Spyware removers work by comparing what's on your machine to a list of known offenders.
As ever, the top anti-ad/spyware programs are commercial, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to buy them.
Try these first:
- Spyware Doctor Starter edition.
The commercial version of Spyware Doctor is one of the best-perfoming anti-ad/spyware programs, and while this basic version isn't quite as good, it should still do the trick if you've followed the other precautions. It's available free only as a part of Google Pack, which also includes some other useful programs (see Free Office Software for more info). You can pick and choose which ones you want to install.
- A-squared Free edition.
Boasting awards aplenty, EMSI Software's A-squared free edition lacks the background scanning facilities of its commercial big brother, Anti-Malware, yet still packs in almost all its most useful functions. It's user-friendly with daily auto-updates, and has received excellent user feedback. Thanks to bazzlad for posting it in the forum discussion.
- Microsoft Windows Defender.
Microsoft's foray into spyware removal is free-to-download if you've got a legit copy of Windows XP. As well as automatic updates, it promises a simple interface and general user-friendliness. Reviews have pointed to Defender being quite processor-hungry though, and thus pretty sluggish on older machines, something to bear in mind if you have one.
- Spybot - Search & Destroy.
Spybot's been going for a while, and while it has a pretty long list of features, it's always received mixed feedback. Like Defender, it's fairly processor-hungry, so if your machine's already quite slow it'll be an unwelcome addition. Some people swear by it, though in my opinion Spyware Doctor's better.
- 2008 Ad Aware free edition.
Ad Aware's great at detecting and removing malware, and this 2008 version works even faster than previous ones. On the downside though, most of its features are locked in the free version, meaning that if you make it your primary tool, you won't be fully protected.
This information was sourced from here:
moneysavingexpert.com |
