Until recently the only computer problem that you really ever heard about was viruses, however now spyware is quickly catching viruses up. Spyware is a type of computer file which can cause a lot of problems for your computer which is why you need to think about finding a spyware scanner for your PC.
Spyware is designed to sit on your PC without making a noise, it gets there by being installed along with something else which you actually wanted and then just sits there looking at exactly what you are doing. Not only does it study what you're doing, but it also reports these findings back to whoever installed it on your computer in the first place.
There are a number of ways that you can tell that you are infected with spyware without even having to run a free spyware scan.
Popup Blocker doesn't work
You may suddenly find out that your popup blocker doesn't work anymore, the majority of modern browsers include some form of pop up blocker designed to stop the annoying pop up adverts. However some of these pieces of spyware are capable of disabling this feature. If you had a popup blocker before, but now it doesn't work then you probably have spyware.
More Pop up Windows
You might also notice a large number of popup windows which keep on appearing on your computer, these will popup even if you're not actually surfing the internet. If you notice this then you need to consider using a spyware detector to find the spyware problem.
Unknown Icons on your Desktop
If you notice some unknown icons on your desktop which have just suddenly appeared and are to programs which you never installed then you are probably suffering from spyware problems. If you try to remove these programs yourself then it can potentially make the problem a whole lot worse. To remove these you need to use a proper spyware scanner. There are plenty of free spyware scans available, however not all of these are effective.
My computer slows down
You might notice that your computer has just slowed right down, this is probably due to spyware hogging your system resources. This software runs in the background silently and use your system resources.
Firewall
You should definately be running a firewall, if not then you are asking for trouble! If you don't have one then download one immediately such as the fantastic Firewall Protector which can be downloaded by clicking here. If you notice that your firewall is giving you a lot of error messages recently then consider the possibility that you have a spyware infection. Run a spyware scanner to check whether you do have an infection.
Changing your browser Home page
A lot of spyware likes to change the homepage of your browser to a really annoying site which typically has loads of adverts on it. Even if you change this site it will almost certainly change itself back.
Strange toolbars
Spyware also has a habit of installing lots of strange toolbars. If you notice and new toolbars in your browser which you didn't install yourself then you should check for spyware.
A spyware scanner is an essential utility for your computer, a great one called XoftSpySE can be downloaded from here.
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