Spyware is a pesky problem that we all have to deal with at one time or another.  Sometimes however, you won’t even know that you’re computer is infected.

A primary sign your computer has spyware is it appears to run extremely slowly.  If simple navigating of the internet or other programs are dead slow – you probably have spyware.

Spyware can cause many problems on your computer, it can slow it down substantially, cause programs to crash, install unwanted software on your computer, change your browser homepage just to name a few.  Probably the most scary part of spyware is some of it is coded to track your online habits and even steal information like credit cards and bank account numbers.  Enough enough already – let’s get rid of it.

Removing spyware can be easy or it can be difficult depending on what you’ve been infected with.  The good news is there are some pretty good programs out there to help you combat spyware and keep your computer running clean and smooth.

If I get caught with spyware, I generally take a 3 step approach to get rid of it.

1. Clear my browser cookies and cache and start fresh

2. Run CCleaner, I run the cleaner and once that’s done I scan the registry for errors

3. Open up Spyware Doctor and let it do it’s thing

This three step process is often enough to eliminate most forms of spyware that have latched on to your computer.

You shouldn’t wait until your computer becomes devastatingly slow in order to run these programs.  I personally run CCleaner usually once a day, I’ll check the registry once a week and I’ll use Spyware Doctor to constantly monitor my computer – needless to say, taking these measures – spyware isn’t much of a problem really.