Adware Spyware SE will scan your PC and detect any spyware, adware, malware, Trojans and any other illegitimate software installed on your machine. Adware can cause endless frustration, with adware popup windows, adware advertisements that won't go away, and adware software that seems to be everywhere on your system! Adware can also be hiding out in various favorites and bookmarks, ready to take over your screen when you visit those websites. Browser hijackers are a form of adware, and these take over your web browser in a similar way. Adware is a nuisance at best and can slow down your computer's operation considerably.
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There are plenty of reasons why malware is "bad."  Are there any times when malware is valid and legal?

Many shareware programs today come bundled with adware.  The premise is this:  If you try out the program, and enjoy it, you'll buy it.  Until you pay for it, the programmer is paid through the advertising that the shareware program displays.  If the user somehow kills or removes the advertising, then he is also obligated to remove the program that was supported by the ads.
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Adware is advertising delivered directly to your computer.  Generally, a program puts ads on the screen at some regular interval.  In some cases, this program can be installed without the user's knowledge, but not always.  Many programs clearly state on install that "this program is supported by advertising, and if you turn off the advertising, you also shut down the program."

Adware tends to be a "grey area" in the malware family.  Yes, it can run without the user's knowledge, and yes, it can bog down the system (especially when the adware program goes online to retrieve new ads to display).  At the same time, adware is generally more open about what it does, giving the user the choice to install the program the adware is attached to.
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Do you know what goes on under the hood of your car?  Do you know the solution for a warning light on the dash?  Do you know what's wrong with the car if it starts making strange noises or loses power?

Those same questions can be asked about your computer.

Computers can have many of the same problems as cars.  Engine problems can cause cars to lose power, just like a large program can take up too much of the computer for anything else to run.  Where an engine could "throw a rod" or "break a timing chain," computers can mysteriously reboot or die with the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death."

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