How To Remove Adware Virus

It's always good to remove adware virus if you think that you have one. The biggest sign of an adware virus is a significant decrease in computer performance. You may also have an almost endless explosion of pop-ups when you start your internet browser. Here are the ways to make sure these nasty things get removed and don't come back.

The first step to remove an adware virus is to prevent it from getting very far using these strategies:

1. Invest in anti-virus software. Whatever you do, DON'T buy anti-adware programs advertised by pop-ups on the Internet. These can be just as bad as an adware virus.
2. Don't download anything from sites that look sketchy. Don't click banner ads and close pop-ups as soon as they open.
3. Be sure to clear your history, your cookies, and your temp folder.
   

If you've already been infected, try these steps:

1. Check for the Adware Virus. Press ctrl+alt+del to look at the processes on your computer. Click the "Processes" tab and then organize the processes by memory usage but clicking the "Mem Usage" tab. Shut down any process that looks suspicious. Most adware viruses are labelled with a bunch of "BRSCN.EXE" kind of titles. Anything that you aren't running should be shut down.
2. Check Windows Explorer. Once you know what the adware virus is labeled, right-click the "Start" icon and click "Search." Search for that acronym and delete it. 
3. Prevent Slow Start-Ups. Now, click the "Start" icon and click "Run." Type "msconfig." Click the "Startup" tab here and uncheck the boxes for weird acronyms and programs that you don't need. This will prevent adware viruses from being run at all and it's especially handy if you can't figure out a way to properly delete them. 
4. System Restore. If things are really bad, click the "Start" icon" and click "Run." Type "msconfig." Click the "Launch System Restore" button and then run "Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time." Before you do anything else, make sure every file you want to keep saved is backed up. System Restore is a mysterious operation, but it essentially undoes recent installations and processes. This should remove any adware virus from the recent past. System checkpoints are usually set automatically, so find a good point on the calendar display and click it.
5. Run the Computer in Safe Mode. This will prevent almost every kind of adware virus from running and give an opportunity to sort out your computer if it's really messed up. Press "F8" when the computer is starting up and you will be able to enter "Safe Mode." Then, try steps one through four.

If these steps fail to remove a particularly bad adware virus, it may be time to put the computer in the hands of someone who knows computers. Some retailers have a very helpful staff for computer problems.