Introduction and Background
Large corporations care about their bottom line, not about you. And if they can find another asset that is saleable and can increase revenues, then they will probably exploit it, whether or not it's ethical. That's why a lot of the free software downloadable from the internet today contains a hitch-hiker that usually is announced only in the deep guts of the associated legal text. This hitch-hiker is additional software often called spyware. Depending on the variety that comes with the download, the spyware program could be watching the sites you surf, monitoring your program usage, keeping track of your habits, dislikes, likes, demographic information, and a pile of other pieces of data. And it sends these over the internet whether you know it or not back to the home base. This information is an asset to the possessor, and can be sold to marketers for cash.

Do you really want this to be happening on your computer? Chances are that you don't. That's where Ad-Aware comes in. It searches for all known types of spyware and gives you the option of removing it from your machine. And simultaneously you're sending a message to the corporations that it's YOUR computer and you're not going to stand for them invading it. Chalk one up for the good guys!

Installation and Updates
Installing this program is a snap. Just download the executable from Lavasoft and run it. There is a standard install wizard that will take you through the process.

Updating the database of known spyware can be tricky for beginners who are unfamiliar with computer operations. Essentially you have to download a reflist.sig file from Lavasoft and replace the old one in your Ad-Aware directory with it. I think that moving and replacing files might be just a tad tricky for the less computer-literate.

Program Operation
The program is easy to use. In fact, I can't think of a single way that it could be made easier to use. Just start it up, click on "Scan My System," wait for it to finish scanning, and then select spyware entries to remove by checkbox and press the remove button.

Reliability and Functionality
When you use Ad-Aware to exterminate some spyware, you can be almost certain that the vermin will be eradicated. On one occasion removing "Comet Cursor," Ad-Aware reported that it was unable to remove the comet.dll file. I had to drop down to a DOS prompt and delete the file manually. But by and large Ad-Aware cleans up after spyware quite expertly.

Some programs that deliver spyware are designed to check for the spy whenever they are run. Some are not. If you remove the spyware and you have a program that checks to see if it is there, then that program will cease to function. Determining which program will and will not run is often a matter of trial and error.

It Fixes Your System!
The folks who write spyware programs often do a sloppy job. Spyware can constantly cause crashes and slowdowns in your operating system and web browser because it fights for resources and eats up memory. Using Ad-Aware to remove the spyware often removes such conflicts, letting your machine run more smoothly.

An Interesting Development
This program may become obsolete sooner or later. Gibson Research Corporation (http://www.grc.com) headed by Steve Gibson is developing a fantastic program called Netfilter which does everything that Ad-Aware does and more. Depending on when you read this review, the Netfilter may already be available. If it is, then chances are that you won't need this program.

In Conclusion
In my eyes, anyone who uses the internet should have this program. It is an essential tool for protecting privacy. Even if you don't download any freeware programs, you'd be surprised to know that spyware has been found in commercial boxed software, especially childrens' software from Mattel. You never know.

So don't take your chances. Use Ad-Aware.



Recommended: Yes