Downloads

Even with an antivirus program running, you still need to monitor your PC for spyware. PestPatrol is a well-known anti-spyware program designed to identify and eliminate spyware, adware (this category includes pop-ups), keyloggers, browser hijackers, and remote access trojans. You can use the PestPatrol trial version for a full year, but frankly, it won't do you much good. That's because the trial version will remove only low-level threats, such as spyware cookies that track your browsing habits. It won't remove, quarantine, or even identify any "high level threats" it claims to find on your system. Instead, it will warn you that it has found high-level threats, then prompt you to pay for the full version ($30) so you can remove them. I understand why they hobble the program this way, but it makes it harder to evaluate. When I was testing the program, for example, I knew I had a particularly nasty piece of spyware hiding in my system, but I couldn't figure out if PestPatrol found it. On the upside, the product is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. --Leigh Anne Jones