My settings have changed and I can't change them back to my original homepage settings. Some unwanted software, like "Browser Hijackers" have the ability to change your home page. This means that the page that opens first when you start your Internet browser, like Internet Explorer, has changed to a page you do not recognise. Even if you know how to adjust these settings, you may find that they revert back every time you restart your computer. This can not only be annoying but embarrassing too as in quite a few cases it will be set to adult related sites, even if you have never visited sites of this kind before. Some high end adware and spyware scanners can remove this type of software but in some cases you may have to get in someone professional to remove it.

My Web browser contains additional components that I don't remember downloading. Spyware and other unwanted software can add additional toolbars to your Web browser that you don't want or need. Even if you know how to remove these toolbars, they may return each time you restart your computer. Sometimes you can go into your computers "Control Panel" then "Add/Remove" Programs and remove them from there. You will also need to have adware and spyware scanner software installed and run them, making sure they are up to date.

My computer seems sluggish. Spyware and other unwanted software are not necessarily designed to be efficient. The resources these programs use to track your activities and deliver advertisements can slow down your computer and errors in the software can make your computer crash. If you notice a sudden increase in the number of times a certain program crashes, or if your computer is slower than normal at performing routine tasks, you may have spyware or other unwanted software on your machine.

We have more information on spyware here. If you think your computer is infected with spyware, find out how to get rid of spyware and how you can prevent spyware from getting on your computer.