Best Reviewed
Anti-Spyware
- Best anti-spyware software Spyware Doctor 2011 *Est. $30
- Security suite with anti-spyware Norton Internet Security 2011 *Est. $70
- Free anti-spyware software Ad-Aware Free Internet Security 9.0 *Est. $0
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- Free
- Decent malware detection
- Scans can be scheduled
- Real-time protection
- Not effective at malware removal
Reviews say Microsoft Windows Defender -- which is included in the Windows 7 and Vista operating systems and is available as a free download to validated Windows XP owners -- is decent at detecting adware and better than nothing at catching spyware. But reviews say it's not effective at actually removing spyware. Experts say free anti-spyware downloads like Windows Defender are best used as supplements to better, paid protection. You can run manual and scheduled scans, and real-time protection is the default setting. Experts say you probably should couple Windows Defender with some paid protection, such as the top-rated Spyware Doctor 2011 (*Est. $30).
Most professional reviews of Windows Defender are quite dated. Softonic.com, a download site that hosts editorial reviews and user ratings, has the most recent review, but its analysis is woefully short. PC World also does extensive testing and compares two free products with four paid programs, ranking Windows Defender fourth. The review at ConsumerReports.org is a bit dated.
Pc Tools Spyware Doctor/Antivirus 2011 - 1 User/3 Pc [Old Version]
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Our Sources
1. Softonic
Softonic.com gives Microsoft Windows Defender a 9 (out of 10) rating, but the accompanying analysis is too brief to be helpful.
Review: Windows Defender 1593, Editors of Softonic.com, As of May 2010
PC World and AV-Test.org test six anti-spyware applications, two of which are free. Microsoft Windows Defender places fourth, and the gist is that it performs well on adware but poorly on spyware.
Review: Die, Spyware, Die!, Ryan Naraine, Aug. 22, 2007
3. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
ConsumerReports.org tests a dozen free and paid anti-spyware programs in a lab, ranking them in a chart. Windows Defender is among them, but the latest version isn't tested. You must be a subscriber to view this report, which has now become a little too dated to be terribly useful.
Review: Microsoft Windows Defender, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, September 2007
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Webroot Spy Sweeper 1-User
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