have a difficult time removing them.

I have below few of the many sypmtoms of trojans or sprware:

* Mouse cursor is leaving a trail or the right and left buttons are reversed
* Buttons like the Windows start button disappear
* Your computer reboots or shuts off by itself
* Alt + Control + Delete is no longer working
* Your web surfing is incredibly slow
* Redirection to websites that are not requested
* Your normal homepage is hijacked to another site (sometimes adult sites)
* Toolbars are automatically loaded as well as pop-ups
* Files open randomly
* Slow computer problems are evident

There are a lot of articles on the internet about do it yourself Trojan removal. If you are unsure of your skills in dealing with executable files, steer away and follow the simplified steps offered below so you do not create larger problems for yourself.

Three Quick Steps to the Removal of Trojans:

Step1: Write Down the Problems that You Have Noticed

At first, it may look like waste of time exercise but is not. It is important to know the level of problems you come up against so that you can effectively monitor the difference once the final repairs are complete.

If you are having a slow computer problems, take note of when it normally occurs. For instance, a lot of people experience slow computer right after start up. If you are experiencing this problem, you should see it as a general starting symptoms.

Step2: Choose One of the Best Trojan Remover Software for a Free Scan

Choosing the best Trojan remover software can seem like a difficult task. Luckily, there are now a number of quality virus remover software that will do a thorough job for you. Your focus should be on choosing a product that has excellent features and benefits across certain requirements.

You should put this into consideration when choosing the software: free scan, eas-of-use, excellent support, detail help files (local or online), huge database of viruses and constantly updating, positive reviews etc.

After you have made your choice of the software to scan your computer with, have a complete scan allowed by the software to get detailed list of threats and measure of severity. Removal of trojans software usually start with a good read on the existing problem associated with your system.

Step3: Once Errors are Detected, Buy the Full Version

The download and the initial scan are to evaluate your entire computer. Once errors are detected, removal of trojans is a quick task. Pay attention to the severity of the threats detected. The more threats detected, the more important it is to have the errors fixed.

The level of infections you have is not important. What is crucial is to stay covered with top quality software throught the year. You should consciously run a scan and repair any error that might come up once a week. It is not important choosing software with real-time protection (detecting viruses before they lodge themselves onto your computer), but what is most important is to choose software with good definitions database that can detect effectively and conduct the removal of Trojans.

After the initial repair is conducted, be sure to restart your system. Go back to your initial list and compare the changes for each item conducted. If some of the errors are still there, it would be better to look into a general virus scan and registry scanning software to add to your maintenance schedule.

After the first round of repair, there should be a considerable improvement to the speed of your computer.

Adware will cause all kinds of problems on your computer. Advertisements will pop up for sites you’ve visited, or for goods that you have recently looked at. It’s a pain when you are in the middle of researching something and this happens. So what do you do and how do you prevent it? Well one way is to not download anything, easier said then done really. Or don’t go and get any of those shareware programs out there. You would be surprised at what different shareware software’s are bundled with adware, thus letting the developer get back some of their money from creating the software.

What we are going to do today is go over the different shareware’s that are bundled with that nasty old adware.

123 Messenger
MessengerSkinner
180 Solutions
Mirar Toolbar
180 Search Assistant
Messenger Plus!Live 888 bar
Oemji Toolbar
Adsite Toolbar
PornDigger!
Adobe Reader
Smiley Central
AOL Instant Messenger
Real Player
Yahoo Messenger
TagaSaurus
Bonzi Buddy
TopMoxie
Block Checker
Tribal Fusion
BSPlayer
Sweet IM
Burn4Free
Videothang
Clip Genie
Virus Protect Pro
Comet Cursor
Weather Bug
Comodo Firewall
Windows Live
Crazy Girls
When U
Dydoor
Win Fixer
Daemon Tools
Winzix
Direct Revenue
XXX Shop Online
DivX V6.8.3.18
XXX Toy
Dollar Revenue
Zango
Ebates Money Maker
Zango Toolbar
Error Safe
Zwinky
Ezula
Gator
Hotbar
ICQ
IE Plugin
IncrediMail
Kazaa
LimeWire

As you can see by this list, which isn’t even a full list, adware is out there all over the place just waiting for you to download something and corrupt your computer. Some adware is just like spyware, where it will collect your information of sites being visited without you knowing so.

One perfect example of adware is the Eudora email client. You get to use all the program features for a certain trial period, and once that time is over you are given the choice to either use it for free, or paid. If you choose free you’re going to be swamped by advertisements. That’s why they try and sell you the version you pay for, it will make sure that you are not inundated by these ads you try to stay away from.

So how do you go about preventing this problem or detecting it? There are tons of programs out there that have been developed to detect, remove or quarantine spyware and adware. If you have adware that is really spyware it is known as malware. Many of these programs that have been developed to remove spyware will also remove your adware.

There are a few more prominent ones, such as Ad-Aware and Spybot-Search and Destroy. These were specifically developed for detecting spyware and not detecting viruses. Although some anti-virus software will work on spyware and adware, it seems like the best bet is to choose one that is for adware specifically.

Yes it means adding more software to your already software full computer, but in the long run you really can’t beat having it there. So protect your computer, and keep it running smoothly.