[LadyGD0071]

I keep annoying pop-uop ads from ADSERVE, please let me know how to delete ADSERVE.

[biggsie]

Ad.serve is a typical Spyware. Not specifically malicious, it is designed to collect information about your on-line activities and deliver targeted advertising in some circumstances.

One way this is achieved is through cookies. Adserve cookies store information about your PC's interaction with a specific website. These cookies are not inherently dangerous, but they can be misused and exploited and may allow a distinct and apparently unrelated website to access the same information. Tracking cookies can allow vendors to analyse browsing behaviour for marketing purposes

There are several components to ad.serve that need to be removed to completely eliminate the effects of the Spyware.

Firstly, you need a decent Spyware removal tool. Spybot and scan your computer for spyware and will locate and remove ad.serve. You can download a copy here: http://labs.paretologic.com/download.asp copy

You might already have anti-Spyware software and it may have already detected and removed the ad.aware. There could be components stored in your temporary Internet files. Delete these from Internet Explorer (Tools > Internet Options > Delete Browser History files).

Ad.serve also uses cookies to track your Internet activity. You can check for these manually yourself or use XoftSpySE which can remove adserve cookies: The home of Spybot-S&D! copy

Ad.serve installs a utility called context tool. You should check to see if this has been removed. Go to start/control panel/uninstall programs and look for context tool. If it is there, uninstall it. Then go to internet explorer and click tools/manage addons/enable disable addons and look for context helper and disable it.

One thing that will stop the annoying operation of this Spyware is to disable popups with a popup blocker. You might already be using the one included in Windows and this is perfectly adequate but recent versions of ad.serve add themselves to the "Allowed sites" list for IE's pop-up blocker. None of the "Anti-Spyware" scanners detect these unwanted sites in this location as they have been listed as acceptable. Check the settings of your pop-up block to make sure ad.aware is not included in the accepted list. (In Internet Explorer tools/popup blocker settings).