PROS
Improved protection
Better risk evaluation
Superb rootkit removal
Reduced memory usage
Less unnecessary alerts
Auto threat evaluation
Bumpy installation
Spyware Doctor has outdone itself compared to last year's antispyware effort.
This year's offering enhances a number of previously average components to make a smoother-running antispyware software. AntiVirus protection is added for one thing, powerful antispyware methods, superb detection and elimination rates, and multiple specialty bonuses.
The installation is a little bit rough, but the end result is a clean PC free of spyware; well worth any bumps in the road getting there.
$39.95
Editor's Overview
- Improved antispyware protection
- Better stealth spyware handling
- Fewer unnecessary alerts
- Better control over file deletion
- Better risk-evaluation
- Great rootkit removal
- Reduced memory consumption
- Auto threat evaluation
- Standardized threat descriptions
Even though the install can be bumpy, independent testing shows that the end result of a clean PC system is worth this minor hurdle.
Rebooting after a spyware sweep is normal for any software, and for some,
Spyware Doctor may seem obsessed with it. But it's for a good reason. To thoroughly clean your system of all spyware, rootkits, or other malware, a system reboot is necessary for the final cleansing. Once you've done the install, the rest of
Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 6 is fantastic.
Main Screen
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Coupling the antivirus with antispyware is a smart move in our opinion. This means less resources used on two separate software applications, less competition for system resources, and only one scan instead of two like you'll find with other antispyware programs.
The highlight of Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 6 is its impressive ability to block future spyware attacks to download to your PC. Testing showed that Spyware Doctor wasn't fooled by previous spyware infections that tried to sneak in under changed names. And new spyware attacks were easily thwarted at the kernel level (which is the core root of your computer system – a good thing!). All attacks were defeated with ease by Spware Doctor.
AntiSpyware Features
- Spyware protection
- Virus protection
- Rootkit protection
- Continuous real-time protection
- Thorough detection and removal technology
- Intelli-Scan feature
- Protection against zero-day threats
- Behavioral heuristic detection
- Silently running
- Low CPU usage
- Automatic and silent updates
- Several international awards
Scan Results Screen
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With the main antispyware and antivirus protection easily in hand, Spyware Doctor offers a few more bells and whistles to even out the product:
Browser Guard protects your browser against spyware infections through add-ons and setting changes.
Cookie Guard blocks cookies it thinks may have harmful spyware.
Email Guard blocks spyware attachments and prevents harmful changes to e-mail protocol settings.
Immunizer Guard prevents ActiveX threats which can download spyware directly to your computer.
Network Guard prevents dangerous changes to your network settings.
While none of these features are perfect alone, together they represent the right move in forward thinking for Spyware Doctor.
Conclusion
Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 6 is our top pick this year for superb antispyware protection, excellent antivirus protection, and great malicious software protection – all wrapped into one, easy to use, comprehensive Windows antispyware solution.
Support
- Thorough FAQ and searchable knowledge base
- E-mail contact only for further assistance
System Requirements
CPU
- 300 MHz CPU or faster for Windows XP, 2000 OR
- 800 MHz CPU for Windows Vista Home Basic OR
- 1 GHz CPU for all other versions of Vista
Memory
- 256MB RAM for XP (512MB RAM for Vista Home Basic & 1GB RAM for all other versions of Vista)
- 130MB of free hard disk space
Others
- Super VGA 800 x 600 video adapter
- Internet Explorer 5.5 or greater (Please note, Internet Explorer 6.0 is required to view a formatted display of Spyware Doctor logs)
- 800x600 screen resolution at 16-bit color
Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus will operate on the following versions of Microsoft Windows:
- Windows Vista (32-bit only)
- Windows XP (32-bit only)
- Windows 2000
- Please Note: Windows 98 & ME users will need to stay with Spyware Doctor v4 and AntiVirus component is not available to v4 users
$39.95
