STEP 2 – Post Installation System Settings Cleanup

The tool that will be utilized in configuring a home XP or Windows 2000 computer is built into the operating system.

STEP 1 – Operating System Installation

Assuming you are installing your operating system from scratch, here are some items to pay attention to;

Like Trojan programs, spyware secretly installs itself when you download software like shareware or freeware programs, or visit an unscrupulous website (not all shareware and freeware programs install spyware, but with the correct tools installed, you will know if they do).  Spyware is capable of tracking your movements online and delivers ads based on where you surf. Pop Up advertisements proliferate on the Internet, your Web browser gets more cluttered, and can even be completely obscured by "pop-up" advertising windows. Intrusive advertising can hinder your browsing, and some ads even set cookies and run damaging scripts... Fortunately, there are tools that can protect you: For example,  ZoneAlarm Pro 5.0 blocks Pop Up advertisements by default, and the free utility Spybot Search and Destroy will detect and kill spyware programs.