The first few signs that you have spyware (unsolicited software which has embedded and infiltrated your computer) is the sudden appearance of adverts or commercials known as “popups” (because, they literally pop up on the screen) and a sudden slowness to your computer that you can't explain.

Spyware seeks out to collect information from your computer and reports this information to its creator or any third party it is programmed to report to. The kind of information it usually looks for is your internet browsing activity, but it may often also look for passwords and logons. How it gets this is through a 'keystroke' program.

Keystroke programs were initially created for many good things. One of them was for concerned parents who wanted to know what their child was doing on the computer while they were away. The keystroke program actually makes a log of everything typed in, clicked on, and done when the user is on the computer. This way parents could easily see what their children were doing.

Keystrokes are also used for security in high-profile organisations. However, in the hands of spyware manufacturers, they can be bad news. This time they will collect passwords, logons, or even credit card details in an effort to do the obvious.

Because spyware is always spying and watching, it slows down your computer considerably, hence the sluggish problem. This is one of the best signs that something has gone wrong on your computer, although does not always mean you do. But if you do you require spyware and adware removal software. This is the best way to protect yourself from this pain called spyware.

Spyware and adware removal software on the market

There are plenty of spyware and adware removal programs which you can get from the internet or at the retail shop. Spyware is a real phenomenon these days and is expanding daily, which has given software developers the right motivation to get going and create spyware removal programs.

Windows XP and Vista owners may have had spyware and adware removal software already installed on their machine when they got their copy of Windows. While Microsoft's version is very good, it is suggested that users have at least two antispyware programs on their machine to ensure that they are fully protected. This is because spyware variants are coming out all the time, and some antispyware software makers may not always be able to keep up to date with what is out there. (One could argue that Microsoft, having such a large service offering, may not always be the best in terms of keeping up to date with spyware.)

Free spyware and adware removal software is available on the internet but not all of these are the best. One of the better solutions is rather to download a trial version of a commercial version of anti-spyware, or a 'shareware' version that does not have all the features, and use that.

Most especially, do not download any software from unsolicited sources (such as popups on your screen) as this is probably the adware on your computer trying to get you to download its own product!