In today's world, it's very common to have a computer that doesn't perform quite as well as it used to. In fact, it's even more common for a computer to not perform even half as well as it used to. Usually, this can be chalked up to a major spyware problem. If any of the following problems sounds familiar, it's very likely that you have a spyware problem.

1. Internet Explorer/Firefox won't open

One of the ways that spyware causes problems on your computer is by preventing you from opening up certain programs. Some of these programs could include Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or even the Control Panel in Windows. Spyware programs prevent you from opening these programs because if you could get to a web site, you might discover how to fix the problem, thereby removing the spyware and taking away from the spyware maker's profits.

2. Your computer takes forever to start up

It's very common for a computer to have one spyware program install many others. The problem then compounds itself over time in a way that becomes very painful for the user. The spyware program adds itself to the list of programs your computer runs when it starts up and then adds other spyware programs that do the same.

The end result is that a computer that used to take just a few minutes to start up now takes close to ten minutes to start up. This is because your computer now has to load far more programs than it did before and unfortunately, these spyware programs provide no added benefit for the user.

The best thing to do is use a spyware removal tool.

3. You can't get online

Spyware programs can sometimes change settings in Internet Explorer that make it so that even if you manage to get Internet Explorer open, it won't actually let you get to a web page. This prevents the user from doing research on the problem and prevents the removal of the spyware program.

If you try to go to a web site, but notice that the URL bar in Internet Explorer has a URL that contains characters such as '%20' and by default is trying to go to a web site that you've never heard of, you probably have a spyware infection and need to use an anti-spyware tool immediately.

4. Windows pop up out of nowhere

When a computer has a spyware infection, it's very common for windows to pop up out of nowhere. Maybe you're going to the same web sites you always go to, but for some reason there is a popup window that doesn't look like it's part of Internet Explorer or Firefox. Maybe it comes up from the toolbar alongside the bottom of your screen.

This is definitely a case of spyware and you should use an anti-spyware removal tool immediately to prevent further problems.

If any of these problems sound familiar to you, then unfortunately it looks like your computer has spyware and you should use a spyware removal utility such as No Adware immediately to prevent further damage.