Ever wonder how toolbars seem to just sprout on your Web browser?

Don’t blame malware on this one. This is one of the very few instances where a worm is not the sower of the problem. In fact, that annoying add-on which shrinks your browser’s viewing space may have probably been caused by you.

A good number of us harbor the habit of just blindly clicking on “Yes” and “OK” whenever we’re installing something in our computer. As a consequence, we overlook some queries or prompts by installation wizards regarding the inclusion of toolbars. We could always say no to toolbar offers. But since we’re too busy tinkering with our Facebook account during the installation process, we unintentionally gave our imprimatur to that annoying add-on.

Toolbar offers can usually be encountered when downloading and installing essential Web programs such as Instant Messengers, Web browsers, plug-ins, and even office suites. Many of these browser attachments can be helpful. The Yahoo! toolbar, for example, features pop-up blockers. Google’s toolbar makes it convenient for you to quickly search for something by plastering a search box on top of your browser.

However, toolbars do clutter your browser and reduce viewing space. Some of its features may already be a superfluity such as pop-up and spyware fenders since this is already a staple function of almost all antivirus software.

Be careful whenever installing something that you’ve downloaded on the Internet. Chances are, they’re bundled with toolbars and other offers or features that you don’t need.

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