Essential Anti-spyware tools

Post by **Philip** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:03 pm

Below is a list of the most popular/useful free anti-spyware programs that, when used in combination can help clean your computer from most current trojans:

My favorite anti-spyware tools, updated 2017
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Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware - great free version of anti-malware. Just make sure to stop any memory-resident always-on features.
ADWCleaner - cleans unwanted browser extensions and hijacks in most common browsers (Chrome, IE, Firefox,etc.)
CCleaner - remove unused/old/corrupt Registry entries, temporary files, clear internet history, etc. in a couple of clicks.

Other anti-malware programs:
SuperAntiSpyware - great anti-spyware tool
Spybot S&D - one of the better anti-spyware tools
Lavasoft Ad-Aware Free - another solid anti-spyware program
Hijack This - lets user scan/fix key areas of the Registry and hard disk, helpful against browser hijacking, deleting malicious services that start with Windows
SDFix - removes some persistent rootkits and dlls that can't be deleted with the above tools, run in safe mode

Check Suspicious Files
Some virii and trojans are detected by only a few tools, if you're suspicious of a file you may want to run it through this great online tool, which checks it with over 20 leading antivirus programs:
http://www.virustotal.com/
You'd be surprised at the number of malicious files detected by less than 25% of all major security programs.

MS Antivirus tools/scan
Microsoft Security Essentials - free Microsoft antivirus software
MS Windows Live Safety Scanner - (click full service scan) can be used in addition to your local antivirus software

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:17 pm

The ones I keep on my USB thumb drive and frequently use...

Latest versions of...

CCleaner
Spybot Search and Destroy
SuperAntispyware
MalwareBytes

And Esets Sysinspector...which is like a combination of Hijack this and Autoruns..with a few deeper options.

Some updates to my list...
MalwareBytes is still probably my favorite malware cleaning tool. For those computers which get infected by malware which prevents updating your existing tools, MalwareBytes has a manual updating tool you can download,
http://mbam.malwarebytes.org/database/mbam-rules.exe

For those computers which have been infected my malware, which takes over the Windows Explorer shell, run, command functions, Symantec released a tool which allows you to quickly and easily restore those functions.
http://www.symantec.com/security_respon ... 14-0532-99

And for home computers, I've found Microsofts relatively new Security Essentials free antivirus program to be very effective, it's free, light on resources, nag-free, and very effected in detection and cleaning. Simple to use interface.

RaisinCain · Post by **RaisinCain** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 3:02 pm

Just install Comodo Free to start with. I have had a very good experience with the AV, firewall and secure DNS when installing on customer PC's. Although if you have an infection the above mentioned apps work wonders (I say no to Kaspersky).

glennglenn · Post by **glennglenn** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 5:22 am

Forum is all about sharing our views and thoughts about a particular topic but sometimes during my frequent visits i came across some exceptional information and your post is one of them, you shared a good list of anti-spyware programs to keep away the virus and malware attacks.

RaisinCain · Post by **RaisinCain** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:57 pm