Spyware… Something that should be avoided however is easily caught.  Spyware can cause serious damage on a computer, while sometimes it does hardly anything. It just depends on the type of spyware and how many infections are on the target computer. Even though most anti-virus programs can kick out most types of spyware before they do any damage, sometimes the anti-virus programs don’t find them in time. And before you know it, most of your personal information has been sent to a different computer.

Most spyware comes in groups. They are rarely alone. If you find on infection on your computer, you are bound to have many more “invisible” infections that are doing little to no harm. Heck, you could have spyware on your computer right now and not even know it! This is why it is very important to run scans often and keep you antivirus up to date. You know, just to make sure that everything is cleaned out well.

Even if your computer is running extremely slow, this doesn’t mean you have to buy a new computer. A normal effect of Spyware is that it slows down computers, and in the most extreme case, you may just need to totally re-install the whole system. This means formatting your hard drive and putting on a new operating system. And if your computer is running slow, it may not have spyware. It may need a RAM upgrade or you may be low on hard drive space.

You may just have a virus and not spyware. Or even worse, you could have a worm. All of these are terrible infections to have on your computer. If you find yourself having these infections, it would be very wise to get these cleaned out as soon as possible. This may require contacting technical support, purchasing additional software, or even taking it to a computer shop.

Hopefully you can find out what is really wrong with your computer when you find it running slower than usual. It may be spyware, it may be a virus, or it may just need a good, healthy restart. Good luck with your computer troubles!