Spyware

[marwel7]

Can anyone tell me,in very simple terms please,just what adware and spyware are,how they get onto your computer and what they do.

[spacechimp]

they track your online movements and can cause targeted advertising. they tend to be cookies or things which you download

[alunrw]

Taken from an online definition

Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. ...

[b0shb4ll]

Cookies my ar5e. These are programs that generally download from a script mostly that runs in the background. Most harmless ones simply record what pages you visit and send you adverts based on this. But you must also realize they are in contact with a server which keeps a record of this. But, most are not very well written and zap power from your computer (memory and processor power can be down by 60%). Worse than this they can be virtually impossible to remove unless you have a good knowledge of editing your registry and start up files.