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More…PC Tools' Spyware Doctor 3.8 offers solid protection against adware, spyware, and rootkits in an easy-to-use and feature-rich interface. The company releases frequent product upgrades, which come with the $30 annual subscription fee. As a result, we performance-tested version 3.8 of the product and then user-tested version 4.0.
PC Tools PC Tools Spyware Doctor
| Cost of renewal when reviewed | $30 |
| Performance | Very Good |
| Adware and spyware detection rate | 90% |
| Adware disinfection rate | 50% |
| Spyware disinfection rate | 65% |
| Detection of inactive adware and spyware samples | 16% |
| Detection of inactive rootkits | 22% |
| Detection of active rootkits | 100% |
| Rate of false positives when installing legitimate toolbars | 75% |
| Detected additions to HKCU Run keys : These tests evaluate a product's ability to detect spyware and adware threats based on the described suspicious behavior. | Yes |
| Detected additions to HKLM Run keys: These tests evaluate a product's ability to detect spyware and adware threats based on the described suspicious behavior. | Yes |
| Detected additions to Windows Startup: These tests evaluate a product's ability to detect spyware and adware threats based on the described suspicious behavior. | No |
| Detected changes to Internet Explorer Search page: These tests evaluate a product's ability to detect spyware and adware threats based on the described suspicious behavior. | No |
| Detected changes to Internet Explorer Home page: These tests evaluate a product's ability to detect spyware and adware threats based on the described suspicious behavior. | Yes |
| Detected changes to Hosts file: These tests evaluate a product's ability to detect spyware and adware threats based on the described suspicious behavior. | No |
| Features | Superior (Reflects version 4.0) |
| Real-time protection | Yes |
| Scheduled scan | Yes |
| Scan custom files and folders | Yes |
| Startup scan | Yes |
| Antiphishing | Yes |
| Antiphishing real-time analytics | No |
| Can save log files | Yes |
| Can quarantine individual items | Yes |
| Can set system restore point | Yes |
| Weekday support hours | 24 |
| Free phone support | Yes |
| Saturday support hours | 24 |
| Sunday support hours | 24 |
| Toll-free support | Yes |
| E-mail support | Yes |
| Live chat | Yes |
Pros
Excellent rootkit detection
Cons
Alarmist initial scan results
PC Tools Spyware Doctor 3.8
PC Tools Spyware Doctor Review, by Narasu Rebbapragada August 23, 2006
In tests performed by AV-Test.org, Spyware Doctor ranked second overall among the five antispyware products tested for the "Spyware Specialists" story. Version 3.8 detected 90 percent of adware and spyware samples and disinfected 50 percent of adware-infected files and Registry entries (a first-place ranking).
As with all antispyware products, its adware disinfection results are partly a reflection of policy decisions on what is adware and what isn't. For example, PC Tools no longer classifies as adware the free version of HotBar, an ad-supported Internet Explorer toolbar, and won't disinfect it, as our tests confirmed. On the flip side, PC Tools has reclassified WebSearch as adware; although Spyware Doctor 3.8 didn't detect it, the company says version 4.0 will. Spyware Doctor disinfected 65 percent of spyware-infected files and Registry entries (a first-place ranking shared with the beta version of Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.0) and was the only tested product to detect 100 percent of active rootkits.
Spyware Doctor 4.0 was easy to install and use. I liked its scan results interface, which cleanly categorizes possible infections with brightly colored bars and detailed levels of threat classification. But the results themselves were a bit alarmist. In my informal user tests on a PC, Spyware Doctor counted 287 "infections" (going with its doctor theme) but categorized the vast majority as low-level advertising and tracking cookies. While it took only a few seconds to realize that most infections weren't dangerous, the growing triple digit count during the scan did quicken my pulse. Spyware Doctor also identified as present a high-risk keylogger and an IM worm that three other antispyware programs did not. While I removed those files without consequence, I couldn't be certain whether they were false positives or real threats that the other programs could not detect. I asked PC Tools to comment on these particular files, but didn't receive a response in time for publication.
Spyware Doctor offers some useful additional features. It lets you set a system restore point, in case of accidental deletion of important files; it protects against your visiting known phishing sites (sites that fraudulently solicit financial and personal data); and it supports scanning of instant-messaging clients. Currently, PC Tools supports MSN Messenger and Live Messenger but plans to add support soon for AIM, Skype (file and text transfers only), Trillian, and Yahoo.
Narasu Rebbapragada
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User Reviews
Average User Reviews for PC Tools PC Tools Spyware Doctor
6 Reviews Add your own »
- Latest User Reviews 6 reviews
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Reviewed by: glwilson8338
Duration of ownership: 1 Week
Strengths: easy download; effective against most malware
Weaknesses: Not effective against k8l.info source Trojan Downloader
Overall: SD was not able to remove or successfully quarantine the k8l.info Trojan Downloader or prevent the installation of Browser helper object Add-on DLL files in IE7 when the PC was rebooted after the removal attempt was done. SD knew the infection was there, but would report that some files could not be removed without reboot; upon reboot to SAFE mode with internet connection disabled, SD conducted a new search for malware, but the same iterative process would be duplicated.
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Reviewed by: leroy1938
Duration of ownership: 10 Days
Strengths: It removed spyware that other software seemed to have missed, it was fast while the scanning and cleaning up the hard drive has good setting and control
Weaknesses: Slowed down my computed very noticeable. it would not let me open some email, notice warned me I was low on memory
Overall: The new Spyware Doctor, while active and enabled, has slowed application startups to a crawl. Outlook Express takes 45 seconds to open. About the same with Word. If I exit or disable Spyware Doctor, it's back to full speed ahead. I'm sorely disappointed. Now, I keep Spyware Doctor disabled and load it once a week, update it (which requires a reboot each time) and then run an intelli-scan.
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Reviewed by: tibailey
Duration of ownership: 2 Months
Strengths: caught the pop ups, and stopped a lot of spyware.
Weaknesses: Sssslllooooowwweeed down my DELL 4100 with XP Pro. I would shut down the SWD and my browser would really pickup the pace.
Overall: I tried to make adjustments in the program options and it just got too cumberson trying to click and restart, then wonder, do I need that option? Decided to uninstall and go with Windows Defender. Haven't noticed any complications with speed or not allowing programs to run.
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Reviewed by: btnh81
Duration of ownership: 1 Year
Strengths: Excellent product. Fast scan.
Weaknesses: Auto updates = None. You have to do it manually. that's all
Overall: I just love this product and I had it for over a year. It detects every spyware or adware you can think of. A+++++++
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Reviewed by: DennisA
Duration of ownership: 2 Days
Strengths: cookies deletion
Weaknesses: After running full system san, I ran a full system scan with lavasoft ad-aware se personal free edition, and detected 8 more. I'm not saying that adware is better but that adware picked up 8 more infections that spy doctor didn't for $49 more!
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Reviewed by: yogi
Duration of ownership: 3 Months
Strengths: I was impressed with how easy the product is to use and how quick it scans. It shows the results of the scan at the end and names all the threats found, giving a description also. Doesn't slow down my computer as much as Spy Sweeper did.
Weaknesses: Needs to be updated frequently (to get new definitions) and doesn't do this automatically. Not much hassle though
Overall: Very happy with the product. Makes surfing the web much safer. Highly recommended!
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