Customer: I seem to have lots of rubbish installed on my screen when I go to internet home page such as smiley stuff and cursor stuff I think that it is slowing down my computer and I'm also concerned that it may be spyware or something??? I have tried to get rid of them but can't seem to be able to.
Any ideas?

RunPCRun: They are a really difficult to remove sometimes.
You can run something like "Ad-aware" which could do it all automatically. Ad-aware is an automatic spyware cleaner, it'll find this rubbish and then ask you if it should remove it, make sure you tick it all and please realise it can't always do everything. If this doesn't work or you'd just like us to take care of it. RunPCRun can remove spyware manually too.

There are many ways of avoiding your PC being infested with the rubbish marketing material called "spyware". Here are a few of ways that can be effective in keeping you clean.

• Internet Explorer is not totally secure due to the way it is built into the rest of Windows. Browse faster and safer with * , double up with NoScript but it is more effort to browse normally for a while while you tell it your "safe" sites.
• Do not install programs offered for free such as My Mail Signature, My Web Search, Smiley Central, Cursor Mania, My Mail Stamps, My Mail Stationery and Fun Buddy Icons these programs come pre-loaded with spyware.
• If Windows, Firefox or Java prompt for an update - do it, make sure you are always up to date.
• Don't click on links in Email, MSN Messenger or Skype, especially if:-
• sent from people you do not know.
• sent from people you do know but you have not confirmed it is really them rather than a computer.
• you receive a message saying your PC is compromised or infected
• Practice wise computing wherever possible.

* means there is some referral or partnership with these suppliers via the links given. Check out our stance on reviews and recommendations.

This is a list of important practices that runPCrun recommend in order to keep your IT costs as low as possible.