Sounds like you got one of those easily, and therefore perfectly acceptable, removable advertising programs.
Supposedly, some sites install advertisement on your computer (usually it'll be a discrete message, when a site that asks you a question on a normal looking Windows pop up box or say it'll install an app if you continue). And if they give you the option to uninstall it from your Add/Remove programs from your control panel, then spyware apps won't be able to pick it up.
Just go through your Add/Remove programs and find stuff that you think looks suspicious. Then Google it and see if what it's used for is legit or if it's spyware crap (don't go uninstalling random stuff, many legit apps use stupid names in Add/Remove).