Blocking Unwanted Software

The best offense is a good defense. That's especially true with spyware, because its developers go to great lengths to make it difficult to remove. The most insidious forms of spyware burrow into well-hidden corners of the file system and the registry and immediately begin downloading additional components. Getting rid of unwanted software can be a trying experience, and some of the most pernicious programs can stubbornly resist even an expert's attempts at removal; many are programmed to reinstall themselves if not excised with surgical precision. Even if you succeed at removing the parts that cause pop-up ads and general system slow-downs, you can't really be certain you got rid of every trace of the offending program. ...

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