You may be suffering from the poor performance of your computer, especially in your connection. You are most probably unaware that you are a victim of the spyware or adware programs. These programs affect the performance of the computer because of its malicious software that distracts and interrupts the user upon doing a task.

Without your knowledge or consent, spyware can secretly track all your personal information and internet habits, while forwarding the information to an unknown third party. Adware has the ability to aggravate you with unwanted advertisements, even if you are not online.

Spyware and adware are not the same as viruses or worms. Usually they affect the performance of your PC, making it run extremely slowly for no apparent reason or completely preventing a program from working at all. Spyware and adware usually wind up on your computer in one of two different ways:

1. Either as a download with freeware that you yourself install or

2. Covertly, or disguised as something else.

Although, this is no longer the case, all you needed for computer protection was virus protection. However, today, if adware and spyware get into your computer, you will find its solution by installing a good software program that will detect and remove these problems for you.

Here is a list of the most popularly useful free downloads you can find online for cleaning up problems related to adware and spyware.

- Ad-Aware is developed by the Lavasoft to detect and remove spyware, adware, and other persistent malware programs from your computer. This spyware removal program is offered for free by its developer. Some of its versions with plus and pros are offered at reasonable prices.

- Spybot Search & Destroy has the ability to not only find and stop the harmful affects of adware and spyware files installed on your computer, while including a file shredder to ensure that any damaging programs are entirely removed from your computer system by destroying them.

- Spyware Blaster gets great ratings from users. It is effective and easy to use and it also blocks these malevolent programs from being installed in the first place.

- Windows Defender is a spyware and adware removal program formerly known as Microsoft Anti-Spyware. This is developed by Microsoft only for licensed version of Microsoft Windows to prevent, remove, and quarantine spyware for the protection of your computer.

It doesn’t hurt to use more than one of these programs on your computer. One scan may catch something that another doesn’t - and they are all free, so you can’t lose!