Detailed Description:

First off, spyware is simply rogue software that the following things: It arrives on your pc without your consent or the pc owners consent, it has no easy way to uninstall or intentionally reinstalls if you remove parts of it, changes your pc and browser settings without your consent, and communicates with an external server or external email address without your knowledge.
Note that I do not consider "child monitoring" programs, etc. as spyware even if they do log computer activity, since those programs are installed by the computer owner intentionally. Now if keyloggers arrive "without" someone actually downloading and installing it intentionally, then certainly that is rogue software and is spyware.

Spyware can get on your computer several ways. The main way is by visiting suspect porn sites where the sites are setup to draw alot of traffic, but then they use browser security holes to force your browser to automatically download and install their software. You may even see your desktop icons change to add new icons if this happens (this is famous for adding gambling or porn icons on your desktop), or you may even see your browser favorites list get new entries without you setting these up. Activex controls through IE have been known to have alot of security holes, as have java in browsers, as these are the main methods for taking advantage of these loopholes. When service pack 2 came out on XP, many of these security holes got plugged and has made it much tougher on spyware writers. If you are still running Windows 95 or 98, or even ME or the early version of XP, you should upgrade if you are having spyware problems, since this will help alot.

Spyware can also arrive by downloading freeware software and installing it, as often rogue programs can be installed with it. It is one of the reasons I always download shareware (also called "free trials") instead, as shareware includes free trials but is not freeware, since shareware requires a small fee to purchase after using first.

This site provides a list of interesting subjects, tips, and tricks. Although it is mostly computer tips, there are also tips and tricks related to various other helpful topics besides just computers. If you have an important tip that you think should be listed, feel free to post it below. Although I still take tips via email, I often scan and review posts on the page below and prefer that method.

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