The problem is.. even these so-called "cleaner" programs are just as dodgy. Why do they give them away for free??? Because they have big hearts? NO! It's because they replace one spyware with another. And they make money out of you, just the same way that others do. Trust no-one. It's hard to get a grip on the fact that so many of these sites are trying to screw you from every angle.
You know how these junk emails have embedded pictures.. well the preview pane in Outlook, actually opens these for you creating a "hit" on the crappy site. Making the spam emailer a 1/10 of a cent or something. Oh man it makes me angry.
Reformatting, and actually using the "security features" of Internet Explorer, is the only way to stop it. Unfortunately it makes the whole "surfing" experience more like a session at the dentist, but it's the only way. Unless you use a net boot scenario, that rebuilds your computer regularly. And you keep all of your data files on a seperate file server. Unfortunately, if you are connected to the internet, even owning a home computer means that you need to be as good as the most highly trained LAN Admins.
So, to balance all of this negativity, here's a link that I'm sure we will all enjoy:
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