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Best Vista Antispyware

PC Tools' Spyware Doctor 5.0 program for spyware detection and removal finished far ahead of its competitors in formal tests independently conducted by research company AV-Test.org.

PC World Staff

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Spyware Doctor 5.0 PCW Rating: 95.0PCW Rating: 95.0PCW Rating: 95.0

Last Rated: August 21, 2007

BEST BUY!

1. PC Tools Spyware Doctor 5.0

Price when rated: $30, Renewal price: $30, Performance: Superior, Features: Superior, Design: Very Good

Bottom Line: Spyware Doctor offers the best spyware and adware protection and is the only program that protects against phishing Web sites.

Full ReviewTest ReportDownloadable Version
AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5 PCW Rating: 81.0PCW Rating: 81.0PCW Rating: 81.0

Last Rated: August 21, 2007

2. Grisoft AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5

Price when rated: $30, Renewal price: $20, Performance: Superior, Features: Poor, Design: Very Good

Bottom Line: The program's superior adware and spyware detection is marred by weak behavior-based detection and a high false-positive rate.

Full ReviewTest ReportVendor's Web Site
SpySweeper 5.5 PCW Rating: 76.0PCW Rating: 76.0PCW Rating: 76.0

Last Rated: August 21, 2007

3. Webroot SpySweeper 5.5

Price when rated: $30, Renewal price: $30, Performance: Good, Features: Good, Design: Very Good

Bottom Line: Our former Best Buy is well designed and provides good behavior-based detection, but disinfection was not as solid.

Full ReviewTest ReportDownloadable Version
Windows Defender 1.1 PCW Rating: 72.0PCW Rating: 72.0PCW Rating: 72.0

Last Rated: August 21, 2007

4. Microsoft Windows Defender 1.1

Price when rated: Free, Renewal price: Free, Performance: Good, Features: Poor, Design: Very Good

Bottom Line: This free application did okay with adware, but it can't detect some types of spyware at all.

Full ReviewTest ReportDownloadable Version
Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4 PCW Rating: 59.0PCW Rating: 59.0PCW Rating: 59.0

Last Rated: August 20, 2007

5. Safer Networking Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4

Price when rated: Free, Renewal price: Free, Performance: Poor, Features: Good, Design: Good

Bottom Line: Despite strong real-time protection, this free old favorite can't recognize and clean up many of today's threats.

Full ReviewTest ReportDownloadable Version

CHART NOTES: Tests were conducted at default settings except for speed tests, which, when run at default and best settings, produced the same results. Inactive samples included adware, banking-related spyware, and password stealers. Behavior-based tests determined whether software could detect changes to key areas of the system. Prices and ratings are as of 8/8/07.

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