i just downloaded ad aware. i did the scan and it found 156 objects. now how do i know which files to remove? i dont want to delete a important file. so i just deleted all the "tracking cookies" and left the rest of the stuff. so which files should i choose to remove?

spybot search and destroy. everything ad aware wishes it were.

back on topic: read the description of the stuff that are being flagged. If they sound familar/important to you then keep em. When I used to use ad aware, I always deleted everything and nothing's ever gone wrong with my machine but maybe others have though.

sjt = not too computer saavy.

The only thing I would watch out for are files that have windows in the file names. 99% of the time it is safe to delete any file that Ad-Aware detects.

Ad-aware does a good job not to hobble your system but if you feel a litte worried, I would first delete all your Browser cookies and run ad-aware again and you'll find that this time less than 150 objects are found. In IE, goto Tools, Internet Options, goto General Tab and use the Delete Cookies Tab.

I use AdAware all the time (in fact, everyday). I delete EVERYTHING and never had a problem.

Though SpyBot is better, AdAware is much easier to use.