How do you effectively fight adware and what adware removal software is best?

I recommend several techniques, used in tandem:

1) Use anti-spyware software.
This is software that specifically targets the nastiest Adware and Spyware and removes it. There are a plethora of programs out there to choose from so I am actually going to make some recommendations.
One I have worked with both at home and in my job is Noadware. It is easy to use and works really well. It catches Adware and Spyware that some of the free ones I tried didnt catch. To check it out and get a free scan of your computer you can click here . Another program I have used and highly recommend is XoftSpy.
There is also an adware and spyware remover that works well and is free to home users Adaware . I use both Noadware and Adaware and they work effectively when used in combination with anti-virus software. These need to be updated as well and the software prompts with you to update with both of these programs when you run them, so they are fairly low maintenance.

2) Have good anti-virus software and keep it updated.
Many people have anti-virus software, but not all of them keep it updated. You can set it up to auto-update if you leave your computer on all of the time, or you can update it manually. I manually update every Saturday. To do this you can double click on the icon for your software. It is usually located on the bottom right hand side of your desktop, across from the START button. If you are using XP you may have to click the little arrow down there to see the icon. McAfees is an M and Nortons is a little yellow shield. When you double click the icon, the program will come up and there should be a button there to update.

So, keep the anti-virus software updated. This will help protect you from the newest threats.

3) Beware of the FREE stuff!
Everyone likes free stuff. Free screensavers, free games, free pictures and free music are all popular downloads from the web. Use caution when downloading these, however, because often these freebies are far from free. I just dont download them anymore; I have been burned too many times. If you do choose to download them, be careful and read the screens CAREFULLY when you are downloading and/or installing these items. Sometimes you can actually agree to install adware on your computer without even realizing that you are clicking okay. If you are a mad clicker like I am, you will need to override this tendency when you are dealing with freeware and shareware. Dont just click okay, okay, okayoften with these adware installs, the default answer is not the best one.

4) Turning off System Restore.
(WARNING: this step is not for everyone)

Often these programs will set themselves up in way that even if you uninstall them they will reinstall themselves. They use your System Restore feature. You can disable this feature to thwart the adware and keep it from reinstalling. There is a downside to this though. If you need this feature and you turn it off then the back-up of your system will not be there. I use software to back-up my system, so I keep System Restore turned off. If you have never used the System Restore feature and dont think you ever will, you may want to turn it off. It is totally your call. To get to System Restore go to: START>SETTINGS>CONTROL PANEL>SYSTEM and then click on the SYSTEM RESTORE Tab. You can uncheck it to turn off system restore.

For more FREE info on computing check out this cool site:
www.geekshoppingmall.com
Also check out these for more info on adware and spyware:
http://adware---remover.blogspot.com
http://adware-kill.blogspot.com

Tam has 20 years of computing experience both as a user and a systems administrator. Her B.A. is in Computer Science and Business.