Ad-Aware is one of the most popular anti-spyware tools, with millions of downloads worldwide, and I bet this number will be increased with the release of Ad-Aware 2008.

Though the interface in itself hasn't changed that much, the new Ad-Aware 2008 includes a few interesting enhancements such as a noticeable improvement in stability and performance, which makes the program a lot lighter on system resources. The rootkit and threat detection tools have also been enhanced for a more efficient protection, together with an all new integrated anti-virus functionality.

Ad-Aware is very easy to install and use, especially if you've been using the previous version, because the program features a similar design. It's constantly updated with new definitions, so that you keep up with the latest online threats and also includes a system restoration point to help you recover your system from a virus or Trojan attack. I especially liked the fact that Ad-Aware supports multiple browsers, which enables you to manage web browsing traces and control your privacy online in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera.

The program still keeps some functions as exclusive to the Pro and Plus versions (like the customizable scans or the real-time monitor) but still, Ad-Aware 2008 Free is a reliable, effective anti-malware tool that will keep your system safe and sound without disturbing your daily workflow.

Ad-Aware 2008 features an excellent package of security tools with which you can efficiently protect your PC from virus, Trojans, spyware and other undesirable elements.

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Comprehensive protection is priority number one for every computer user connected to the net and no matter what measures one takes, there will eventually be some way for attacks to circumvent them. There is therefore the need for not only a shield from spyware but a permanently up-to-date scanner that will give your system a rigorous once over to weed out any root kits and of course any other kind of malware. Step up Spy Sweeper, an advanced solution that will help you put your mind to rest.

Emphasising the need to stay on top of recent trends, the program will conduct an automatic update when you first open it. Follow that with a “Sweep” and you’ll soon realise that the term “excavation” may better suit the process that follows. There’s no point in holding your breath for it to finish because if our test system is anything to go by you can expect a wait of up to one hour! Thankfully though, a scan won’t gobble up your CPU usage and there will be no noticeable slow-down if you use other applications during the process.

A unique and very practical feature of Spy Sweeper is the running commentary of everything you’ve done since beginning the session. As the scan progresses, issues will appear in red with the type of problem and the name of the offending file. A more detailed log of your session history can be found under the Results tab which also time stamps every event.

While Spy Sweeper tries to keep the user informed, it doesn’t venture so far as to estimate the time remaining for a scan. This is a small feature that should be regarded as standard for this type of software but it’s just not to be the case here. What’s more, within the options tab you find what amounts to nothing more than advertising with links to more Webroots products. We would hope that these disappear once you’ve registered your copy.

Issues aside, Spy Sweeper packs a punch where it counts and certainly justifies its modest price tag. While there are free alternatives to be found in Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy, the extra funding may provide more incentive to stay on top of recent threats and should also guarantee the longevity of support for many years to come.

Download Spy Sweeper 5.3 in Softonic

A smart freeware program that can clear all forms of mal-ware from your computer. Spybot S&D is a powerful application that offers a default mode and an advanced mode.

When you install this program, you are immediately given the choice to update, which is of course all important when dealing with the various forms of spyware that you want to be protected from. Unfortunately, when updating, progress can seem rapid and then stop for no apparent reason, for several minutes before finishing off the job.

Once you get over that small hiccup, you are prompted to create a system backup, just in case the program happens to remove something that is actually quite important for the smooth running of your system. It should go without saying that making this backup is recommended after which you may finally immunize your system from a growing database of malicious processes.

The program has plenty of options for tweaking and customizing scans as well as some unrelated functions like the secure shredder and a start-up manager.

Although this is a powerful piece of anti-spyware software, it may be better to see it as part of your security solution. For example, team this up with Ad-Aware SE and you should be covered from practically every form of threat to your online safety.

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Are you bombarded with popup ads, seeing new toolbars in your browser, is your home page changing to unwanted destinations or are you bombarded with irritating spam? Perhaps strange software loads on startup or your favorites have new entries that YOU DONT WANT. If So.. Your PC is most likely infected with adware, spyware, spybot, trojans or another internet parasite.

Your Privacy is being seriously Invaded. These programs have the ability to track your browsing habits and even steal such personal information as bank account numbers and passwords. Spyware has the power to install more parasites on your computer without your consent. Everything you do and everything you type is being recorded right now! Companies know what your interests are! Hackers will access your PC and do anything they wish. They can even steal your Identity and You would never be the wiser!

Download the latest version of XoftSpy right now. Within just a few minutes you will be able to completely clean your computer of all these invasive threats! Your computer will be clean and will run a lot faster - Your Privacy will be Protected!

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Spyware Doctor removes and provides real-time protection against just about any threat you can think of including spyware, adware, trojan horses, keyloggers, browser hijackers, phishing attacks and other malware threats. For Internet Explorer users, it also provides a built-in popup blocker and malicious site guard.

Scanning is quick and covers many areas of your PC including Windows registry, file system, processes and tasks, browser, network configuration and cookies. Since the scan is pretty quick, the most effective way to use it is to install it for use on Windows startup to ensure that your system is clean before every use. However, this will make your boot-up time longer and can sometimes be frustrating as you wait for Spyware Doctor to report that there's nothing new to remove since yesterday anyway. You may also find that it conflicts with other anti-virus or anti-spyware programs and you may be prompted to remove them or find that they have been effectively disabled by Spyware Doctor.

It's also important to ensure that Spyware Doctor has constant access to the internet as it is updated daily with the latest threats. However, these threats can sometimes be exaggerated out of proportion such as in the case of keyloggers which Spyware Doctor may warn you is a high threat but in reality, is benign.

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While the developers claim that "Free 100% Real-Time Protection" is something that most similar programs charge for may be stretching the truth somewhat, Spyware Terminator & Web Security Guard is very powerful spyware solution.

The program includes all the options you expect to find in such a product including options to manually carry out or schedule scans as well as options to deny or allow access to certain programs to your PC. The program is not just a spyware scanner however as it also includes an antivirus scanner. The developers have also seen fit to include a "Web Security Guard" which carries out the the job that most anti-phishing and pop up blockers in Internet Explorer and Firefox already carry out. This feature also features user generated website reviews along with warnings as to whether the site could be potentially harmful or not. Note that the developers warn that if you are using an unsupported operating system (such as Windows 98 or ME), you it may be better to use version 1.9 which offers the same protection but is much lighter on resources as the one drawback of this program is that it is rather slow to start and close and can hog your memory at peak scanning periods.

This is a comprehensive security solution that has all avenues of attack covered although if you're already using a virus scanner, you may be better to stick with it as it seems the weakest part of what is generally an excellent package.

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Previously known as Windows Antispyware Beta 1, Windows Defender (Beta 2) is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, and a new streamlined interface that minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.

Download Windows Defender 7.0 in Softonic

Tackling Spyware is an ongoing task that sometimes seems to neverend. Firefox and IE have improved vastly in dealing with them but a lot still gets through.

SuperAntiSpyware is a surprisingly powerful Spyware detector and scanner that ensures that anything that you've downloaded is clear of any nasty software or spyware that might slow down or harm your system. The program can detect and remove spyware, trojans, dialers, worms, hijackers and rootkits. At the same time, it's very light on your CPU and won't slow it down while scanning so you can work comfortably at the same time. In addition, it has a special repair utility that tries to fix broken internet connections that have been damaged due to spyware or malware. It's not just a scanner though - it also protects in realtime to ensure that you are constantly protected before malware gets a chance to root itself onto your hard drive.
It also carried out a "pre-emptive" scan which scans 50 critical points of your system during system start-up and shutdown.

A powerful Spyware detector and scanner that will ensure that if anything has rooted itself onto your hard drive, you have a good chance of finding it.

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The scourge of spyware has been well documented for some time now, and the problem isn’t one that will go away in a hurry. Thankfully, there are plenty of tools around that help you detect and remove evil, privacy-raiding code from your machine, with BPS Spyware and Adware Remover being one of the more effective. Unlike many of its peers, the application offers real-time protection to help you ensure that once you’re system is clean, it stays clean.

Scanning for spyware using the app is a doddle thanks to an intuitive interface, which, despite looking a little tacky and garish, allows you to perform a quick scan, full scan or a deep scan with the minimum of fuss. Although the scan takes a little too long compared with many other spyware removers, it makes amends for this by being very thorough, picking up traces of spyware that even apps like AdAware couldn’t touch. However, the application lacks somewhat when it comes to informing you what the malware detected is, and there are no descriptions of the spyware elements included in the database, which is a bit of a shame.

The great thing about BPS is that it isn’t just a spyware remover. The utility also includes a system hijack scanner, a Winsock repair tool and a rather neat pop-up blocker which is compatible with any Web browser. As a result, it can help protect you from all the various bugs that lurk on the net without any hassle. You’ll be able to find plenty of tools that can scan faster than this one, but the program still boasts an impressive range of options and is very simple to get to grips with.

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ThreatFire, previously know as CyberHawk, is a pre-emptive anti-spyware monitoring tool that aims to protects you from malware before it gets anywhere near your system. It does this by monitoring the behaviour of your PC in real time to check for strange or irregular behaviour.

This method supposedly offers faster protection as you don't need to wait for an anti-virus signature file to be updated as with conventional antivirus programs. However, ThreatFire can interpret any kind of new behaviour on your PC as a threat and it can be rather annoying to get warnings and prompts every time you install a new piece of software. However, you can configure it to "trust" certain activity so you can minimise annoying messages in this way.

Obviously, ThreatFire monitors your PC in real time, but you can also configure it to run on demand although it seems there's no way of knowing the progress of these scans. Note that because this program is designed to protect your PC, it can be hard to fully close it down. Even when you've closed the window, it will run in your taskbar and even closing it from there is not clear. Overall though, this is an interesting alternative to conventional anti-spyware.

Download ThreatFire 3.0.13 in Softonic

Doctor Alex is a new contemporary spyware monitor, detection and removal application. It will scan your PC to detect and remove any adware or spyware that you might have. An easy and intuitive interface, live updates and one of the largest spyware databases make this tool the most convenient program to keep safe your PC.

Features:

One of the largest spyware databases

Due to its large and live updated database Doctor Alex will remove all the known problems from your PC.

Free scan and removing

You can scan and clean up your PC free of charge. If you like the program and find it possible to make some small contribution, we will be really greatefull. Also we will appreciate any help in order to improve our software.

Safely makes backups of any System changes

This possibility allows you to roll back changes so you will never harm other programs installed on your machine.

Live spyware definitions updates

Nowadays number of harmful spyware and adware grows day by day. We follow all the modern runs of spyware evolution and keep our database up-to-date.

Full hard disk, System Registry and Memory scan

We provide the complete scan of your system which includes full hard disk, the Registry and memory scan. You can customize the program to run a quick scan.

Simple and intuitive interface

The intuitive interface won't puzzle you over with a lot of confusing controls. We've tried to make the interface as simple as possible. We hope you like it.

Efficient support service

Even if you are not able to solve a problem using the application you can send us a support request and we will investigate the problem and provide you with a solution.

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After just five minutes surfing only a few pages on the Internet - Spyware and other parasites which harm both you and your computer are downloaded to your computer and are used to retrieve sensitive data. If your system is unprotected, spyware and adware can easily infiltrate your system and do any one of the following:

• Dramatically slow down your PC and Internet connection speeds
• Get onto your computer without your knowledge gethering personal and financial information such as passwords and credit card details, as well as other sensitive data
• Flood you with commercial promotions, pop-ups and unsolicited ads from inside your PC
• Send information about you over the internet
• Modify your internet browser
• Steal your identity
• Corrupt your personal data
• Control your PC remotely

Arovax AntiSpyware is a free utility for detecting and eliminating the biggest plague of the internet, spyware. It provides two types of analysis, a deep scan and a quick scan, the latter being extremely speedy and effective. The interface is clear and easy to use, with information about everything that it finds.

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Advanced Spyware Remover is a powerful but easy-to-use anti spyware tool. The program removes spyware, adware, malware, hijacker programs and immunizes them to block future spyware threats that may invade your privacy and even steal your credit card numbers or personal information. It upgrades computer system performance and creating a secure computer that runs reliably.

Advanced Spyware Remover has the ability to block over 20,000 known spyware and internet threats from ever being installed in your computer. It also blocks thousands of harmful website to protect your online privacy and improve computer security.

The program is more than just a spyware remover and scans the hijack programs in your computer and tweaks your system, manages key area of your computer. With the built-in "Process Dictionary" you will know everything that is running on your computer, including system process, general software, spyware/adware and virus. Also, you can remove unwanted browser extended menu items, extended program and browser hijackers in your web browser.

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In the ever increasing battle against malware, you can never have too many good malware removers and detectors. Malwarebytes Anti Malware scans disks and devices connected to your PC and removes all types of malware.

The program is constantly updated with a list of the latest known malware threats across the net so you'll always be fully covered although the update prompts can be annoying and should be switched off. They may also slow down your PC momentarily but it's worth it to keep up to date. The program cannot be schedule to offer real time protection bit it can scan your system at any time. There is also a list for the files in quarantine and one for those which can be ignored. If an infected file is detected, the programs "Fileassassin" can be launched although use it with caution because it is potent and you may end up deleting essential drivers and files.

If you want realtime protection, you can register online although you'll have to pay for this service.

A powerful and quick scanner but it's a shame there's no realtime protection with it.

Download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.19 in Softonic

MadZ P2P Doctor removes all adware, spyware, pop-up ads, banner ads, and other third party software from the popular Peer To Peer (P2P) file sharing programs Kazaa Media Desktop, Morpheus, iMesh, Bearshare, Limewire, and Warez P2P, without rendering the software unusable.

In fact, P2P Doctor will scan your system for thousands of types of adware, spyware, etc., and remove it if found. Now you can use these programs without the annoying third party software they install on your system. P2P Doctor also corrects any problems created in your Windows registry by this third party software.

P2P Doctor also offers a stealth option to protect against unauthorized access to P2P Doctor by third party applications that may try to disable it. Other features include a P2P history cleaner to remove all remnants of P2P activity from your system, a back-up before remove option to allow you to restore items removed by the app, and its very own built-in download accelerator.

Download P2P Doctor 2.0 in Softonic

WinCleaner AntiSpyware is free software that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware, adware and other unwanted nuisances.

It features real-time protection and an automatic monitoring system against spyware that is both quick and timely so it minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.

WinCleaner AntiSpyware exceeds the protection of most commercial grade solutions! And since experts recommend that you have at least two or three different antispyware programs to maximize the security and privacy of your computer, you will find our free antispyware solution to be of great value.

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Arovax Shield is a brand new type of personal security solution that is unlike any firewall, anti-virus or spyware remover. Rather than looking for spyware traces or tracking applications that secretly send or receive data over the Internet, Arovax Shield blocks any attempt by malicious software to add entries to the auto-start menu, change the registry, hijack or install itself into a browser or find any other way to stealthily get itself onto a PC.

Arovax Shield's main function is to monitor all important branches of the Windows registry. If any attempts to write/delete/change are made, it notifies the user immediately and shows what program aroused suspicions and what actions it wanted to do. Arovax Shield gives the user an ability either to allow or block this attempt explaining what exactly is trying to infiltrate the system. With the help of a special Arovax Shield parameter it can simply be hidden in the tray doing all the work unobtrusively, letting you do your work while it silently sits in the background guarding your PC.

Download Arovax Shield 2.1.103 in Softonic

ZoneAlarm Pro automatically blocks known and unknown Internet threats for home users, small-business owners, and corporate employees working remotely. The program monitors outgoing application traffic, as well as incoming traffic to protect you from any local applications attempting to use your Internet connection to communicate with the outside world.

You have the option to grant or deny access on a per-application basis, customizing the protection of your system. ZoneAlarm Pro also offers password protection, automatic mobile-PC protection, and e-mail-attachment protection for 47 file types.

ZoneAlarm Pro features online-privacy protection with pop-up stopping, ad blocking, and cookie-control features. The latest update adds Complete Mailsafe for blocking suspect e-mail, Cache Cleaner for eliminating traces of your Internet activity, expert firewall controls, and Hacker ID for tracking and mapping hacker attacks.

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CyberDefenderFREE's easy-to-use features include earlySPY, a free spyware removal tool that will catch more spyware lurking on your computer faster. Spyware is identified, quarantined, and removed with just a few clicks of your mouse.

earlySPY identifies and resolves both known and unknown spyware threats in real time. Previously classified threats are combated immediately, while new threats are reported instantly to the Early Alert Center™ where a defense is developed and then broadcast to all earlySPY users.

The program provides the latest updates as they become availabl and can prevent malicious websites from changing your home page.

Tighten up your PC security with CyberDefenderFREE today!

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Adware Away is a malware removal tool, it is also a diagnostic tool for the Windows operating system. It is intended to target all hard-to-kill malware including adware, spyware, browser hijacker, trojan and worms.

With Adware Away, you can find and remove any new malware and new variants of old malware. Adware Away provides a customizing service which can greatly help those general computer users who have not much computer knowledge.

Download Adware Away 2.2.8.8 in Softonic