Anti Spyware: 7 Signs When you might be infected.
#1 An (endless) number of pop-up windows keep on appearing.
A lot of spyware will start opening all kinds of ads on your desktop or in your browser, so be alarmed when you notice an excessive number of ads. Some spyware also displays 'non-family-friendly' material to put it simple. Watch out for spyware, especially when your kids are also using your computer and run your anti spyware software on a regular basis.
#2 New and unknown toolbars are added to your desktop or web browser.
Thumb rule: never install any of those fancy toolbars. They might look cool, handy and provide a few features, but 95% of all those toolbars contain spyware to a certain degree. Giving stuff away for free is a powerful strategy of spyware distributors, so watch out for toolbars and other free stuff. Most toolbars can automatically be removed with a quick spyware scan.
#3 Your browser's homepage has changed.
Or keeps on changing. A lot of spyware will try to change your homepage for obvious advertising purposes. Not sure who changed your homepage? Then run a scan as soon as possible, as there's a high chance some spyware is messing with your computer, and doesn't limit itself to only changing your homepage.
#4 The standard search engine within your web browser has changed.
More or less the same as sign 3: some spyware may change your default search engine. #5 Your computer (suddenly) has become very slow.
A lot of spyware poses a real resource hog, ultimately slowing your computer down, which becomes especially noticeable when multiple spyware is installed. Please note that there are a ton of other possible explanations which might cause a slow computer. You might want to run an anti spyware software scan nonetheless. Especially when you notice any of the other 8 signs as well.
#6 Random errors start to appear.
Some spyware might even cause problems with your Windows or with other spyware programs, leaving you with a bunch of weird errors and sometimes even complete system crashes. If a full spyware scan doesn't fix the problems, you should consider using the Windows XP System Restore function. (Contact your computer store for more info and help.
)#7 New unknown icons start to appear without any reason.
Most spyware installs itself completely silently, but some are kind enough to add some links here and there so you can manually launch them. Obviously you shouldn't click any of these links when they don't seem to be legitimate, but run an anti spyware scan first instead.
You should consider running a full anti spyware system scan if you noticed any of the above signs. Besides often being a huge annoyance, spyware also comes with a certain degree of privacy risk. From secretly logging surfing habits, to stealing passwords or credit card info: it's called spy-ware for a good reason.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
Related Tags: spyware, you, 7, signs, anti, when, be, might, infected
Visit my Anti Spyware site for advised anti spyware software, tips to prevent yourself from getting infected, and more safety related tips! Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Using Keywords Effectively For an SEO Campaign
Keyword research is one of the most crucial parts of an SEO campaign. If you end up choosing the wro - Search Engine Optimization Copywriting Tips
SEO copywriting is not as technical as it sounds but is different from traditional copywriting for t - 3 Tips to Make Money Using Videos
For the last five years video has been a real success in the internet. Now you can find video in alm - Is Social Media Networking Your Next Strategy For Your Online Marketing?
When you try to work on online promotion and online marketing, social media especially social media - Submitting a URL of Your Website
People who make a website usually do research on how to improve not only the quality of their websit - 5 Bad Habits of Article Marketing
There are many ways to advertise your company but having a highly ranked website is the best. Most p - Facts About SEO Services Company
SEO services companies are becoming very popular in the internet marketing world but there are some - 4 Ways Search Engine Optimization Can Be So Powerful
Whether you are an affiliate marketer, small businessman or a large organization, your first step wh - A List of 3 Options For Internet Business
The trend of making money through online business has become trendy now a day. People are shifting t - Getting the Best Affiliate Products For Your Site
Making money online was never so difficult before. There are numerous ways through which you can mak
Most viewed articles in this category:
- The Revolutionized Ebay Etailsolution Software
With the help of eBay, the auction business has received a new meaning. With the help of the many eB - Internet Millions - by Ryan Orrell - Honest Review
REVIEW: "Internet Millions", by Ryan Orrell, is a refreshing new kind of internet marketing e-bo - A Google Adsense Addiction
54% of all Google Adsense publishers admit addiction to click income. A recent online study conducte - Lead Generation for Top Residual Income
At the heart of any good residual income business is a person who knows how to generate leads. Lead - Make Money With Information Ebook Products: The Other End
I don't like thinking of myself as the kind of person that has made it rich on the internet, but in - Repeat Business Equals a Residual Income Stream
Residual income comes from other people reacting to a single action by the business owner. What bet - The NFL & United Way
There are many ways that NFL players help with the United Way. First of all, they donate a lot of th - Seo - Making Money Writing Seo Reviews
If you are a reviewer or critic you are likely to find work writing reviews of products and services - Understanding Perfume Types
Understanding the various varieties of perfume can help to cut through the difficulty in selecting a - Ecommerce Basics: Three Things To Avoid
When you decide to put your ecommerce website together there are a few mistakes that are easy to mak