I would be very careful about the program Spyware Pro; it's home cite is evaluated by McaFee SiteAdvisor as
Quoted Text In our tests, we found downloads on this site that some people consider adware, spyware or other potentially unwanted programs. |
I would heed its aadmonition. There are better places to buy security programs; there are places to download freeware security programs. I would not buy Spyware Pro and would not use it if were free.
Check companies like
Eset, Avira, Kaspersky, Avast!, AVG, Trend Micro, McAfee, and Symantec (Norton).
There are companies that produce good freeware too like Javacool, which produces SpywareBlaster (take care to only download the program from Javacool, there is a rogue program named Spyware Blaster; SpywareBlaster should be one word, not separated as in Spyware Blaster.) SpywareBlaster uses very few resources; it immunizes your system from many spyware programs. It is free and reliable.
There is Spybot Search & Destroy
http://www.spybot.info/en/home/index.html Which has been around for a long time and it freeware. Check their site.
There is
SUPERantispyware from
http://www.superantispyware.com/ which has a Pro (paid) version and a free version. I use the free version.
I only have three realtime security programs, a software firewall
Tallemu's Online Armor, Eset's NOD32, an antivirus and antispyware program, and
Sandboxie, a sandbox-virtualization program that prevents any malware from getting in and they have a free and paid version-both effective, the remainder of my programs are ondemand antispyware, anti-Trojan, and anti-rootkit programs. My computer is behind a router since I connect broadband. Another note about Sandboxie: it is effective, but because it creates a sandbox, a virtual space, it may confuse some people. You have to know when a program is running in the sandbox and when it's not.
I recommend that you check these sites for security programs:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/main-nf.htmhttp://www.nonags.com/ - a freeware site
http://www.freedecentdownloads.com/ -freeware sites
http://www.avira.com/en/solutions/home_home_office.html (a commercial site for antivirus and antispyware. Their free antivirus has better detection than over half of the commerical antiviruses.)
Spyware Warrior (see above) is a very good and reliable source, especially the Privacy and Security section.
You did a good thing to ask about a program at a forum. I repeat, please don't use Spyware Pro; it is suspect. There are tried and true programs. I have given you my some of my favorites, but at Spyware warrior you can make your own choices with the information you receive there.
I hope this helps. Do your own research. Spyware Warrior is a good place to begin. There is a post in the Websites of Interest section here (mine) "Optimize XP, and Vista if you bougt that dog" (in which I misspelled 'bought' about an optimization site for XP and Vista; there is a section there about utilities. I haven't but I suggest that you do a search here to find any other discussions of security programs. I also consider backup and maintenance programs security programs. You are in the right place for maintenance programs. An unstable system is a vulnerable system.
Read the "free anti-virus and anti-spyware programs" thread (
http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1174167785/) started by robert in the forum for more information; note the comments by Ray, things to do to fix a major weakness in any operating system - human behavior.