Adware is a program that installs components to the user's hard-drive via their internet connection that delivers the consumer unwanted advertisements through the use of pop-up ads or an additional toolbar on the browser. Spyware, on the other hand, installs a program to the hard drive via the user's internet connection that allows remote hackers, in the worst cases, to take screen shots and monitor key strokes of the consumer in an effort to obtain sensitive and private financial and personal information, including account numbers, passwords, and user IDs. This critical information can then be used to steal a person's funds or their entire identity. In the process of performing their intended functions, adware and spyware will also cause system anomalies that can prevent the entire operating system from performing properly.

Naturally, the prolific use of anti-virus software to prevent adware and spyware has given rise to a new type of threat- rogue antivirus software. Rogue antivirus or security software, also called scareware, is a type of malware that poses as genuine antivirus software claiming to scan the user's system for the presence of computer virus threats. It plays on consumers' fear by professing to detect numerous instances of other viruses, spyware and adware, and insists that the user pay a certain fee to have their system returned to its original state. The detection of a fake virus is usually enough to fool even the most savvy home user into paying a nominal fee, which naturally is pure profit to the purveyor of the scareware, as no improvements whatsoever are performed on the consumer's system. On the contrary, the simulated scans and fake program installations can actually cause components of a person's system to stop working properly.

Scareware, or rogue antivirus and security programs, will usually have a Trojan horse component that the consumer can be misled into installing in many different ways, including a new plug-in or extension, specific codec required to play a video clip, or an image or file attached to an email message. Recently, aggressive scareware manufacturers have managed to push their infected URLs to the top of the results in search engines, and when the consumer clicks on the first link, they are redirected through a series of malicious sites before finally landing on a page that insists the problem has been caused by a computer virus (in reality a fake virus) and that the consumer should immediately download and pay for the rogue program to remove unwanted elements.

Knowing that scareware is the main computer virus threat is the first step in avoiding it. It is important for the consumer to realize that no reputable antivirus program will overly aggressively insist that they pay for and download additional antivirus or scanning software. In addition, one must never download any plug-ins, programs or email attachments unless they are from absolutely reputable sources and can pass the rigors of a true antivirus scan. Because certain computer viruses will change elements of the user's operating system so that the rogue software cannot be uninstalled, it is especially crucial to avoid installing them to begin with. If one does get installed, prevent it from gaining access to the internet and use a reputable tool, usually free, that is specifically designed to remove this type of malware.

1. How is a Virus Different from other Types of Malicious Files?

Many people tend to think of any malicious software as a virus when in actual fact, there are many forms of malware that do different things when they infect a system. The other common forms of malware include spyware, adware, worms and keyloggers. A Trojan horse virus will only be activated when the user takes action to run it, and it will attempt to do this by tricking the user to click on links that take them to malicious sites. Only a virus is able to replicate itself and spread to other PCs.

2. Removing a Trojan Horse Virus Quickly

The fastest way that I have used is to download antivirus protection and removal software. This type of PC program contains a database of signature definitions belonging to viruses and other malware. By running a scan and fix on my computer, it was able to detect all the viruses in my system and subsequently delete all of them in less than 30 minutes.

3. How Does a Trojan Horse Removal Software Work?

It is able to find malicious files when it compares all the file signatures in your PC against those in the software's database. Once it has found matches, it will then quarantine the suspicious files for you to confirm if they are indeed malware.

What is a Trojan and how does it Work?

A Trojan is an especially malicious form of virus that gets into your system and wreaks havoc from within. A big reason why a Trojan is so good at doing damage is the fact that they infiltrate your system looking like a normal, innocuous file (thus the name Trojan after the Trojan Horse). Here are some of the most common types of damage a Trojan will do to your system.

• Delete either random files or specific types of files.
• Steal your passwords for all of your online programs and websites, sending them to the attacker.
• Steal information like credit card numbers and the like.
• Steal personal information including pictures, documents and conversations.
• Make your computer unusable due to slow down or similar issues.

Getting Rid of Trojans in Windows 7

Now, as previously mentioned the easiest way to get rid of Trojans is to never get them in the first place. Being very careful about what programs you run on your computer and what files you download (especially from unknown sources) is the best way to keep yourself from getting these malicious bits of code. Still, when you do eventually get one there are some great actions you can take to remove them from your system.

• First, you want to do any spyware scanning or virus removal from Windows 7's "Safe Mode." To enter into this mode, restart your computer and hold or tap F8, and then choose to boot your system in Safe Mode.
• From Safe Mode you're going to want to run a scan of your system with an Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware program. Make sure that this program is recently updated. Some Trojans will implement protocols that will keep your Antivirus or Antispyware from updating, so manually downloading the newest version is a good option.
• Run a scan and delete any files it finds. Often it's helpful to set your program to run again the next time your system boots and then to immediately restart your computer.

Adware and spyware while different entities, are similar in their widespread infiltration of today's computer systems; and subsequently, they are often referred to within the same breath. Adware is responsible for the "pop-ups" that invade our space - both online and off - advertising a number of different products. Adware, having permeated our computers, can be extremely difficult to eradicate. Spyware - much as it name suggests - links into our personal files that we keep on our computers and manages to capture and distribute private information.

The existence of adware and spyware on your computer will often result in computer programs running slower than normal or crashing on a frequent basis. Adware is significantly easier to detect because of the frequent advertising pop-up windows on the computer. Spyware can be at work taking vital pieces of your personal information long before you are even aware that it is at work.

In order to protect your computer against adware and spyware, be wary of any software that you install or download on your computer. Most programs such as adware and spyware find their way into your computer via a variety of free downloads so be extremely fickle about what you choose to install into your system.

And ironically enough, you should also be wary of those pop-ups that offer to clean your system of adware and spyware. These disreputable programs actually do the opposite - allowing this dangerous software to download into your system. You should hold to a hard and fast rule of never clicking on any pop-up windows and giving the opportunity for any programs to infiltrate your system.

Also be selective about what information you keep on your computer. Use your credit card sparingly online and only give personal information to online resources that you know are reputable. Adware and spyware - once present on your computer - can cause quite a bit of damage. But if you are preventative and measured in your actions online and proceed with caution, you can be sure to keep your computer adware and spyware free.

Some people, called hackers, have also used the Internet as a tool to destroy valuable information, or tamper with people's private accounts. Viruses have turned on a rampage in the Internet many times before. Unsuspecting people using the Internet may not be aware that the software they are downloading is loaded with a Trojan or a worm virus. Some software also contain spyware or malware, which either harvests private information and sends it to a hacker online, or is a ticking bomb that slowly destroys the computer.

One symptom which indicates that your computer has been infected by a virus is when the Internet connection is so slow. One possible reason is that the computer system might have been infected by a virus or spyware, taking up a lot of bandwidth, and allowing a hacker to gain access to the computer users private information stored on the hard drive. Another possibility is that an unauthorized browser might have been downloaded with the computer user's knowledge or consent. These BHOs or browser helper objects takes up a lot of diskspace and bandwidth, thereby slowing down the computer's processing speed and internet connection.

The worst case scenario for a slow Internet connection is the presence of an unwanted computer worm in the program. While computer virus infects the software programs, causing inconvenience in the system's function, a computer worm can lead to a complete system failure. A similar incident happened at the University of Pittsburgh campus in Johnstown. A worm virus has infected the computer labs, and its Internet access has been in a virtual standstill. This has prompted school officials to closed down computer lab operations. However, it is fortunate that no vital data has been lost from the students' computers. Similar accounts seemed to be pretty common in other companies and in other parts of the world.

What Is a Virus?

Computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation. There are several types of viruses, including boot sector viruses, link viruses, and macro viruses. Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file and it performs when run or open the malicious program. The amount of damage done by a virus varies significantly, some viruses are never even detected while others erase program data, destroy information on hard drives, and are a hassle to detect and remove. Mostly the computer viruses spread by sharing infecting files or sending virus attached e-mails.

What Is a Worm?
Computer worms are programs that reproduce, execute independently and travel across the network connections. This is due to security shortcomings on the target computer. Worms are designed to enter computers and then scan systems for security flaws and look for areas that are unprotected. The biggest danger with a worm is its capability to replicate itself on your system, so the security threat from worms is equivalent to that of viruses. Computer worms are skilled of doing an entire series of damage such as destroying crucial files in your system, slowing it down to a large degree, or even causing to stop responding the web servers, network servers. Due to the copying nature of a worm it send a copy of itself to everyone listed in your e-mail address book. Then, the worm replicates and sends itself out to everyone listed in each of the receiver's address book. Two very prominent examples of worms are the MS-Blaster and Sasser worms.

What Is a Trojan horse?
The Trojan Horse is appearing to be a useful software or program by a computer user, but it will actually do damage once installed or run on computer. A Trojan horse allows files to be accessed by outside parties. Trojan horses are a serious concern because of the rising seriousness of identity theft and the importance of protecting the privacy of sensitive information. Trojan are also known to create a backdoor on your computer that gives malicious users access to your system, possibly allowing confidential or personal information to be compromised. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojan do not reproduce by infecting other files nor do they self-replicate. The key to avoiding a Trojan horse is to download only content that you are 100% certain is from a credible and safe source.

The best way to avoid viruses, worms, and Trojan horses is to make sure anti-virus software is reliable and up to date. These viruses can be contracted and infect a computer in a variety of ways, ranging from mild annoyances to destructive forces to computer files and hardware.