* Ad-Aware: http://www.lavasoft.com/

* Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/

* Pest Patrol: http://www.pestpatrol.com/

* Spybot Search and Destroy: http://safer-networking.org/

* Spy Sweeper: http://www.webroot.com/

So, how can you prevent these icons from appearing in first place? Practice safe computing.

* Backup your machine. If it does get infected to point of being unusable, at least you won't lose all your important files.

* Install security-related operating system updates so spyware and adware cannot enter your system through well-known exploits.

* Download or buy a virus scanner, and keep it updated! Virus scanners cannot detect all spyware, but it doesn't hurt to have one. Check online or visit your local computer software store.

* Purchase a hardware or software firewall, and keep it updated! Firewalls help protect your computer from common exploits that spyware or adware can use to infect your machine.

* Consider using a different web browser. Though it is not perfect, Mozilla Firefox at http://www.mozilla.org is currently less susceptible to spyware than Internet Explorer, mainly because it lacks certain technology (such as ActiveX) that is often exploited by malware writers. Note that depending on your web use, certain websites may not work correctly with other web browsers.

By practicing safe computing and using spyware-removal software, you can help remove rogue desktop icons from your desktop and keep others from appearing.

Over time certain files don't get put back, or they get put back in wrong places.

When this happens on hard drive it leads to fragmentation. Think of defragmenting as going through all of files on your desk, and in cabinet, and putting them all back in order in correct folders.

Just as staying in this state of disorganization would lead to a significant loss in your own productivity, same thing happens to your computer.

Eventually this even causes crashes because of how scattered all of information gets.

Disk fragmentation can even shorten lifespan of your computer because your hard drive works so hard that it wears out faster.

So one step solution for this part of computer maintenance, run defragmenting tool that comes with windows at least once every couple of weeks.

Do this by clicking Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, then click Disk Defragmenter. Choose disk you want to defragment and click defragment button.

Alternatively you can get software that will automatically keep your disk defragmented, like Diskeeper by Executive Software.

Take care of your pc maintenance and you will continue to enjoy speed you experienced when you first made that investment!

(c)Chuck Moorefield - All Rights Reserved