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a.k.a. "I didn't tell Internet Explorer to do that!"

It used to be that the only things you had to worry about on the Internet were viruses. Now, however, you've got all kinds of privacy issues along with viruses. You've got websites trying to collect your personal data, trying to sell it to the highest bidder, so you can receive more spam in your email box. Fun stuff, eh?

There's another player on this information warfare front, and it's not on your side. It's called Spyware, or Adware. (Henceforth, we're just going to call it Spyware)

Spyware is particularly nasty because it is actually installed on your PC, almost always without your knowledge. Sometimes it's installed through minor security holes in Internet Explorer. More often, it piggybacks along with some other software that you've downloaded. File-sharing applications like KaZaa and Limewire are notorious offenders of this sort.

Its purpose is to collect information to be used in advertising. At its most basic, it will track your web browsing habits, and send that information back to a server, where it can be added to a database so the advertising can "Tailor" its ads to what you supposedly like, based on the type of sites you visit.

Other types will actually display ads on your computer. (This is where Adware comes in) Sometimes they will be displayed as the hated pop-up/pop-under ads. Other times the software will overlay the legitimate advertising on a site with its own.

Particularly nasty Adware types will reset your homepage in Internet Explorer to some type of advertising page. Some of these will actually remove the 'General' tab in the IE settings, thus preventing you from changing your homepage back.

If the invasion of your privacy wasn't enough, there are more reasons to hate Spyware. Many times the software is poorly written, and it can contribute to system instability, and the dreaded Blue Screen Of Death. Spyware can also leave your computer vulnerable to viruses and other attacks because of the way it connects to the Internet.

So, we've determined that Spyware=Evil. Let's get on to fixing it.

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