We hear about spyware all the time these days: in online ads, on TV, occasionally from friends… but nobody seems to ever take the time to explain what it really is and how to prevent getting it in the first place. Many times we’re also left wondering what program actually does the best job of getting rid of it when we have it! There are so many options out there, and they range from expensive to free. In this article I want to cover a few free tools that will effectively keep you free from spyware.
AdAware
This is a powerful yet free tool that will monitor your computer for spyware at all times. It also offers a more detailed scan that you can run at your convenience. I’ve found it to be very effective at getting rid of most bugs, especially ones that violate your privacy. (Tracking cookies, etc.) It isn’t the most effective at removing the more malicious bugs though.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
This particular tool is very very effective at removing a nasty bug from your system. Can’t surf the web anymore? Ads keep popping up? An unknown tool keep telling you that your computer is infected with a virus? Malwarebytes is the most likely to get rid of the infection. Be aware that it does not contain a full time protection feature, so you may want to use this in combination with AdAware.
SpyBot S&D
A more plain and simpler tool, SpyBot S&D is still very effective at catching infections that might be missed by AdAware. SpyBot is developed for free, so you might consider donating to their cause. SpyBot has a large database of known infections and can remove a good number of pesky spyware infections.
Why Do I Care?
After listing all of this information, you may be wondering why you should care about spyware at all. If your computer is not acting up it could be really easy to forget to install a removal tool, or to scan for infections. Unfortunately, many times it’s too late when you start to notice problems. Spyware can steal your personal information: usernames, passwords, credit card and banking info… anything on your computer. Spyware can decrease your system’s overall performance as well. Keeping your system clean and properly maintained can increase performance and productivity.
I hope that the tools I have shared will be of use to you! Please let me know what has worked for you, or any questions you might have in the comments below. I try to answer every comment that I receive.
Nathan's Tips n Tricks 
I have used “spy bot ” and “maleware bytes” And have found both to be quite effective. I also have AVG pro now and super spyware remover. When I run that and any other spyware program after it , the second one can’t find anything else! So I guess its pretty good! I gave Mcaffe the heave ho cause it was beginning to NOT be able to remove “Pups” Any thoughts?
I have not had personal experience with super spyware remover, but I agree McAfee does not do a good job removing malware.