AdAware SE Overview

We all knew from the start of the internet that viruses were an issue we’d have to be aware of. And thankfully, virus protection programs have protected many users from day-one. Unfortunately, as the internet evolves, more and more exploits are uncovered and used against us. The most common exploit is what has come to be known as ad-ware or spy-ware. Sometimes these exploits can be malicious, sometimes they can be used to track your internet usage – but at all times, they are a major problem. So this is where Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware comes in. Just as the program’s name implies, Ad-Aware is a program that constantly monitors your PC and keeps itself aware (pun intended) of any malicious spy-ware or ad-ware bugs present on your system. Not only that, but Ad-Aware is also one of the best spy-ware programs out there, bar none.

Definitions & Scanning

Usage of Ad-Aware is far too easy, as it is a very user friendly program specifically designed for even the most inexperienced computer users. First off, you’ll have to install the program. Allow the program to install itself to a folder, and then launch it. As soon as you launch the program, you will see a prompt that asks you to update your “definitions”. You may be wondering what “definitions” are. You see, in order for the program to find and eradicate a certain kind of bug, it needs to know of the meaning of a bug in order to remove it, thus come the definitions. Allow the program to download the new definitions and you’ll be all set.

After the update, you’ll find yourself at the main console with a number of options in front of you. What you’ll want to do is either press the “Scan Now” tab to the left or the “Start” tab on the bottom. Both objects will lead you to the same screen that asks you if you want to do a “Smart Scan” or a “Full System Scan”. A smart-scan is just a quick scan of the computer where the program will try to quickly find and eradicate the most obvious spy-ware bugs. A full system scan is just that; a thorough inspection of your PC for even the least malicious bug.