What is Spyware?

Spyware: A general term for a program that surreptitiously monitors your actions. While they are sometimes sinister, like a remote control program used by a hacker, software companies have been known to use Spyware to gather data about customers. The practice is generally frowned upon. Symptoms are pop-up ads and your system running slow.

To resolve this issue you can use an anti-Spyware program to detect and remove these pests. There are quite a few Anti-Spyware programs available that you may purchase at most stores that carry software, or you may download from software sites like Download.com. Some Anti-Spyware programs are free for the detection process, but want you to pay for the removal component of the software. Wyoming.com recommends the program called Adaware as it is FREE for both detection and removal. In addition, the software manufacturer provides free updates. This program that will scan your memory, registry, hard drive, removable and optical drives for any known data-mining, aggressive advertising, and tracking components.

To obtain Adaware, follow these steps:

• Connect to the Internet.
• In the address bar of your browser type: www.download.com That will take you to C|NET download.com.
• In the search box at the top type Adaware and click on Go.
• On the following page there will be a list of available downloads. Look for Ad-aware 6.0 build 181 (or any newer version) and to the right, click on the download now button.
• A window will come up asking if you want to Open/Save/Cancel/Help. Click on the Save button.
• Another window will pop-up asking where you want to save the file to. For easy retrieval, make sure it's set to Save In: Desktop.
• Then click on the Save button on the bottom right. This will initiate the download process -- it may take a few minutes.
  After the download is done, get back to your desktop (or wherever you decided to save the file to) and open up the aaw6.exe file by double-clicking on it with your left mouse button.
• A setup wizard will open up. Follow the instructions provided in the wizard to setup the software. After the setup is done, there will be an icon on your desktop for Adaware (look for a red circle).
• Open the program up and you can do a scan for Spyware on your computer. There is also an option for updating the software from the main window. You can update the program but make sure that you're connected to the Internet first.

Please note: Spyware programs are becoming more and more prevalent throughout the Internet. There are several programs available on the market to identify and remove Spyware from your computer. These programs range from higher end software that can be expensive to freeware software. Wyoming.com technical support has found that a freeware program called Adaware is proficient in identifying and removing many well know Spyware programs from your computer. Wyoming.com is not a distributor of this freeware program nor do we provide technical support for the Adaware program. However, we want to make our customers aware of this helpful tool so you can utilize it to help ensure your computer is free of Spyware type programs. Wyoming.com is providing this information as a helpful tool for our customers to research and consider. Should customers elect to utilize this tool, they do so at their own risk and understand that Wyoming.com is not responsible for this program or any actions of this program. And, customer understands Wyoming.com does not provide technical support for this program. Customers who have a vendor or provider who maintain their computers and/or computer networking should consult your provider prior to downloading and deploying Adaware on your computers or computer network.