Title:  How do I remove adware and/or spyware from my computer?

Question:
I think my Windows computer might be infected with adware or spyware. How
do I remove adware and spyware from my computer; how do I ensure that my
computer is protected in the future?

Answer:
Adware and spyware are two types of computer software that are typically
installed accidentally or unknowingly either by masquerading as another
application or by installing themselves without your consent. Similar to
viruses, adware and spyware can have a number of negative affects on your
computer. Adware is typically designed to deliver advertisements to your
computer while spyware is created to collect your personal information and
in some cases redirect your internet traffic. As such, adware and spyware
often present security risks to computer users.

When a computer is infected with adware and/or spyware you may notice some
of the following symptoms:

* Drastically reduced computing performance (you computer is much less
responsive).
* Your homepage has changed to something you didn't set it to.
* Internet traffic is redirected to incorrect or unrequested sites.
* Pop-up windows appear even though you use pop-up blocking software or
browsers.
* Pop-up windows appear even though you don't have a web-browser open.

Given that adware and spyware can damage your system, removing them is
important. There are several applications available to remove spyware; the
UW supports Spybot Search and Destroy for spyware removal. For more
information on spyware, anti-spyware tools and removing spyware, please
visit the following website:

http://www.washington.edu/computing/security/spyware/