Spyware is the bane of the computer world. From relatively innocent stuff that just
tracks which webpages you visit, or looks up your IP, to more malicious and insidious
content that can hijack your computer and turn it into a spambot, or even spyware
that can steal your identity and allow criminals access to stuff like your social
security number, credit cards, and more, Spyware removal tools have become a key part
of maintaining your safety and security in the modern world.
It’s important to understand that not all Spyware removal tools are created equal,
and not all Spyware removal tools play nice together. If you install Google’s AVG,
for example, it will conflict greatly with McAfee’s ViruScan, and vice versa. One
program will read the other as a virus and try to quarantine it, and as a result
you’ll have two Spyware removal tools that don’t work. So more isn’t necessarily
better.
Of course, there are more lightweight and unwieldy programs that are designed
specifically and only to remove spyware. AVG and McAfee are, at their core, anti-
virus security programs, not actual Spyware removal tools. If you’re looking for the
latter, there are a myriad of options available for free download on the internet.
My own personal preference is for SpyBot Search and Destroy. I’ve used it for years
on my personal computers and never had a significant problem with spyware as a
result. Many online internet security sites rank Spybot as the best free Spyware
removal tools out there, and literally all of them have it in their top five.
Other options include AdAware’s Anniversary Edition, Microsoft’s Windows Defender,
Webroot Spy Sweeper, and Counter Spy. Each of these programs have their pluses and
minuses, and just like with AVG and McAfee, none of these programs is designed to
work and play well with others (though they’re all easy to use with larger security
software programs like AVG and McAfee). So if you decide to choose AdAware, you
should stick with that one rather than layering other Spyware removal tools on top of
it.
Of course, if your computer is suffering from poor performance and your Spyware
removal tools don’t fix it, then you should take it in to a professional for a
looksee and overhaul if necessary. Hackers are always trying to stay a step or three
ahead of the spyware removal industry, and there are special viruses designed to
specifically fool each and the Spyware removal tools listed here. In short, you can
never be too careful.