Sprint: What can you do with 4G?
- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/Vista/NT
- Date added: January 26, 2009
- Total Downloads: 114,937,920
- Downloads last week: 89,678
- Product Ranking: #3 in Spyware Removers
- See full specifications
- CNET Community
- This product is on 315 member lists. Add to my list Add to my Watch List
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 5378 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff on November 07, 2008
Spybot - Search & Destroy has been in the antispyware game for a long time offering features we've come to expect in the best apps in the category, but bugs and false positives make it difficult to recommend.
The program checks your system against a comprehensive database of adware and other system invaders. It also features several interface improvements, including multiple skins for dressing up its appearance. Scan results now appear arranged by groups in a tree, and a sliding panel lets you instantly view information about a selected item to help you decide whether to kill it or not. The Immunize feature blocks a plethora of uninvited Web-borne flotsam before it reaches your computer. Other useful tools, including Secure Shredder, complement the program's basic functionality for completely destroying files. Hosts File blocks adware servers from your computer, and System Startup lets you review which apps load when you start your computer.
Unfortunately, the program has the tendency to lock up at times and even during the install process for this review, we encountered several errors. The ambitious feature list and functionality make Spybot a good choice for those in search of a second antispyware program, and recent updates have made it run faster. It still makes errors in flagging spyware that isn't, and overall there are others in the category that do a better job.
Watch the CNET video review of Spybot - Search & Destroy:
Publisher's description
From Patrick M. Kolla:Spybot - Search & Destroy can detect and remove a multitude of adware files and modules from your computer. Spybot also can clean program and Web-usage tracks from your system, which is especially useful if you share your computer. Modules chosen for removal can be sent directly to the included file shredder, ensuring complete elimination from your system. For advanced users, it allows you to fix Registry inconsistencies related to adware and to malicious program installations. The handy online-update feature ensures that Spybot always has the most current and complete listings of adware, dialers, and other uninvited system residents.
What's new in this version:
Version 1.6.2 features support for the latest Opera releases, support for Google Chrome, and improved support for fast user switching while Spybot is running.More popular Spyware Removers downloads
- 398,270 downloads 1. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
- 396,443 downloads 2. Ad-Aware Free Internet Security
- 89,678 downloads 3. Spybot - Search & Destroy
- 23,232 downloads 4. Trend Micro HijackThis
- 16,837 downloads 5. SuperAntiSpyware Free Edition
- See all Spyware Removers downloads
User reviews
- All versions: 4.2 starsout of 5378 votes
- 5 stars
- 4 stars
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- 1 stars
- Current version: 4.0 starsout of 505 votes
- 5 stars
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- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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5 stars
12 out of 13 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"Works Great"
Pros: It always works great and easy to use.
Cons: Had a problem saying I need to be the "administrator" on the computer. I guess there is a problem with Windows.
Summary: This is what the emailed me and it solved the problem:
Windows Vista/Windows 7 might tell you that you are not being allowed to operate
at the administration level of your computer.
You can solve this problem as follows:
Right-click the Spybot - Search & Destroy entry in your start menu,
instead of just left-clicking to start it.
Then, choose Run as administrator from the context menu.
You will find a screenshot of this problem in our FAQ:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/42.html
--
Best regards,
Norma
Team Spybot -
5 stars
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"good product"
Pros: easy to use
Cons: updates far and few between
Summary: easy to use, and takes care of the problem
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4 stars
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"If you read the instructions, it works"
Pros: It does what it says it will do
Cons: There's alot to it, but still excellent non the less
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1 stars
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"If it blocks vistaprint.com, its useless to me!"
Pros: Advanced features are good
Cons: Blocks legitimate sites like vistaprint...nice going!
Summary: Shame on you, Spybot!
Update: all you have to do is turn off SD Helper to be able to access Vistaprint.com. Still, this should not happen!
Updated on Jan 19, 2010 -
5 stars
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"Editors are Offbase"
Pros: This product worked when all others I have on my computer....FAILED.
Cons: The good far outweighs the bad......
Summary: I had Spybot on my laptop for 10 years...then took it off when I had a conflict with my new VPN. A week ago...my laptop went crazy. 100% CPU all the time, sluggish, sproratic performance and super slow. I ran all my programs thinking it was a bug. AVG...Adaware...Malware Bytes and Registry Repair. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. So then, In utter frustration, I decided to reinstall good ole Spybot. Up popped the following which all the others missed: (Follow along closely) 1 Castle Media BROWSER...10 PUPSC Fast Browser Toolbar....1 Malware Fraud AV Security Suite...1 Malware Fraud.Sysguard...and 2 Trojan C-O2 Vitumonde.prx. After cleaning all these that it found, my computer took off!! 20-40% CPU and fast and slick as it was before. So when the editors say they cannot recommend it....I say, it outperformed all the others they offer on this site by a country mile and solved my problem immediately. 'nuff said....
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5 stars
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"Get your computer back to normalcy."
Pros: This programs goes after Root kits, Key stroke loggers, browser redirects and many more
Cons: What can I say, it takes awhile to scan.
Summary: On top of a good free virus program (MSE or AVG) this program does the rest. It has saved the day on more than one occasion. Check it out. Make sure you have the 'real' Spybot-Search and Destroy by staying here at cnet. Many websites pretend to be this program and most times it makes things worse.
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5 stars
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"Always Been One of The Best!"
Pros: It protects the Windows registry from programs monkeying with it, and can guard it from damage from some aggressive malware. It has been around a very long time and has always been one of the best. I ALSO use AdAware and firmly believe in both.
Cons: For people that want a very user friendly program this may not be right, as one has to have a basic understanding of Windows and browsers to get the most out of this program.
Summary: One of the BEST anti-spyware programs in over ten years. However the user needs a basic understanding of Windows and browsers to get the most out of SpyBot. It can protect the Windows registry from being screwed up, but the user needs to understand when to allow a write and when something fishy is happening and to not allow an action.
Despite advise given, I firmly believe in using both Spybot and AdAware. I find by scanning with one, then closing and scanning with the other program gives me the best results over any single anti spy/AD ware program.
Spybot often finds and removes legit spyware that AdAware does not, but the same can be said of AdAware too.
This program used to be in the top 10 Downloads. I believe some believe that a single anti spyware program such as AdAware is all they need, but I almost always find the most maleware by running SpyBot with AdAware (Use one program at a time, do not run both at the same time!). -
4 stars
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"It seems to work, is 99% accurate, the 1% is a pain"
Pros: Asks very little.
Cons: It seems to miss some things over and over.
Summary: I like this product. I like that it is free. I like the effortlessness required to use it.
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4 stars
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"resolves problematic theft of ip address"
Pros: it works effectively
Cons: it is slow searching through the hard drive
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5 stars
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2
"One of the best tools to protect your PC"
Pros: Spybot helps clear out the malware that clogs up the computer. It has a useful interface, intelligent protections, and is overall pretty darn near indispensible.
Cons: Doesn't play well with other malware protection software (warns about Ad-aware.)
Summary: I use multiple protections; ad-aware, spybot, Avast! and a few others. This is a quality program that has not failed, nor crashed my computer! Highly recommended (I do recommend to my clients.)
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