In our latest series of articles we have examined Internet slowdown. We’ve introduced very good information about the various causes of slow connectivity and the PC conditions we face. Maybe you know firsthand or secondhand what it is like to be overtaken by something on your PC that cripples the overall functionality. In extreme cases it means a trip to a PC repair shop and having the computer wiped and re-installed. It’s very similar to the effects of a computer virus with only one exception – you may have installed it yourself rather than being attacked. This condition is happening frequently among beginner PC users and it is this group of PC users that are being targeted. We’re going to help you restore the previous condition of your web browser and provide some recommendations on how to prevent similar occurrences.

Add-ons

Picking up software add-ons means modifications get made to your web browser such as extra toolbars and popup windows. Many of these items simply want to stake their territory maybe for the purpose of directing you to certain websites so you can make some purchase.

More: To get a better idea of what these items look like and what they do, see our article called: Foistware – Messing Up Your PC Experience. The word “foist” means to force something that is not wanted on someone.

Bog Down

It is the web browser specifically that gets bogged down in these situations as it contains too many unnecessary add-ons. You will find that it isn’t as responsive as it should be as it gets pulled in different directions. Being sabotaged takes a toll. Plug-ins, BHOs, add-ons, additional toolbars, if unnecessary, all compete with networking and computing resources. The result is that your ability to browse slows down and is… hijacked.

Installation

An important reminder from our last article – these items land on our PC without our knowledge but are a result of unsafe browsing practices including opening email attachments or passing files from one PC to your own via chat rooms, peer-to-peer file sharing, or instant messaging. It may be hard to believe, but many unwanted items wind up on our PC because you installed them unknowingly. Some are from legitimate software vendors that bundle their installation with other software. You need to examine the install steps and clear any check boxes that include extra programs.

Typically when installing software you will see some screens that have checkboxes with items like:

[✓] Make Ask.com my default search.
[✓] Add Yahoo! Toolbar to your browser.
[✓] Yes, I want Bing toolbar for Internet Explorer.
[✓] Also install, free McAfee security scan.

You need to know that you CAN clear these check boxes. In this way, ONLY the software you intended to have in the first place will still be installed.

Action Items:

We are going to point you to our last article – Bogged Down – for steps on how to uninstall unwanted items. The first step is removal of the items. Next, we are going to cover how to restore your browser to its previous condition.

To restore the browser

In the PC Clean Maestro window, select the Browsers button in the left pane as can be seen in the image below.
Select the browser tab (for example: “IE” or “Firefox”).
Click the restore button located at the top right.

Good Practices:

Let’s cover just a few examples of good PC practice to keep your PC from suffering the ill effects of add-ons and foistware.

Be Vigilant

When installing anything to your computer – examine what it is that you are getting. This includes emails from trusted sources (their email may have been hijacked), and it includes reading all the information for each step of a software install.
Check online to see if the attachment, software, or the web site (URL) is legitimate or a known source of PC problems.
Bonus Tip: refer to ShouldIRemoveIt.com to check the validity of a software.
If you are having something installed that you do not want – STOP the install.
If you are being attacked, save any and all data that you can and power down your PC. If you do not have control of your PC you can press and hold the keys Ctrl – Alt – Delete.

Don’t

Don’t trust a download purely based on what you have heard or know of it – it could be faked and it can include add-ons.
Don’t install additional browser toolbars unless you are certain it is for your daily PC use. Too many toolbars can bog down your web browser and you may find you don’t use all the functionality.

Anti-virus Programs

We recommend using an anti-virus program that allows you to be in control. This includes not being bothered or nagged by popup messages and complications. It should run in the background and protect you. To that end, there are programs that are free and offer basic coverage.

In Summary

We know of PC users that get into trouble with their computer repeatedly. It usually means having to take it to a PC repair technician and having the computer wiped and re-installed. We hope that this article will serve you in taking action when you run into trouble and will help you in preventing it from happening at all.

We will continue to provide story lines like this that benefit all of us and we will describe them in a manner that is within reach of everyday computer users. If you have some ideas of topics you would like us to cover, email us at: newsletter@compuclever.com