It seems like every time you start using the computer, you have to clear away a ton of ads. I know the feeling, and it's extremely annoying. Adware (the software responsible for the ad popups on your computer) has really gone too far.
What is Adware?
It should be noted that just because you see ads on your computer, that doesn't mean that you have adware. Many websites are supported by advertising. A tell-tale sign of an infection on your machine is when you see ad popups without browsing the internet, such as while using your word processor.
Adware is the name for a group of malicious software that displays ads on an infected computer. While technically a virus, adware doesn't actually prevent the computer from running, it just makes it really annoying to do so. The creator of the adware benefits from all of this by pocketing the revenue from the ads displayed on your computer.
How do you get rid of it?
There are a number of ways to get rid of adware on your computer. To manually remove adware, you first have to use msconfig or HijackThis to figure out what exactly you have infecting your system. From there, you can follow various online guides to get rid of it.
Alternatively, you can use one of the many anti-adware programs available online to detect any infection on your computer. Most programs allow you to scan your system for free, although you have to pay for the actual removal service (usually a small one-time fee).
There are a couple of free adware removal programs available, but I've seen plenty of reports of them just being used to install malware of their own instead of actually doing any good. You get what you pay for in this day and age, sadly.
