Adware is shorthand for 'advertising-supported software'.  It is any software package that automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer after software is installed on it or while the application is being used.  Some forms of adware can be classified as spyware (privacy-invasive software). 

Some adware is also shareware, and so the word may be used as term of distinction to differentiate between types of shareware software.  Adware is different than shareware because it is primarily advertising supported. 

What can you do about adware on your computer?  There are a variety of programs that have been developed to detect, quarantine, and remove spyware, adware, malware. Appalachian State University supports programs such as Ad-Aware and Spybot-Search & Destroy. 

Ad-Aware is an anti-spyware program that detects and removes malware, spyware, viruses, Trojans, bots,  and adware on a user's computer.  Ad-Aware offers a free downloadable version called Ad-Aware Free.  To access and download this anti-spyware program, click here.

Spybot-Search & Destroy is a popular anti-spyware and adware removal program that is compatible with Windows 95 and later.  It scans the computer hard drive and/or RAM for dangerous software.  Spybot also can clean program and Web-usage tracks from your system.  The latest version 1.6.2 features support for the latest Opera releases, support for Google Chrome, and improved support for fast user switching while Spybot is running.  To access and download this program, click here.