Explaining the fine line between Annoying Software and Adware.

One question I got asked recently when working on a friend's PC was what adware is. I explained to my friend that adware was a piece of software that shows up in the form of toolbars, gadgets, and the like, without the permission of the user. This got me to thinking what would qualify as adware, and what would qualify as just an annoying piece of software. This post will attempt explain that.

Adware is software that shows up in the form of toolbars, additional programs, gadgets, search engines, web browsers, and many other forms. Adware is often installed along with other programs that you install. Often times, adware sneaks onto your computer without the program installer telling you that it is going to install the adware. And in extreme cases, the program installer will tell you that it is going to install the adware, yet doing so in complete disregard of your wishes.

Annoying Software is... Well, annoying. This type of software is often installed along with other programs. But a key difference between adware and software is that the installer will obey your wishes to install the extra software or not. This type of software can also be installed on it's own by a knowing user.

Now, the shift from annoying software to adware is a fine line. Generally any attempts on the part of the software to start doing something that was not installed to do is suspect. And if this is done without the permission or knowledge of the user, it is without a doubt, adware.

So, a general rule to keep in mind that if an installer specifically asks if you want to install a toolbar or whatever it is, then it should not be classified as adware. But when it starts being deceitful towards the user, it should be classified as adware.

Antivirus software can sometimes detect adware. Although it is often labeled as PUP, or Potentially Unwanted Program. So if you want to avoid adware, you should check into weather your antivirus program offers detections or not.

Thank You for reading. I invite readers to comment with any questions or comments.