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| I see pop-up
advertisements all the time |
| Some unwanted
software will bombard you with pop-up ads that aren't related to
a particular Web site you're visiting. These ads are often for
adult or other Web sites you may find objectionable. If you see
pop-up ads as soon as you turn on your computer or when you're
not even browsing the Web, you may have spyware or other
unwanted software on your computer. |
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| My settings
have changed and I can't change them back to the way they were |
| Some unwanted software has the ability
to change your home page or search page settings. This means
that the page that opens first when you start your Internet
browser or the page that appears when you select "search" may be
pages that you do not recognize. Even if you know how to adjust
these settings, you may find that they revert back every time
you restart your computer. |
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| My Web browser
contains additional components that I don't remember
downloading. |
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| Spyware and other unwanted
software can add additional toolbars to your Web browser that
you don't want or need. Even if you know how to remove these
toolbars, they may return each time you restart your computer. |
| |
My computer seems sluggish |
| Spyware and other unwanted
software are not necessarily designed to be efficient. The
resources these programs use to track your activities and
deliver advertisements can slow down your computer and errors in
the software can make your computer crash. If you notice a
sudden increase in the number of times a certain program
crashes, or if your computer is slower than normal at performing
routine tasks, you may have spyware or other unwanted software
on your machine. |
