If you don't know what spyware is, then maybe you should do a bit of browsing with "spyware" as the search word and read up on it. Basically, when you view certain sites, download music or other programs, the site owners place a 'cookie' on your computer.

That cookie tracks every move you make and then reports back to the site owner where you've been browsing, which gives a fair idea of what you've been looking at. Some use it for assessing competition, others can use it to generate spam emails, so if you have been inundated with spam, chances are it will decrease dramatically if you use a spyware checker frequently.

There are hundreds of spyware checkers out there, some you can buy, others are free. I personally use Lavasoft's AdAware, and I find it to be efficient. If someone can point me in the direction of a better one (for free), then I will gladly change this page accordingly.

If you want a free version of AdAware then you can get it here by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. It's a 1.5 Mb download.

Install it, then take the time to read their help age and see how to use it. It will be time well spent.

Always make a point of checking for updates of the Reference File, down in the bottom right hand corner.

Download the free version of Lavasoft's AdAware 6 here