A lot of these programs give you a choice to opt out so you should always read installation prompts carefully and be sure to uncheck anything you may not want installed. Most users just hit Next >> repeatedly until the program is installed.

Some bundleware is becoming more aggressive with it's "extras" and do not give you choices. This is quite annoying, to say the least. Some of these extras may include things like browser toolbars that can hijack your start and search pages, and much much more. The list of things programs labeled as "spyware" can do is almost endless. Type in "Spyware" or "Adware" in any good search engine and you'll find entire sites dedicated to this internet plague.

Celebrity Desktop tries to mark new listings that may possibly contain these "add-ons" to give users a heads up. We cannot control what authors, movie sites and file distribution sites bundle with their free offerings. The best we can do is try to phase them out of our listings with alternatives that do not contain such annoyances.

Below are some of the best software programs for spyware checking and removal. All of these tools are free and for the Windows operating systems. Don't be shy about having more than one installed on your computer. In our experience, one program will usually detect something another will miss. Make it a habit of doing a scan at least once a week and especially after installing software you've downloaded off the internet to be sure your system is clean of any unwanted and potentially dangerous programs that have come bundled with that software you've download.

ADAWARE
Ad-Aware is a privacy tool, that scans your memory, registry, hard, removable and optical drives for known data-mining, aggressive advertising, and tracking components. AdAware comes in a few flavors. There is a freeware version that works great, a Plus version with extra security features, and a professional version geared towards network security.

SPYBOT SEARCH & DESTROY
Spybot can detect and remove spyware of different kinds from your computer. Highly recommended. This program is freeware.

SPYWARE BLASTER
SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it from ever being installed. By setting a "kill bit" for spyware ActiveX controls, SpywareBlaster can prevent the installation of any spyware ActiveX controls from a webpage. It does this while not interfering with "friendly" ActiveX controls - so your browser can work correctly and you can have peace of mind! You won't get any more annoying "Yes/No" boxes popped up, asking you to install a spyware ActiveX control (which can increasingly be found in pop-up ads!). In fact, Internet Explorer will never even download or run the spyware ActiveX control! In addition, SpywareBlaster can prevent many of these spyware ActiveX controls from running, even if they are already installed on your system. Another great free program.

SPYWARE GUARD
SpywareGuard provides a real-time protection solution against spyware that is a great addition to SpywareBlaster's protection method. An anti-virus program scans files before you open them and prevents execution if a virus is detected - SpywareGuard does the same thing, but for spyware! And you can easily have an anti-virus program running alongside SpywareGuard.

ZONEALARM
Everyone on the internet should be running a firewall program, especially broadband users. ZoneAlarm is the most popular out there, and will alert you if a program is trying to connect to the internet or someone is trying to connect to you without permission. Highly recommended.

See Also: Anti-Virus Programs | Security Pitstop

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