If your browser’s homepage changes automatically, your computer most likely has spyware or a virus on it. You may have noticed other telltale signs of this as well, such as your Internet being slower than usual. You don’t need fancy antivirus software like Norton or McAfee. There are much easier ways to check and get rid of spyware.
Check to see if the problem is adware or just your own programs lagging your computer.
1. Open the task manager by pressing CTRL + ALT + DELETE and find any processes that are using an abnormally high amount of memory.
2. Go to google.com.
3. Type in the name of the suspicious looking files and research whether or not they are malicious.
4. Go to My Computer and search your C:\ drive.
5. Delete the malicious files ONLY IF YOU ARE SURE that they are malicious. If an error message pops up saying it is in use, stop the process with Task Manager and try again.
In the future
– Don’t download any browser toolbars or any third party software from suspicious sites.
– Use a browser such as Mozilla Firefox, which blocks most ads.
– Use Microsoft Windows Defender to protect your PC.
Other Tips
– Not all anti-virus programs offer anti-adware or spyware protection.
– Spyware is defined as “Software that sends information about your web surfing habits to its web site.”
– Adware is considered “to go beyond the reasonable advertising that one might expect from freeware or shareware.”
– If you really want to avoid adware, then consider switching to a Linux or BSD operating system.
Additional Help
If the issue persists after trying all of these things, then you should use TalkLocal to get the best help you can get quickly from local IT service professionals. We will connect you with up to three professional computer technicians in just minutes.
