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is an extensive scan program, similar to a virus scan. It will scan through your files, checking with its database to weed out suspected spyware, separated into categories and risk levels. When you decide to clean or quarantine something, it will do it for you automatically.

3. Ad-aware from Lavasoft (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/)
S imilar to a-squared, Ad-aware performs an analysis of your files, presents you with its list of suspicions, and allows you to select what you would like automatically cleaned.

4. Become familiar with what SHOULD be running on your PC.
Take a moment to review the running processes on your computer (press ctrl-alt-del, choose Task Manager, and click on the Processes tab. Click on the User Name header to sort the processes so everything with your computer name is showing first). Write down everything that is running, and research each item. Most are normal, and you may not find anything that shouldn't be running. Next time you notice your computer running slow or getting popups, check your running processes and compare them to your original list. Again, be sure to research anything before taking action.

5. Clean your temporary files.
Every time you visit a page good or bad pieces of it are remembered in your browser. Clean these regularly to ensure that you're not getting infected every time you launch your browser.

For any program that you are thinking about installing, do your homework first. Read the reviews on reputable sites like cnet or PC World, and download directly from the manufacturer's website whenever possible. Research any item that is reported to you as suspicious a quick Google search can weed out any false-positives.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Jowsey.
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