Spyware is software that installs itself onto our computers without our knowledge. You have probably been a victim of spyware if you notice changes in your computer such as extreme slowness or a change in your browser settings that you have not made. Spyware can cause a lot of little annoyances to your computer and the best thing to do is remove it fast and prevent it from happening with a good spyware removal software.

Choosing a good spyware remover can take a bit of time as you want to choose one that is going to be easy to use and get the job done. The first place to conduct your research is by searching for software reviews online. Reviews can be helpful if they are written by actual users who have really put the software through its paces. Beware of the reviews that find nothing wrong with the software as they are probably only pushing the product to make a sale. A good review will point out its strengths as well as its weaknesses.

The criteria that you should use to determine whether or not the spyware software is of good quality are relatively simple. First off, is it user friendly? There is nothing worse than installing the software and being overwhelmed with a ton of features that will take you months to figure out. There are many good programs available that keep the average computer user in mind - keeping the software as user friendly as possible.

You will also want to consider how well the software runs in the background. A good spyware remover will hum along unnoticed in the background without slowing down your computer, allowing you to continue working while it is doing its job. Check to see if the software also provides monitoring for spyware in "real time." This is critical as there are new spyware programs invading the internet every day.

It will also help to find out if the spyware software has won any awards or has been recognized for its product. Any good spyware removal product worth its salt will readily admit to not being able to clean up the spyware on your computer in just one use. It may take several runs of the software to achieve this as well as several software updates. If a program claims they can achieve this after one run, they are more than likely making false claims. The software should also download regular updates at least every few days.

Customer service is also a huge deciding factor. If you run into an issue that is just beyond your capabilities, it is good to know that you can call customer service and have them walk you through your issue. A good customer support team will contact you within a matter of hours via email or by phone.

Besides installing your spyware software as a preventative measure, also remember to avoid downloading software that you are not sure of. If you don't need it or it isn't a legitimate product, chances are its only purpose is to embed spyware onto your computer.