Who you gonna call? Ad-busters!
Written: Dec 14 '02 (Updated Dec 14 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quick, user-friendly, and lets you use other programs while it is on.
Cons: Doesn't identify the importance of each found file.
The Bottom Line: Ad-Aware is quite useful. Best of all, it is free.
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| hiperturbo's Full Review: AD-Aware |
To match the growing advertising business on the web, technology has created the Ad-Aware program to stop the terror.
Ad-Aware is a useful and versatile program used to identify folders, files, and processes that may be sending information from your computer to advertisers via internet. This program searches through the specified drive in search of items that match to its library of ad programs. For me, the searching of the hard drive is relatively quick, about 5-10 minutes, though that can vary from computer to computer in regard of speed and the size of the drive. (Note: My computer is a Dell with 512MB RAM and a 40-gigabyte hard drive.)
After the hunt is over, the identified items are displayed. here, you can select the items that you want deleted. In a matter of seconds (again depending on the computer and number of items selected {usually 100 for the first time the program is used}.) Best of all, you can get this program for free at "www.lavasoft.de".
The only downfall of this program is that the results of the search do not explain if the file is a necessary one, causing defects in some programs if removed. If unsure of a file, delete it manually by using the directory given in the results. This way, you can restore the items if a program does not work anymore. As member and current Advisor "nc10" wrote in the comments, you can also use the Ad-Aware feature "Backup/Restore". (I am not accustomed to this option, so I will say nothing so no one is mislead. Ask "nc10" for questions about that option.) When something is deleted using Ad-Aware, it is not sent to the Recycling Bin, but is permanently lost.
Now you may, "Why should I take such a risk? How will I benefit from the program?"
1. This program helps stop personal information from being sent to advertisers.
2. Your hard drive may be freed up of the space taken up by the advertising program.
3. Your computer may speed up as a result of the processes currently running on your computer are reduced.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hiperturbo
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Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 1 member
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