NEW SPYWARE REMOVER

It’s rare that I change security programs. I’ve suggested you pay $40 for Ad-aware; I consider it a useful inexpensive program that protects your computer from intruders.

I read in PC magazine a few weeks ago about its Editor’s Choice for Spyware Removal. First, the article explained the various types of intruders, then what each can do to your computer. Afterwards the comparison discusses numerous competitors. The winner was Webroot Spy Sweeper 2.6. PC Magazine claimed Spy Sweeper caught more intruders, provided more information on them, gave you more choices on how to eliminate their threat than any competitor.

One feature really caught my eye. Webroot’s application automatically fixed registry entries placed by intruders. Ad-aware didn’t do that. Not even Norton AntiVirus did that when on occasion it caught a porn dialer.

I’ve been testing it out for two weeks. I wanted to make sure it lived up to its billing. I checked to see if it ever fouled the registry (I always backed up my registry first, even though Spy Sweeper offers an undo option).

I bought it, uninstalled Ad-aware, and am satisfied with the change. Spy Sweeper catches about 40% more intruders than Ad-aware. It deletes intruders that mess with your registry without making mistakes (at least so far). Its interface is more intuitive, it offers automatic updates, and better reports.

If you want to read the entire PC Magazine comparison, link to http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1524269,00.asp

You may remember Webroot as the manufacturer of pop-up washer, which I forsake for the Google Toolbar, version 2.

The Webroot URL is http://www.webroot.com . It’ll bring up the page:

If you wish, read the PC Magazine review of Spy Sweeper only. Afterward or otherwise, click Spy Sweeper:

You’ll get a short explanation here. I then suggest you click ‘Buy it now’. For $29.95, catching and removing one intruder that could steal your identity, ruin your registry, pass your credit card number and other personal information to gangs of thieves seems a trivial price to pay, even in addition to the $40 you paid for Ad-aware.

Or you can get it for free on piracy sites. Piracy sites in the West offer links to Chinese and Russian sites, where the laws against piracy aren’t enforced. Every program you download comes with spyware, datamining, porn dialers and other assorted disasters from the sites themselves. Don’t even go there.

The current version is 2.6. It has a number of improvements over the version PC Magazine considered best of breed. You have read about them on Webroot’s site.

Once you buy it, you download it. Let’s install Spy Sweeper 2.6. Navigate to the download folder and double-click the executable.

The installation is a typical setup program with which you are all familiar. Please follow the clear instructions. Among the options is a shortcut on your desktop, startup on booting your computer. I clicked OK to all the defaults.

Now let’s use Spy Sweeper. From the program pane from your start menu or from double clicking the icon on your desktop, you will see the following:

Click Sweep Now.

Click Start, and your screen will look something like the above when the scan is complete. A couple of germane points. I ran Ad-aware first. The extent of the scan was a small fraction than Spy Sweeper’s. Your numbers will differ. They’ll probably be smaller.

Ad-aware inspected only a fraction (less than 10%) of the files, folders and registry items that Spy Sweeper did. It found only 9 items as opposed to Spy Sweeper’s 16 (called Software Found ). It didn’t specify traces, which include not only files or folders or cookies, but registry entries.

Now click ‘Remove’.

Click yes. You’ll see a screen full of more information by far than displayed by Ad-aware, and if PC Magazine’s comparison is accurate, far more than any of Spy Sweeper’s other competitors.

I looked through the results item by item to make sure Spy Sweeper wasn’t deleting anything important. Of course I can make a mistake, or be fooled, but it all looked Kosher to me.

Notice the amount of information. Here’s a more complex example:

This is what makes Spy Sweeper unique. It lists the registry entries. By default all the intruders found are checked for removal. Spy Sweeper deletes or fixes each registry entry. Even Norton wasn’t prepared to do that. And this is as easy as pie. No forums are needed. No risky registry editing is required.

See you next week.

Dennis Turner