CNET Editors' review
The bottom line: The new owners of Lavasoft have revamped Ad-Aware to the point where it has almost nothing in common with its predecessors besides function. It's a good reboot, but it's not out of the woods yet.
Review:
While the name Ad-Aware remains the same as it has for the past 13 years, everything from the user interface to the code powering Ad-Aware 10 is entirely new.
Ad-Aware gets a face-lift
More so than any recent version of Ad-Aware, the suite is usable, lightweight, and worthy of your attention.
Installation
The installation is straightforward, although it still does opt you in by default to the Ad-Aware browser toolbar for Internet Explorer and Firefox. A software installation ought to get your program installed as quickly as possible, with as little requirement for input from the person installing it. Ad-Aware's installation was zippy and generally painless.
Unlike nearly all of its competitors, it does not require you to register to use the free version or the trials of the paid upgrades. What it does do similarly to its competitors on install is good, though: it automatically downloads new virus definition files and runs a quick scan. A reboot is unfortunately required; that's an occupational hazard for security suites like this one that have deep hooks into the Windows OS.
The new Home landing screen for Ad-Aware 10. It doesn't look much like the old one.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)
Interface
A big reason that the new Ad-Aware stands a good chance of surviving is because it's finally a usable product again. Gone is the tripartite vertical sectioning, replaced instead with a more traditional layout. Not unlike the major interface change that Avast introduced for its fifth version, the interface's quirkiness has been replaced by usability. The interface is divided into three horizontal sections: the top contains navigation to Home, Info, and Options; the second shows you a large, protection status icon with links to dive deeper into recent protection on the right; and the majority of the interface offers additional protection tools such as gaming mode, firewall, and safe browsing.
The interface is multithreaded, which means that using text "breadcrumbs" you can easily find your way back through the interface the way you came, or directly to the Home screen.
Even though tools are categorized into Basic and Advanced, they all have buttons on the main screen for quick toggling. More advanced configuration options are still available, but as with most of the competition, they've been buried one level down to avoid confusing beginners and to keep visual clutter to a minimum. Click the name of any feature and a pop-up provides a brief explanation of what it does. Click the gear icon next to it to dive into config options.
Features and support
Ad-Aware's features have been improved as well. It offers the same level of core protection against malware across the board, in free and paid products. Nag screens have been removed, a silent/gaming mode has been added, and Ad-Aware now gives advanced heuristics and rootkit protection to people using the free version.
The old Ad-Aware 9.5.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)Ad-Aware's antivirus engine is powered by Vipre, a well-known security suite that's more popular in Europe than North America. Vipre has never set the security world on fire for its results, but it is a good, solid, middle-of-the-road engine that will detect many, and in some cases most, of the threats you'll face on a regular basis.
The toolbar's been streamlined, stripped of most extraneous features, and offers a search engine powered by upstart Google competitor Blekko. It also detects bad URLs and blocks you from loading them, so it has a legitimate security purpose.
Assouline also said that people can expect to see new features land in Ad-Aware regularly, as the program has adopted an aggressive release cycle not unlike Chrome and Firefox. He cautioned, though, that it was not the six-week cycle that those browsers have.
The differences between the paid versions and the free versions have shrunk, as more features have been front-loaded into the free version. Ad-Aware Personal Security 10 adds reputation and anti-malware filtering for $12 per year. Ad-Aware Pro Security offers e-mail phishing protection, USB guards, a two-way firewall, and network protection at $36 per year. If you don't care about the lack of spam filters or parental controls, or the lack of reputation-based protection, and you trust Ad-Aware -- always a key point -- $36 could be quite a deal. Considering what's offered, it's very nearly priced to disrupt the market.
One interesting problem we encountered was the program updates were pushed out in separate installation files. Unlike most competitors, which offer in-place downloads so that the suite updates without having to run an installer, an offered software update opened a Web site and asked for approval to start downloading.
The new Ad-Aware completed its Quick Scan noticeably faster than its predecessor.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)It's an extra step that's unusual because it leaves the installation of the new security suite version up to the individual, and that could potentially create security risks.
Performance
3
When it comes to threat scanning, our tests on a real-world computer found that the Ad-Aware Pro Security 10 averaged 4 minutes, 23 seconds over three clean installs for its first scan, a competitive score.
We don't have any third-party security efficacy results to share at this time, but Vipre, the company that provides Ad-Aware's engine, received passing grades from AV-Test in 2011 and the first few months of 2012. It wasn't tested by AV-Comparatives.
The new Ad-Aware is off to a good start when it comes to performance. The suite's impact on system performance was slightly better than average.
| Security Program | Boot time | Shutdown time | Scan time | MS Office performance | iTunes decoding | Media multitasking | Cinebench |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unprotected system | 40 | 6 | n/a | 395 | 120 | 342 | 17,711 |
| Average of all tested systems (to date) | 66.4 | 15.6 | 1,195 | 414 | 125 | 347 | 17,116 |
| Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+ 10 | 55.6 | 14.3 | 3,215 | 427 | 126 | 345 | 17,215 |
| Ad-Aware Personal Security 10 | 63.6 | 12.5 | 3,127 | 412 | 126 | 348 | 16,810 |
| Ad-Aware Pro Security 10 | 54.3 | 13.1 | 3,112 | 409 | 126 | 346 | 17,049 |
*All tests measured in seconds, except for Cinebench. On the Cinebench test, the higher number is better.
Ad-Aware's lowish impact on computer boot time and shut down time, and average impact on in-use tests, were marred by exceptionally slow scan tests. Nevertheless, these scores were better than we were expecting for a completely new security suite.
Conclusion
The new Ad-Aware is an enormous turn for this longtime player in the Windows security field. Lavasoft's plans to update the suite more regularly than its competition bodes well for keeping people safe independent of traditional annual update schedules. If you trust the Lavasoft and Ad-Aware names, Ad-Aware 10 is worth a close look. However, it's got some important gaps that must be filled, and until we can see the impact of the Ad-Aware engine with the Vipre engine, it will be challenging to honestly evaluate the suite.
If Ad-Aware's reboot takes the way that Webroot's has, then we could be watching the rebirth of yet another aggressive competitor in the field, and at the end of the day that bodes best for your computer security.
Ad-Aware Anniversary Edition:Publisher's Description
From Lavasoft:
Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + provides core protection against Internet threats. Featuring real-time anti-malware protection, advanced Genocode detection technology, rootkit protection, a scheduler, and the product gives you the power to protect yourself online. Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + is a complete malware protection that now combines Lavasoft's pioneer technology for anti-spyware with traditional anti-virus protection.
What's new in this version:
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All versions:
3.8 starsout of 13,348 votes
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Current version:
4.2 starsout of 18 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Good refresh"
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
Minimal memory usage, quick updates, goes trough all files when scanning (deep mode). For the price (free) it can not be beaten and is simple to use.
Cons
Zero cons!
Summary
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"This program works"
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
There are so many products out there that start to fail to do the thorough job of keeping clean the computer from menaces, like Ad-Aware does. This one isn't perfect but it is close.
Cons
Nothing for now.
Summary
For real, this program worked and works for me like a hunter against the spyware and viruses.I'm a home user and this software its just fine. Maybe for the advanced users the program has few small problems. I don't know, its just a guess.
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"Do not Install This."
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
If there are any, they are vastly overshadowed by the virus this program installs on your computer without asking any permission from you.
Cons
This program installed "Lavasoft Secure Search" on my machine, which is proving quite the pain in the ass to get rid of. Essentially, it takes over all your browsers, and becomes the default search, and search results page for everything you do on any browser on your machine. It is very difficult to remove, and extremely annoying. If you feel comfortable changing things in your registry, then by all means, feel free to download and have fun.
Summary
Steer clear. Seriously. I'm shocked this product has such good reviews. Installing something that is very invasive and difficult to remove on your machine without permission? Sounds like a virus to me. No thanks, never again.
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"I HATE LAVASOFT!!!!!"
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
There are no Pro's
Cons
You will never get the **** off of your PC. Worse than the damn malware!!!!!
Summary
DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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"So far so good.Works well."
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
It helps you clean up the clutter of annoying things you don't know you have, runs very smoothly and it can find the real bad stuff in your machine.
Cons
Nothing now.
Summary
Spyware sucks and you can use this program to find and eliminate it.
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"Super tool!"
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
I'm felling very good to know that my computer its safe. I never had any problem with this software since version 9. I couldn't ask for more.
Cons
I do not really like Blekko
Summary
Great looking graphics, clean and very clear. If you want a very low profile antivirus that just does it's job without "shinning" in your face at every minute, 24/7, Ad-aware is the answer!
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"Ad-Aware: now with ads!"
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
Seems fast, and I like the right-click-scan option (which isn't new but is the only way to scan just one specific file or directory).
Cons
You have to "register" or it deactivates after 30 days. You can't add a directory or drive to the exclusions- only individual files- wildcards don't seem to work as far as I could figure out. It changed my default search provider in FireFox- and then put all the advertiser search results at the top! I thought that was exactly what it wouldn't do! Custom scan doesn't let you customize where to scan, only how and what to scan for. Installs "GFI Software Anti-Malware Service" ??? The company changes owners and immediately they start outsourcing... not a good sign as far as I'm concerned. Cookies should not be listed as a "threat". I'm sure I unchecked the "safe browsing" option, but still it was installed.
Summary
Like a lot of anti-virus software, AdAware is trying to be all things to all people, but I don't think it will be much better for that in the long run. I like to have a few on-demand scanners that I can install but not have running all the time. You can configure AdAware to "close" when you click the "x", but there are still processes running in memory. I feel like it is just going to become another advertising platform where all they focus on is getting more money. Also, they are trying to do everything- just pick one or two areas and be the best and then stick with those areas. They have a long long way to go before they will replace Norton, McAfee, or Kaspersky. If it was cheap, like $5/year I might go for it if it would include all the features and they would stop trying to sell me more ad-ons!
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"Fast, Solid detection and best version yet."
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
Quick scan is just super fast.
Fast loading, Light on resources, catches cookies, simple to use, nice browser add-on that blocks sites & much bad advertising while you browse.Cons
Full scan takes long.
Wants you to activate to keep the free.
Wants to change your default web search, though easy to switch back.Summary
Overall it's the lightest combo A/V + antispyware. Detection is solid. Makes you feel you are protected. The avast & AVG's of this world should stop and learn - we don't want bloatware - thanks lavasoft.
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"No perfect AV in the world but this one works!"
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
So fast,I don't know what they done to the program but it feels so much faster now. Computer works like a charm after I installed the program.
Cons
No complaints , no nothing!
Summary
Fast and very effective scanning engine. I have used other anti virus software and Ad-Aware was introduced to me late in 2009. I will never e-mail, facebook or playing without this program. A nice product. First full scan took me 5 hours, but the second full one awss like a charm. Very fast!
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"Annoying Popups"
Version: Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + 10.5.2.4379
Pros
The program's functions are solid.
Cons
Every time a little cookie or whatever is discovered, a CREEPING POPUP appears, informing me of my computer's near death experience. I have to aim really well with the mouse, or just wait 5 seconds, to close them. The high frequency of these popups makes them utterly intolerable. I also question the severity of these discoveries; no matter what Adaware finds, it's always a MAJOR THREAT.
Summary
I am uninstalling this annoying program.



