1 of 11

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

it has found on my computer. It does however give you the ability to pick and choose the items that you wish to quarantine, and as they will be quarantined rather than deleted, if you do find some of your software is no longer working properly, you can restore from the quarantined files. I always quarantine the critical objects and occasionally do the MRU lists as well.

The MRU lists are basically things like Internet Explorer's list of recently visited websites and Microsoft Office's recently used files, etc. I occasionally quarantine these for two reasons; firstly it tidies things up a bit as some of these lists can start getting quite long. Secondly, I've found that doing this resets the usage counter on some software that comes with an initial free trial period. Applications that I would otherwise have de-installed once they required a key from a purchased license, on the basis that their utility and likely frequency of use did not justify their purchase price, are still working for me a couple of years later. A bit naughty perhaps, but if companies are going to use a free trial option as a marketing tool, it is their responsibility to ensure their free period termination is effective.

Lastly, if you have been using your computer on the Internet with little or no security and without removing spyware, the first tool I would recommend downloading would be CWShredder. Cool Web Search can be quite extensive within a computer it has infiltrated, with multiple registry entries and files installed in several system folders, CWShredder specializes in locating and removing all such and is very easy to use. After your initial cleanse, you shouldn't need to run CWShredder again as Spybot's Teatimer will keep CWS from returning.

In conclusion, Spybot and AdAware work very well in combination. I would recommend updating and running a full system scan with your anti-virus application first (e.g. AVG Free), then updating and running Spybot followed by AdAware on a weekly basis. This should be done more often if your Internet usage is high or if you have confidential information on your PC and especially if you do Internet banking. Don't forget to run the immunize tool on Spybot after downloading updates.

Learn more about this author, Perry McCarney.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about What are the best spyware removal tools??
We want to hear your view. Write now!