Doing a search on the internet for a spyware remover is hardly that helpful – there is too much information and too much choice. Plus, you may have heard that there are a lot of hoaxes out there too – fake antispyware, spyware that is disguised as a spyware remover, etc.
In an effort to seperate the good from the bad here are 14 features that the best spyware removers have. If you check for these 14 features on any of the products you see you will be able to make a better decision.
1) A Windows registry scan and clean
Spyware makes windows registry entries and the best spyware removers can clean the registry and fish out the spyware entries.
2) Has an auto-update feature or some sort of update feature
There are new forms of spyware coming out all the time and the anti-spyware must stay ahead of the pack. It must have an update feature and be regularly updated by the developers or publishers.
3) A scheduled scan facility
We all forget to scan once a week or daily and so a scan scheduler just makes sense.
4) A proactive scan
Merely scanning when you tell it to scan is not really good enough, as by then you may already be infected with spyware. A proactive scan means that if you visit a website that has spyware on it the spyware remover will prevent an infection from occuring. Prevention is always better than cure!
5) Protects you from hijacking, dialers and other forms of spyware
There are many forms of spyware and the best spyware removers protect you from all these forms.
6) Scans the ActiveX components and internet cookies
Plus your add-ons, temporary folders, etc. These are places where spyware likes to hide.
7) Gives you a log
The software provides you a detailed history of its own actions and what it has found in a scan. Very helpful if you have stubborn spyware as you can use these log entries on internet forums so that techies can help.
8) Scans processes and Windows applications
Spyware will hide and pretend its a valid Windows process or application. The best spyware removers scan also Windows and its components, processes and files and find where the spyware is hiding.
9) Automatic startup
This is so that it can get the spyware before the spyware starts up and hides itself. When windows starts up the spyware is at its most vulnerable.
10) A quarantine facility
So you can retrieve deleted files.
11) Confirms actions
It doesn’t just do what it wants but confirms its actions with you.
12) Has Windows Certified stickers
This is so that you know it works on Windows and doesn’t just claim to work – and that it is valid and legit software.
13) Provides a Windows System Restore point
This is especially helpful to prevent Windows from corrupting. It should do this before deleting any files.
14) Provides a 14 day trial period
This is especially helpful as it allows you to test it out and see how well it works, for free.
