As an Internet user you've probably visited one or more websites where an annoying pop-up has appeared... or you've been asked (or forced) to download a "helpful" tool bar to your computer... or the website has attempted to add itself to your web browser "Favorites" or even as one of the icons on your computer desk top.

If you haven't taken certain precautions you may have let one of these adware or spyware programs do their thing... only to discover that your computer is running much, much slower than it used to, and your movements on the Internet are being watched and tracked. Even worse, you may not even KNOW that any of this is going on!

If you don't like the sound of this kind of thing, you'll probably want to know how you can get rid of any adware or spyware programs that are hidden on your computer. Not to mention how to avoid accidentally downloading any such programs in the future. But you probably DON'T want to hear that there is an enormous cost in accomplishing this...

Well, fortunately, you don't have to pay much at all for a program that will: (a) remove adware and spyware; and (b) update itself so that you are protected from adware and spyware on an ongoing basis.

If you do a search on "adware removal" or "spyware removal" using your favorite search engine, you'll probably see a long list of results that lead to websites offering different programs available to identify and remove such harmful programs. And, even better, many of these are reasonably inexpensive or available as free trial downloads, or both!

Just a few of the programs you can download and try out for free include: Xoftspye SE, Noadware, AdwareAlert, Spyware Remover, Spyware Nuker, AdwareBot and SpyNoMore. These programs have various different features and benefits. Some will have greater or lesser appeal to you, depending on your needs and circumstances. For example, some come with automatic updates... some block unwanted adware or spyware before it's downloaded to your computer... some have more or less active technical support. Generally all, however, include the basic ability to scan for adware and spyware and remove any suchrograms they find.

Nevertheless, with the capacity to download each of these programs for free, you can assess which one is affordable and right for you. Having done so, you can then make your purchase. And, as previously mentioned, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover that they are all generally in the $20-$40 range.