Finds Stuff the Others Don't
Written: Jan 05 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Ease of use, quality of search
Cons: Cost (other 2 tools I use are free), a bit slow
The Bottom Line: Spy Sweeper is an excellent, if pricey, anti-spyware tool that you should consider adding to your arsenal. Use AdAware and Spybot also for best protection.
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| cousin_jeff's Full Review: Webroot Spy Sweeper 2.0 Full Version for PC |
Spy Sweeper is a useful and easy to use weapon in the anti-malware arsenal.
I have had Spy Sweeper version 3.2 on one of my computers for some time. Recently I downloaded version 3.5 to a new desktop to attempt to find a piece of adware that was hijacking the home page and blocking Internet access on my wife's account (the 404ads.net bug). Spybot and AdAware could not find the problem. After an entire afternoon of Internet searches and attempted fixes, I finally got the bright idea to try Spy Sweeper. It found and eliminated 11 pieces of adware that the other tools didn't find, including the hijacker. (To be fair, AdAware and Spybot find stuff that Spy Sweeper doesn't, so you should use them all for best protection.)
The trial version is free, and has full functionality. It downloads and installs quickly (version 3.5 is 3.71 MB). And you don't have to restart to run it, on XP anyway.
I have found Spy Sweeper to take more time to finish than AdAware or Spybot, and on slower systems it noticeably affects performance when scanning. It's best to start it and go do something else for awhile. However, since it is checking the registry and files against over 39,000 spyware definitions, I can forgive them.
Spy Sweeper does a good job identifying what it finds and letting you know what the potential issues are with each item found (tracking personal info, hijacking, downloading ads, etc.). By default, it puts everything into quarantine, from which you can delete them when you are ready. This is handy if you want the threat neutralized but you want to study the item (or even reclaim it for use).
The cost comes in if you want updated spyware definitions and program updates following the trial period. And Spy Sweeper isn't modest about reminding you of this. You get "updates are available" popups whether or not you have a paid subscription. It's just that you cannot actually get them unless you have paid.
I held out with the free version for some time, but finally gave in and shelled out $39.95 for a two-year subscription (it's $29.95 for one year). Not cheap, but it is peace of mind - and they will let you use your license on a second computer (e.g. laptop or office computer) so long as it's for your exclusive use and you aren't running the tool at the same time on both. (Source: the Support page on their web site.)
Thought for the folks at www.webroot.com: it would be nice to have a searchable spyware database on the web site, like Symantec (Norton) has for viruses. The closest I can find is a "Spyware Top Threats" page.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cousin_jeff
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Reviews written: 6
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