Is There Any Way to Detect AdWare Before it Gets on Your PC?

Have you ever opened a website and immediately seen half a dozen small windows pop up in front of you about anything from male enhancement to online dating?

These popups are powered by AdWare, small bits and pieces of software that websites will download to your computer through the web browser's built in data caching - cookies and old files. While most of the time AdWare doesn't cause any long term damage to your computer, it can severely slow down its performance and get in your way over and over again - blocking your view of the content on the screen.

So, it is no small wonder that many people wonder if there is an effective way to detect and abolish AdWare before it even gets onto their PC. Luckily, there are options out there that can help you.

To start with, users should follow a few simple rules that will mitigate how often AdWare can even become a problem. Certain websites pose larger problems than others and should be avoided at all costs. This includes websites with picture, video, or music downloads of any kind, forums that are not part of a larger, official website, anything related to spam topics like gambling, dating, or pharmaceuticals, and most online dating websites. You're going to find that the vast majority of AdWare will come from these types of sites - if you avoid them, you cut out the chance of it getting through.

However, for the small percentage of remaining AdWare that can get into your computer, there are options to detect it. Most modern browsers come with some form of AdWare protection, allowing you to see which websites you are about to visit might be high risk. By turning on these features, you can ensure that you get a warning before you enter a site that might cause problems to your computer.

The best way to detect and block AdWare from getting into your computer though is to have a good anti-AdWare software installed that will work whenever the computer is on to detect potential AdWare, and block or delete it before it reaches your computer.

This software will remain on at all times, usually in the taskbar at the bottom right hand of your computer. Whenever you open a website, download a file, or open an email, it will scan the contents of those files and tell you if there is anything to be concerned with. In small cases, it will block unwanted downloads of AdWare files and in more severe cases it will warn you about an infection and quarantine or delete the file much in the same way that anti-Virus software operates.

By combining common sense, a careful eye for high risk websites and a good piece of anti-AdWare software, you can keep your computer safe from any number of unwanted popups, infectious files and annoying AdWare that will slow you down and get in the way.

Copyright (c) 2009 Graham McKenzie

Graham McKenzie is the content Syndication Manager at SpywareRemovalDoc.com the leading Spyware Removal Software provider.

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