best spyware app

[angmang]

i use spyware blaster to prevent
but whats the best for scanning and removal.
i used to use spysweeper but the new one is a memory hog

 

[MidasKnight]

ad-aware

 

[Bateluer]

Becareful what Anti-Spyware apps you use. I recently helped clean up a friend's computer which has multiple Anti-Spyware programs which were actually spyware in disguise.

Ad-Aware is something that I've used in the past without any major issues.

 

[Chompman]

Ad-aware and Spybot are 2 great programs to get and use on a weekly setup or so.

And they are even free so even better

 

[John]

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=33&amp;threadid=1389110">getting slammed by spyware... ...removal programs?
</a>

IMHO Spysweeper is the most thorough removal tool available right now, and it has more robust signature database. Spysweeper also detects a lot of programs/traces that AdAware &amp; Spybot seem to miss. You need to use at least 4 different applications to clean systems that are mucked up with internet garbage, and I've been cleaning 20+ pc's a week now using the combination of Spysweeper 3.0, AdAware SE 1.04, Spybot 1.3, and HijackThis 1.98.2

Before starting the cleaning process, download the Option Explicit Winsock Tool for Win 98/ME/2K/XP in case you cannot access the internet after removing certain pieces of spyware/adware.

Empty your temp and temporary internet files folder for each account (start > run > cleanmgr), and reset your IE security settings. Be sure to install and update each spyware/adware utility mentioned above, then reboot to safe mode to run the scans. Run HiJack This last, and be sure you know what you are removing. In some cases you will have to find the files manually to delete them.

Afterwards you should run an online virus scan using Housecall and Panda

One way to reduce the amount of spayware/adware on your system is to update to SP2 if you are using Windows XP. Another way to help prevent spyware is to switch over to Firefox

 

[Czar]

adaware and spybot is what I use

 

[Zugzwang152]

cwshredder
spybot
adaware
hijackthis

those are the 4 i use, and i run them in that order. if you're dealing with a major infestation, i recommend going into add/remove programs first to remove all the "legitimate" toolbars and such with their own uninstaller.

 

[Schadenfroh]

All the following are freeware to home users, see individual license for what other groups may use it for free.

See my guide to malware for instructions on how to remove spyware and prevent it
Link to malware guide

removal:

automated
[*]spybot search and destroy
[*]adaware SE

manual
[*]bazooka
[*]hijackthis

infection specific:
[*]VX2 remover (plugin for adaware, for use with VX2 trojan), VX2 info.
[*]Kill2me (removes the look2me parasite), [*]look2me info
[*]about:buster (removes the about:blank hijack)
[*]kazaabegone (removes spyware/adware installed with kazaa media desktop)
[*]CWShredder (no longer updated, removes the CoolWebSearch Trojan), coolwebseach info
[*]peperfix (for removing the peper trojan), peper info

prevention:
[*]BHO Demon (protects against unknown BHOs)
[*]Host File (protects at the system level against bad sites known to distrubute malware)
[*]spyware blaster (prevents adware/spyware from ever being able to install)
[*]spyware guard (realtime spyware protection)
[*]IE-Spyad (Similar to host files, but updated more often, works only with IE, tho)

It is also critical to have an up todate antivirus and firewall, see my sig for much more detailed guides on this

 

[madthumbs]

Adaware from lavasoft -Did no one learn from the problems they had with 5.5 disconnecting people from the net, people being banned in their forums for mentioning it?

Spysweeper from webroot is the best I've tried. Spybot left too much (another word for crap) behind.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: madthumbs
Adaware from lavasoft -Did no one learn from the problems they had with 5.5 disconnecting people from the net, people being banned in their forums for mentioning it?

Spysweeper from webroot is the best I've tried. Spybot left too much (another word for crap) behind.

no reason not to use both spybot and adaware,

 

[angmang]

i just want the best, free or not.
i guess ill have all 3 spysweeper, adaware and s&amp;d installed for now until i get more responses