John A. Stevens asked: Spyware is never a good thing to have on your computer. Most Spyware programs get installed on your computer without your knowledge and they collect information about were you go on the internet and even what you type in. The most annoying part of spyware is the pop-ups. Often times these can be very offensive. Many of the pop-ups you will see will say something like “Your computer is infected download this program now”. What they are trying to do is sell you a fix to the problem they gave. Spy Sheriff is one such program. Besides your identity being at risk spyware will slow your computer way down and your productivity and sanity will suffer.
Most people know they need an anti-spyware program but which ones work best. The following 4 programs are free ones that work. These programs while good do not really in my opinion give you the best security. I also recommend purchasing a program but for free versions these take the cake.
Avast Home Edition
Avast has both an anti-virus and anti-spyware program. Avast is simple to use and does a good job preventing spyware from infecting your computer. If you are already infected it will remove most of the spyware on your computer but chances are it will not get it all. For a free version I would say it works very well.
AVG Anti-Spyware
I personally like AVG anti-spyware. Like Avast, AVG has a spyware and virus suit in two different packages that are free. The free version will actively run on your computer and remove most spyware. It does a great job of preventing spyware in the first place but lacks in the removal department. Again for a free based program this one is one of the leading on the markets.
Spybot S&D
Spybot search and destroy has been a leader for many years when it comes to spyware removal. The newest version has something called tea timer that actively runs on your computer and blocks most spyware programs for getting in. They also have an immunization database that will block known bad sites. The program itself does an excellent job removing spyware and all in all is my favorite free spyware program because of how well it works and stability.
Ad-Aware
Ad-aware is another great program and works well with Spybot. The newest version does a great job scanning and removing spyware. The one down side is in the latest release it seems to bug you to upgrade and purchase the program. I find this a little annoying. Ad-aware will not do an active scan unless your purchase the program.
You can only choose the best spyware removal program for you and your computer network depending on your own particular needs so make sure that you determine how serious your spyware problem is before making any final decisions here.
Caffeinated Content
