About 75% of the computers connected these days have had adware on them at some point. Some people are totally unaware of the little bots that are unknowingly installed on their PC when they download something, so the amount of adware on their computers increase dramatically. Adware is one of the top causes of computer instability, as it causes slowing down, crashing, and automatic shutdown. Fortunately for PC owners, this stuff is easy to detect and remove. You just have to know how to go about doing it.



One of the most effective ways of eliminating adware is to use antivirus and anti-adware programs together. What one software lets slip by, the other will generally catch. Antivirus is a highly recommended program for every computer.

Most come with at least a trial version of the most popular programs already installed. It is up to the computer owner to maintain the coverage that the antivirus software provides. Adding to this with a reliable adware removal program will build a strong front against spy programs being added to your computer.

Another way to beat adware is to shut down your computer after you use it. A lot of leave their PC's running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Those who do this while connected to the Internet with DSL or Cable (any form of connection that stays connect as long as the computer is running) are exposed to adware the entire time their PC is online.

To prevent this, you should either turn off your computer or come offline each night, during the day if you work outside the home, and any long period of time that you will be away from your PC. The less time adware has to get on your computer, the less amount of it that you will have on your computer.

A third way to greatly reduce the adware on your computer is to be careful with your browsing and downloading. Most adware that makes it to your computer will come from something else you downloaded. It may be a photo, file, song, or document, and you will have no clue that the secret spy has been downloaded along with your intended item. Don't download anything from shady looking websites, as they are known for spyware. Also, sometimes browsing such websites will install adware, especially those that have lots of pop-ups.

Finally, keeping yourself up to date on how to effectively protect your computer will help decrease the chances of adware being installed on your computers. Educate yourself on how to properly scan and clean your computer, and be sure to do so regularly. Some adware removal programs come with the ability for you to schedule the date and time of each scan and removal.

These actions should be done at least weekly to ensure nothing is on your computer that shouldn't be. You may also look into manually recognizing and removing adware yourself, if you feel that your adware program is not doing the job or you wish not to invest in such software.