If you find yourself asking this question, you're probably seeing ads more often than just when browsing poorly designed and overly ad-laden websites. Instead, you're probably seeing ads when you're not doing anything web related, or when you're surfing sites you know don't have ads.

So, what's causing these ads to show up? Malicious programmers create something called adware, which infects your computer and delivers a nice string of ads throughout the day. What's even better about it is that they make a bunch of money doing it.

Of course, the downside is that you have to see a million ads for dating websites and pornography throughout the day. If that doesn't sound like your idea of a party, let's see how you can remove these things.

There are two ways to remove adware from your computer. You can either remove it manually, or through anti adware software.

To remove adware manually, you first need to figure out which type of adware you have on your computer. Search for a program called "HijackThis" and follow its instructions on how to detect and remove malware manually. You may notice that some of them won't quite want to go away. Since these things are lining the pockets of their creators, it's in their best interest to make them as annoying as possible to remove.

This leads us to automatic removal tools. Many commercially available adware removal programs are available online, almost all of which include a free scan to check your system for any infections. They also monitor your system for new infections, stomping them out before they can even start throwing ads your way.