Review of spyware search and destroy::What Does Spyware Mean
Review of spyware search and destroy::What Does Spyware Mean
Everyone is concerned with spyware these days as it has become a plague worse than cockroaches. Spyware is computer software that collects your personal information without your permission. Spyware records your internet browsing history meaning that it tracks what web sites you visit and can even attempt to intercept credit card numbers and passwords from your system. The term Spyware is often used in conjunction with adware and malware. Malware is meant to infiltrate your system with the express intent to damage your computer. When you think of malware, think of the word malicious. Adware is any software package that automatically starts download advertisements on to your computer after the software is installed or is being used. Although these terms are often used together and can be quite confusing, Adware and Spyware are actually very different things with one thing in common; all are violating or compromising your internet security and privacy. There are ways to get all three of these components cleaned from your system but before you can attempt such a massive feat you first have to know what software is good for removing them and how to recognize the signs of infestation. How you can tell if your system is infected If you can answer yes to even one of the following symptoms then chances are your system has been compromised and you are infected with some sort of spyware, adware or malware. The home page of your browser has been changed Your computer is running extremely slow, more than the norm You experience frequent crashes or freezing A new search bar or toolbar has been found in your browser Unfamiliar icons appear on your desktop You have new favorites folders that you didn't add Pop up ads are blowing you away Numerous error messages are popping up all over the place Software has been mysteriously installed on your computer without your knowledge You are no longer able to access the task manager, regedit, msconfig Programs that will get rid of spyware, adware and/or malware The following list of spyware removal programs is not a complete list and is not all about the best ones on the market. This is a list of programs that I know of and have tried to use before. Some of them are great tools and others leave something to be desired. All in all though, these programs will clean some if not all of the spyware, malware and adware from your computer. *Tip - always use a secondary spyware program in conjunction with your current one, two eyes are always better than one. Spybot - Spybot Search & Destroy can detect and remove various types of spyware from your computer. It is one of the most well known and popular spyware removal tools that are offered for free. I always recommend this program to people who've come to me for advice on removing spyware. Ad-aware - scans your memory, registry, hard drive, removable drive and optical drive for any known advertising and tracking campaigns. This program detects a wide range of adware and spyware and can is updated automatically through the built-in update tool. Pest Patrol - Pest Patrol is a so-so program that has to load to a webpage to show infections. It's not a bad program in that it will detect most spyware or adware infestations but it's not one of the best out there either because it can't catch every single incident. It would fare better if it had a user interface that could be managed from the desktop rather than the internet Spy Sweeper - Spy Sweeper has three different types of scans; a quick scan, a full scan and a custom scan. Tech support and updates are free and it is compatible with the new Windows Vista. When this program detects a threat it will assign a level of risk as well as a description so that you can then determine whether or not quarantine the item, delete it or restore it. This spyware program is extremely easy with a fairly easy to understand user interface that has tabs for all its major functions with setting and alerts that won't have you guessing what to do next Spyware Doctor - Spyware claims that it detects and cleans thousands of potential spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, spyware cookies, trackware, spybots, malware and other malware from your computer but its not such a great tool in my opinion. This program is a computer hog and tends to bog down the system. Its effectiveness in getting rid of spyware/adware/malware is mediocre at best so if you choose this program be sure to run a secondary spyware program along side it. SUPERAntiSpyware - This lightweight spyware program comes with two options; a free download or a paid professional version, both are found to be good programs that are quite effective at getting rid of spyware, adware and malware. The free version doesn't have any real time protection but it does do a good job at finding threats already on your system. The interface is very simple and easy to use for the newbie. Windows Defender - I would not recommend this program to my enemy. It tries to add tasks to the task manager in order to run more scans on its own. This spyware program also leaves registry keys in its wake that unless the user is versed in registry cleaning won't be able to get rid of. It does not do well with removing adware campaigns and therefore is not very effective. It also constantly reminds the user to get rid of threats that the program itself can not remove. The upside, it's free. Kaspersky - I love Kaspersky. This tool can clean your grandmother's computer without ever accessing it. Ok, maybe that statement's a bit much but it really does do a great job. In order to use this program you will need to remove any versions of Norton Anti-virus including using the Norton removal tool which can be located on the Kaspersky website. If you are in need of a scan but don't want to purchase the program you can use their online scanner. Word to the wise; I had to wait 14 hours for this program to complete the scan as it is an extremely thorough scan and left not one trace of a threat on my system. Free Rogue Anti-Spyware Programs that May Add Their Own Infections With as many spyware programs available out there you would think that they all have the same goal in mind, however when it comes to spyware not all developers think alike. While most developers are looking for ways to clean your spyware, others are looking for ways to add their own spyware to your system. Rogue spyware programs are fakes that use scare tactics to convince you to purchase a pro or registered version and also may add their own types of spyware, adware or malware to your system. Many are advertised or supported by adware campaigns. The following list of spyware removal tools are known to add their own spyware to your computer or are considered to be rogues. AdDriller - This anti-spyware software gives false spyware warnings to the user to convince them to purchase their software. They also falsely report updating their database. This program is nothing more than a knockoff of ad-aware and will flag hundreds of programs as spyware that are actually legitimate such as Nero and Adobe Acrobat. SpyDawn - A rogue anti-spyware program that may install a threat onto your computer and then pop up to warn you of the threat in order to get you to purchase a registered version. This program is basically a clone of the program SpywareQuake. Do not download this program, the free version does not and can not clean your system. SpySherriff - This is malware, it's another rogue program that when downloaded through an exploited web page puts a red icon in your system tray. It will show a false warning that your computer is infected with spyware when in fact it is not. This is a typical rogue tactic to get you to purchase their software. There are several clones of this program such as BraveSentry, MalwareAlarm, PestTrap and SpyTrooper. This program can not be simply removed or uninstalled through traditional methods because it will reinstall itself over and over in hidden parts of your computer. Trying to remove this program can result in the blue screen of death and computer crashes. SpyAxe - This is a malicious software program (remember I said malware = malicious) that infects computers by pretending to be an anti-spyware program. If you have a Trojan virus, specifically Zlob, SpyAxe will attempt to install itself and will take you to a website requiring a credit card purchase in order to remove the virus. WinAntiVirus 2006 - You may accidentally have this program installed on your computer through a drive-by download or other method. If so, you will be alerted to a security alert on your system that according to this software can only be fixed by purchasing the Pro version. This program is known to track your web browsing with its browser help object extension. When I'm dealing with an infected computer I use several spyware removal tools together instead of relying on a single application. Most adware and spyware will reproduce themselves in other areas of the computer thus leading to a vicious cycle of cleaning and infecting. You will also need a good registry cleaning program if you are unsure of how to clean your registry manually since almost all spyware insert keys. Spyware removal programs should be ran in safe mode to ensure that the spyware applications aren't reproducing themselves during cleaning. When you install free software on to your computer be sure you read all the way through the End User Licensing Agreement because a lot of times third party software will also be installed and chances are its adware supported. |
Image of spyware search and destroy
spyware search and destroy Image 1
spyware search and destroy Image 2
spyware search and destroy Image 3
spyware search and destroy Image 4
spyware search and destroy Image 5
Related blog with spyware search and destroy
Related Video with spyware search and destroy
spyware search and destroy Video 1
spyware search and destroy Video 2
spyware search and destroy Video 3
spyware search and destroy
Labels: Download Spyware Search and Destroy, Free Microsoft Spyware Clean Up, Spybot for Windows 7, Spybot for Windows 8, Spybot Search and Destroy Portable, Spybot Search and Destroy Windows 8.1, Spyware Search and Destroy Windows 7, SpywareBlaster