Spyware Doctor

1.0 stars

"This Once Mighty Program is Now System Hogging Garbage"

March 2, 2013  |   By Baheshdi

Version: Spyware Doctor 8.0

Pros

None, as it practically makes you system unusable. Customer support never responds. I've used this product happily for the better part of a decade and now with the last couple versions, I've canceled my recurring annual fee for it.

Cons

See "Pros". This used to be the best software around. You hardly knew it was there and found things that the others missed and better yet, it prevented new things. Now, even if it still accomplished this, it is beside the point as it hobbles your system worse than the spyware it is fighting. This is a common problem as companies try to add more and more features to convince you to spend more money and to justify the existence of all the employees they've hired.

Summary

Go with something simple like Malware-Antibytes or other popular software on CNET. There are only two tings you care about. 1) Does it defend your system and 2) do you even notice it is installed. If the answer 1) is "Yes" and to 2) "No" then use that product. Spyware Doctor does not meet this standard and has not for the past few versions.

Updated on Mar 2, 2013

STRONG WARNING TO ANYONE CONSIDERING THIS PRODUCT!!!!!! THE USER RATING IS 3 STARS, BUT THE REVIEWS FOR THIS PRODUCT ARE FILLED WITH BOGUS, SEEMINGLY AUTOMATED 5 STAR REVIEWS THAT MASSIVELY INFLATE THE AVERAGE USE RATING. I WOULD SAY THE REAL NUMBER IS PROBABLY 2 STARS OR LESS.

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1.0 stars

"PC Tools... steer clear of these scammers"

October 21, 2012  |   By RCHNS

Version: Spyware Doctor 8.0

Pros

Well, downloading this software did increase my scam-awareness.

Cons

This company uses bait and switch tactics.

Summary

I recently did several system scans with AVG, and it keeps finding malware in the system file MDPMGRNT.SYS, without being able to remove these threats. Searching the net for a solution, I found the site 'maxoptimizer.com', and they reported to have a solution for malware hidden in exactly this file. They recommended to reboot in safe mode and then download and run a special removal tool. A couple of citations from their site: 'To completely remove MDPMGRNT.SYS infected virus, please follow the removal instructions below.' And 'Install our recommended MDPMGRNT.SYS infected virus removal tool after the download completes.' So I did.

To my surprise, the program that was being installed didn't turn out to be the dedicated tool I was expecting, but PC Tools Spyware Doctor. This already seemed a bit fishy to me, but as it was already installing, I decided to let Spyware Doctor scan my system anyway, still expecting it to find and remove the malware in the MDPMGRNT.SYS file.

While It did report a handful of supposedly infected files, Spyware Doctor didn't even find the infection in MDPMGRNT.SYS. I figured that I could at least have it remove the malware that it did find, and then a message came up that I had to buy the program to remove the detected threats. So they tricked me into downloading their software to remove (!) a very specific threat that their software wasn't even able to detect, just to get their software on my system and make me buy the junk.

Wait a minute... a provider of internet security software using tricks and bait and switch tactics? Riiiight. Oh well, on the internet, scammers are hiding in every corner, sometimes even where you least expect them.

Anyway, I immediately uninstalled Spyware Doctor, only to receive all kind of error messages about files that couldn't be removed (maybe I should have exited safe mode and reboot before removing Spyware Doctor, but I wanted it off my system as quickly as possible). Nice, even more junk on my system to hunt down and clean up.

Is it possible that AVG wrongly reported the mentioned file to be infected, that being the reason that Spyware Doctor didn't find the infection? In theory, yes. But a company that's using these kind of bait and switch tactics doesn't get the benefit of the doubt from me. I won't ever touch anything from them again.

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1.0 stars

"Pile of absolute crap."

July 20, 2012  |   By Osd1000

Version: Spyware Doctor 8.0

Pros

Nothing from what I heard.

Cons

Memory hog, blocks out other applications, and acts like spyware itself, it even blocks out it's own tools made by the same company, I mean, what is up with this.

Summary

In conclusion, I'm glad I stuck with AVG 2012 instead of this, at least AVG doesn't slow down the computer, plus Spyware Doctor shouldn't be even LABELED as an anti-spyware application, plus, it acts like spyware, thanks a lot, I never tried this program, but I heard the older versions are better, but this is just utter crap right here, whoever makes this, please change it back to the way it was instead of just like acting like a rogue anti-spyware program, like Spysheriff, we all know how much of an obvious FAKE that is.

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1.0 stars

"Scamware Doctor"

July 9, 2012  |   By Ratterify

Version: Spyware Doctor 8.0

Pros

There aren't any

Cons

Everything. They expect you to think this helps your computer when in all reality it screws up your whole system.

Summary

basically the worst product ever. comes with a lot of computers. Screws it up. Never download this!

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1.0 stars

"In additiona to the various problems above I was (cons)"

May 18, 2012  |   By GlyderZ

Version: Spyware Doctor 8.0

Pros

The last program I used from PCT was the AV, and that was only because it seemed to be the only way to have a restore point set pretty much automatically. I have read somewhere MS does this, but, and I could easily be missing something (no expert here), this only happens when certain program load, if they have that feature.

Cons

told by PCT that they were bought by Symantec. Norton is very picky (perhaps with good reason) about who they play with, and when PCT used to have some half decent programs, they now get kicked off by Norton! PC Tools actually sent me some odd program that made me call in. I like to have some extra programs to check others becasue I have concluded that a. Some do not work at all B. Some have some features but not others that work and C. I have found a couple that I used for years, or are new, from eons of research$, that when check against each other seem quite close, and they work with Norton (NIS). I won't mention other names, becuase of FOL (Fear Of Lawers) syndrome! This is something more deeply entrenched into our society the more I think about it, and through experience. Bad descisions are made, at all levels of society due just to this malfunction. Win/Loss/Damages not relevant here, just staggering fees, which often crush the "Winner".

Summary

Some OS seem "cleaner" than others, but without programming knowledge, especially since GUI and the Internet (I worked with a retired Western Electric programmer setting up a Real Estate Managment system in the late 70's a few meters from huge mainframes which we plugged into by actual telephone on a DEC printer. That was it at the start and we flew into the 80' like a rocket. Then one day we found ourselves, in the second stage, on 4 8" floppy disks. Since he wrote sequentially this was like going from the Autobahn to the back roads. Our 1st WP was WordStar, which I didn't even realize was alivein 2000 or so, but read somewhere that the Creator's assistant "ported it" to Windews, I presume so it not be threat to Woid. On another totally off topic subject how is it that some programs can copy the "ribbon" with no apparent backlash? I hope Mac stays around, not that I'm a big fan, but for A. Competition and B. I haven't hit a better all in one source dictionary than what they have. I'm going through withdrawal after the LCD blew on the iMac all in one (Terrible design). Not worth fixing unless you have the tools and skill, maybe, even with everything else fines inside. I see I have 15,000 charachters left (you may want to shotren that!) si, in the spirit of saving money whay has Intel even bothered making a graphics card all these years. Most people, who know even a little (and I include myself here) will upgrade ($$$) to Nvida or ATI, and they own Nvidia! I've concluded on the cards from recent reading that each have different strengths, so I thinks the best solution is one of each! Now the upgrade path is altered gain, with one (At least I have only seen one) AMD set with NO BIOS. Bravo. At the same time we seem to have hit what call the Pentium 11/111 scenario with Ivy League arriving before the Sandy Bridge is fully built. That's tech I guess. I remember opening the box to a P11 when the P111 came blazing along and, if I recall, lasted for some time. I've seen Linux do some amazing things, but what's going on there? Next year I'll use all 15,000 charachters!

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3.0 stars

"Good but it's not as advertised"

May 9, 2012  |   By rdfain

Version: Spyware Doctor 8.0

Pros

It's fast
Provides easy to see results page
Accuracy

Cons

It's not a free to try as posted on download.com. I downloaded it and installed it. Ran it and it came back with results showing minimal issues. But when I told it to fix the problems found it said I needed to pay money. Definitely not a 30 day free trial. Should have been labeled correctly. I wanted to see it work in comparison to the program I currently use and it can't do the job without paying money for proof of performance. A joke.

Summary

Good program if you buy it first - maybe. But to label it a free trial when it does not out perform a competing product that I have already paid for and does not provide different results is a joke.

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2.0 stars

"What once was isn't anymore."

April 30, 2012  |   By Kumacho1

Version: Spyware Doctor 8.0

Pros

It used to be a good program that was very capable.

Cons

It USED to be a good program that was very capable.

Blue Screen of death on a daily basis, verified cause to be PCTcore.sys and PCTSD.sys.

Updates do not seem to be well tested. 4 times in the past 3 years an update has caused my computer to slow to unusable. Verified culprit by disabling PC Tools.

Summary

For three years I have been a loyal customer of Spyware Doctor plus anti-virus. What started out as a great option to Norton has now become nothing more than a system hog. It isn't that the program uses an excess of memory or CPU, it doesn't use an extraordinary amount amount of either. It just slows your computer down to unusable speeds.

I have a fast CPU, lots of memory and fast hard drives. There is no reason why my system should run this slowly. At times I can't even double click anything because the system is running so slow that it won't recognized a double click.

I will be changing to another malware/anti-virus program and PCtools has lost a customer.

Customer support leaves a lot to be desired as well. After initial contact they will put you on an email chain that they may or may not answer in a timely manner. It took 3 days to get a response after their first attempt to solve my Blue Screen halts and then were indignant when I told them I didn't trust I would receive a timely manner.

PC Tools has gone downhill in the past few years and they need to turn things around before the entire world gets the idea that their product is not just less than satisfactory, it does more to slow down the system than any malicious files do.

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3.0 stars

"Don't do it! Kills everything - ESPECIALLY THE CPU!!!"

March 19, 2012  |   By scottmmurphy

Version: Spyware Doctor 8.0

Pros

It seems to stop everything - right down to the CPU

Cons

I bought and paid for PC Tools Spyware Doctor / AntiSpyware, etc. and their Performance module - a combined $70-$80 for the package. And between them they messed up everything on my system - my browser, my Adobe Reader, my startup time and they brought my CPU to a crawl. Everything was locking up. I uninstalled them both and then I had to do a scan disk and defrag. Now I have minimal protection again, but my laptop runs like a formula racer again. Don't bother with their stuff.

Summary

Don't download the free version because you won't get something for nothing and definitely don't pay for it because then you'll really be upset.

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1.0 stars

"Doctor for got the Hippocratic Oath"

February 2, 2012  |   By THEPEACEMAKER01

Version: Spyware Doctor 8.0

Pros

Cool sounding name.
Better than nothing? Maybe.
Was good four or five year ago.

Cons

Setup takes FOREVER. Big, slow and glitchy.
Very dictatorial. Like a little Mussolini.
False positives for days. After a scan, pay them & they'll fix your three real threats, plus the 794 made up ones.
Made by "PC Tools".
They never met a credit card number they didn't like.

Summary

Worst, an iLivid Download Manager loaded "SPYWARE DOCTOR" to my system -- no choice, it just goes with no 'cancel' button -- that sets up an iLivid toolbar to track your browsing habits, and sets your homepage to searchqu/40. Not just so you can try it out searchqu to see how you like it, but forever. Change your homepage & it changes back. Revo Uninstaller could not uninstall iLivid. I tried to delete the protected files, and it tried to uninstall Malwarebytes, PCT's hated enemy. Surprising, malwarebytes didn't help me much. Superantispyware caught it as an "unwanted software launcher' or something like that. While this went on, Spyware Doctor itself bacially tried to take over my PC like it owned the place, making decisions (bad ones) without consulting me. I Revo Uninstalled the crap out of it. No more "PC Tools" stuff for me!

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