Microsoft Anti-Spyware

This is the application I use, and I have been spyware free since it's use. It's very easy to update (you can schedule the scan & updates while you sleep), depending on which options you select, it can run very quickly.

It uses something called "system explorers" to prevent un-authorized system changes, and it even can scan network shares.

It's always on, protecting my computers 24/7, and I think that anyone who is looking for a good, free, anti-spyware program, need not look any further. The only thing is, that you have to have a genuine copy of windows.

Download Microsoft Anti-Spyware

It's the only one I would recommend. It is probably the best spy-ware/ad-ware scanner avalible and best of all it's free. It picked up spy-ware that other spy-ware scanners didn't. Also Microsoft knows best how Windows works so they can find the best course of action in removing the unwanted software.

It also gets rid of browser hijackers. Who needs FireFox anymore.

This is an excellent tool I highly recommend it.

GoldEagle

I actually work in a call center on an Microsoft contract. what i deal with all day is customers calling in with virus and spyware issues, and i know most of these programs pretty well. The Microsoft Antispyware tool (MAST) is something i normally recommend to customers but its mainly for the advanced tools you will find with it. The actual scan i find is not the greatest. Webroot spysweeper is probably the best program for actual scans and efficiently removing anything it detects. their was a big trojan out recently named as the vundo and spysweeper was the only program that would remove it, and this is to name only one example.

I use the MAST program on my own computer, the spysweeper is not free, you can get a trial for it for 2 weeks at the link below, however thats it. Adaware SE Personal Edition 1.06 is also something i recommend and Spybot Search and Destroy. If you only have MAST on your system and that is all you scan with; I ask you to try another one of these programs and watch what it detects. A clean scan on MAST, followed by a scan with a different program will surely detect abit.

Spysweeper

Adaware / Spybot

Try them and post a reply and let me know how it went.
1 866 727 2338 is the number to this apartment if you need any other questions. free service.. 24/7. This is not meant to be an advertisement; just some info for anyone who needs it.

Chissler, I agree with you there, however, I must add that if your running anything less than 128MB of RAM, you should't use S&D (Search and Destroy), as it will most likely be very resource intense.

If you ever decide to write your own anti-spyware software, make sure to shut down the process before trying to delete it.

[edit on 11/18/2005 by JBurns]

I dunno I think Microsoft Anti-Spyware isn't the best, I use Spybot Search & Destroy. It found 30-some spywares and microsoft AS didn't find any...