DOWNLOAD: Spybot Search and Destroy 1.4 Final

[TechZ]

Spybot Search and Destroy searches your hard drive for so-called spy- or adbots; that is, little modules that are responsible for the ads many programs display. Many of these modules also transmit information, including your surfing behavior on the Internet. If it finds such modules, it can remove them. In most cases the host still runs fine after removing the spyware/adware.

Link: Official Site | Download

[bazcook]

Updated today from the beta of 1.4 and during it's first scan it found a Log item it could not remove -

SchedLgU.txt

- which hadn't been found in the past.

Turns out there is a FAQ regarding this at Spybot and it seems this can be moved to 'Ignore single item' via right-clicking it.

[Mayet]

I personally feel that spybot does not perform as well as other spyware programs do.

[bazcook]

Well, you shouldn't rely on any *one* spyware product, regardless.

Me? Spybot 1.4, Ad-Aware SE 1.05, a-squared 1.6, Crap Cleaner 1.19.108 and Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta 1....

[TechZ]

I know Spybot isnt what it used to be, but i use more than 1 spyware cleaning app, so even Spybot it good to have, I especially like the Immunize feature, sort of passive blocking all the time.

[Mayet]

Well, you shouldn't rely on any *one* spyware product, regardless.

Me? Spybot 1.4, Ad-Aware SE 1.05, a-squared 1.6, Crap Cleaner 1.19.108 and Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta 1....

Yes I know you can't but you should be able to rely on just one progy to do one job, not six to get it right.....

[Platypus]

Version 1.4 has some products set to be ignored by default. Using Advanced mode, look in "Settings/Ignore products" and uncheck any you don't want overlooked. (This may have been a legal requirement - spyware companies have been taking anti-spyware companies to court...)

Also, anti-spyware programs can undo some of each other's measures when you do an un-install, so when any of the programs are updated, re-check the settings in all the programs you use.

[Ronin]

After working for an i.s.p., I have encountered many spyware/adware ultilities.
I always preferred Adaware vs. Spybot because Spybot seems too dangerous for the lesser experienced user. Too often I would receive calls from people who reported pc issues, were told to use Spybot, then Spybot removed a necessary file because most people are too quick to click onto Yes. However, I've never heard anyone report problems after using Adaware. Therefore, that's the one I would suggest because most people who called couldn't tell you what version of Windows they had.

One program that always nailed the home run was Spyware Doctor. A while ago, the trial version scanned & removed everything beautifully. Now, you can only scan & removal costs money. Aside from that, there's another good utility I found called UnHackMe. http://www.greatis.com/unhackme/ This is wonderful for those difficult trojans you can't seem to remove.