SPYWARE & ADWARE REMOVAL

Adware Defined

Adware is any program that display ads while it is running - presumably to offset the cost of providing the software for free. Adware is sometimes benign and doesn't transmit data back to the host. Aol Instant Messenger displays ads as does the free version of the Opera browser. These are both good examples of adware.

Other software, such as file sharing programs, carry more vicious applications which pose as adware but more closely resemble spyware in performance.

Under this definition then, we can define the obnoxious pop up spamming applications that run in the background as spyware because they almost always transmit personal information from your computer to the host. This is where adware crosses the line to spyware when the application transmits personal data such as surfing habits back to the host. This is done presumably to serve "relevant" ads to you as they determine what you are looking at.