Spyware that comes out swinging
One day, I felt that I needed a new screensaver. Now, I know about spyware in screensavers, but I was just so desperate! My computer had been free of viruses and spyware since I purchased it one year earlier, but the screensaver I downloaded made my computer act like it was 40 years old.
I had a copy of Ad-Aware, and it mostly did the trick, but one of the spyware components actually prevented my spyware-removal and antivirus programs from working. I thought I was a goner, but after a few days of tweaking my registry and host file, I got the pest off and quickly bought a professional copy of Ad-Aware. That took care of business, and now my computer is clean and running perfectly, and I haven't seen an ad or a pop-up for a long time.
--Kevin
Ontario, Canada
We like screensavers as much as the next person, but we always read the fine print before scoring a new one, because, as you said, many of them are jam-packed with third-party applications. Whenever you download a free screensaver, be especially wary of adware. Tweaking the registry is an effective way to remove the most malignant problems, but we only recommend this approach to system-savvy users. Also, no matter who you are, remember to always back up your registry before you go mucking around. That quick step could save your neck if you accidentally delete a crucial key.
--Download.com editors
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