by C. L. Easey

Created on: June 03, 2009

Spyware can affect a computer in many different ways depending on the type of spyware that has been installed. Spyware has various symptoms, can infect a computer in different ways, and can be removed using the proper tools. Preventing spyware can be done by making sure that a computer has the proper protection.

Spyware has various symptoms that can be seen on a computer. Symptoms of spyware can include seeing pop up advertising messages even when logged off of the internet. Spyware can also cause Internet Explorer to redirect the browser to specific web pages. A different browser homepage is also another symptom that there might be spyware installed on the computer. Spyware programs have also been known to cause excessive processor usage when browsing the internet. Spyware can also cause problems with the Windows registry which can cause some programs not to work correctly.

Spyware can infect a computer in a variety of ways. The most common infection is visiting a web page that contains a script that can download onto a machine. Spyware can also be included in certain types of freeware or ad-supported software. Ad-supported software, by its very nature, is designed to collect information and send it to a central server. Some spyware will prevent certain programs from running as well as block anti-spyware web sites. Spyware can also infect a system by getting installed when another malware program infects a machine. Many times an infection by one type of spyware program can lead to infections by other types of malware and spyware.

Removing spyware that has infected a machine can be done by running an anti-spyware program on the system. There are many types of anti-spyware programs that are available to download and use. Some of which include Malwarebutes' Anti-Malware, Spybot - Search and Destroy as well as a program called SUPERAntiSpyware. Spyware can also be removed from a system by performing an online computer scan. One goof place to go for an online spyware scan is Microsoft OneCare. Their scanning process is called a PC Safety Scan.

Preventing spyware from infecting a computer can be done when the proper protection is in place. This would include using a program such as SpywareBlaster which has a blacklist of known sites which is updated regularly. Another program to use is Windows Defender from Microsoft. Windows Defender is capable of running real-time scanning which can significantly reduce the amount of spyware that can get installed.

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