Security

Spybot Search & Destroy: The Right Tool for the Job?

By · November 9, 2007, 4:43 AM PST · paulmah

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  • Spybot: Installation

    by Paul Mah

    Many anti-virus software apps do a good job of cleaning up viruses and Trojans, but only relatively recently have utilities begun to effectively address the newer threat vector of spyware and adware. Paul Mah tests the popular, free anti-spyware app, Spybot Search & Destroy. Is it worthy of a place in your computer first-aid box?

    Read a concise summary of Spybot Search & Destroy's strengths and weaknesses in this blog post.

    Download a free copy of Spybot Search & Destroy from the TechRepublic Software Library.

    Installation

    Spybot has support for many languages. You are prompted for your preferred language at the start of the installation process.

  • Spybot installation: Component selection

    Select your preferred installation components on this screen.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Startup selection

    Here you have the option to install TeaTimer and SDHelper. More on these two helper applications later.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Post-installation wizard

    Installation completed. Post-installation wizard warns that not all spyware might take kindly to removal. What this really means is that certain applications come with the license agreement/prerequisite not to remove their spyware components.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Post-installation Wizard

    Your are prompted to create a backup of your registry. This is not absolutely necessary, but it is useful.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Post-installation Wizard

    This screen prompts you to update Spybot's definitions, if so desired. You can do this at the main application menu later as well.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Post-installation Wizard

    Here you are prompted to immunize your system. You can do this at the main application menu later.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Main Application Menu (Basic Mode)

    Here is the main application menu of Spybot Search & Destroy. Note that the default configuration reverts to "Basic" mode. More on the "Advanced" mode later.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Perform a scan

    Performing a scan is simple. Just click on the "Search & Destroy" button on the left-bar, and click on "Check for problems."

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Perform a scan

    Voila! Scan in progress. Note the app is scanning for more than 90,000 items.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Perform a scan

    Well, my system is clean, although as you can see, lots of tracking cookies have been detected.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Perform a scan

    Removing the tracking cookies is as simple as clicking on the "Fix selected problems" button.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Immunize option (Basic Mode)

    Take a look at the immunize option available under Spybot's basic mode.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Immunize option (Basic Mode)

    A click is all it takes to apply the immunization patches.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Updater (Basic Mode)

    By clicking on the "Update" tab, you are prompted to update the "definitions" for S&D. S&D uses these definitions to hunt for nasties in your system the same way anti-virus software does, except targeted at spyware.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Updater (Basic Mode)

    Spybot searches for updates.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Updater (Basic Mode)

    You can select from a range of sites for updating the definitions in S&D.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Updater (Basic Mode)

    Downloading definitions.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Donation page (Basic Mode)

    Here is the donation page in Spybot Search & Destroy. Now, S&D is completely free for private use and there are no plans to change the product into a commercial version in future. Still, if you have benefited from it, it may be nice to send some dollars in the programmer's direction.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Switch to Advanced Mode

    Basic Mode is fine for the basic users, but more advanced users (such as TechRepublic members) will want to switch to Advanced Mode.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Switch to Advanced Mode

    Confirmation prompt to switch to Advanced Mode.

  • Spybot - Search & Destroy: Main Application Menu (Advanced Mode)

    Here is the main application screen in Advanced Mode. Notice the additional tabs that appeared on the left-hand bar.

  • Spybot - Search & Destroy: Tools (Advanced Mode)

    That's what you see in Advanced mode when you click on the new "Tools" tab.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Tools -> View Report (Advanced Mode)

    Spybot allows you to generate (and export) an excruciating long list of system information such as BHO (Browser Helper Objects), Process List, Wincosk LSP, ActiveX list, Startup items etc

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Tools -> Resident (Advanced mode)

    Here you can load/unload SDHelper and TeaTimer modules. SDHelper is an IE plugin that blocks bad downloads for this browser only. TeaTimer perpetually monitors the processes that are called or initiated. If running, it immediately detects known malicious processes when they attempt to start and terminates them at that point. TeaTimer also detects changes to critical registry keys and takes up only 5MB of resources.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Tools -> IE Tweaks (Advanced mode)

    Here are various other IE tweaks that you can set.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Tools -> System Internals (Advanced mode)

    Spybot searches for inconsistencies in the registry that the author considered important but not found in other registry tools.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Tools -> System Startup (Advanced mode)

    Here you see the list of startup programs in your system. Spybot allows you either to prevent them from starting or simply delete the entire entry. Bold entries are those that have changed/added since the last check by S&D.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Tools -> Uninstall Information (Advanced mode)

    This screen shows the un-installation information for your Windows in detail, including the path of the un-installer. You can use S&D to delete references that no longer valid or just tidy-up the Uninstall list a bit.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Tools -> Winsock LSPs (Advanced mode)

    Shows the list of network drivers on your system for additional diagnosis.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings (Advanced mode)

    Here's what you see in Advanced mode when you click on the new "Settings" tab.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Language (Advanced mode)

    This screen allows you to switch to all S&D-supported languages. (There are a LOT of them!)

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> File Sets (Advanced mode)

    This screen allows you to chose the exact file set in the definitions that you want S&D to check against. For example, you can disable "Dialers" if they are not a concern to you (e.g. if your modem is not even plugged in) . This will speed up the scanning process.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Settings (Advanced mode)

    Spybot has a multitude of additional settings you can use to define how you want S&D to behave. For example, select whether it should start up or download definitions automatically, or whether it should be in basic or advanced mode, and so on.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Directories (Advanced mode)

    You may define directories of freshly downloaded files for Spybot Search & Destroy to quickly scan (e.g. checking installer files).

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Skins (Advanced mode)

    You can also configure the look and feel of Spybot Search & Destroy via different skins.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Scheduler (Advanced mode)

    This screen allows you to set up Windows to initiate system scan with S&D. Task scheduler will have to be enabled, of course.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Ignore Products (Advanced mode)

    You can selectively define the products that S&D will ignore.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Ignore Cookies (Advanced mode)

    You can selectively define the cookies that S&D will ignore. The current list of cookies stored in IE, Netscape and Mozilla are also shown.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Ignore File Extensions (Advanced mode)

    You can selectively define specific file extensions that S&D will ignore.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Ignore Single Entries (Advanced mode)

    Here you would see the list of detected spyware that you want S&D to ignore in future. They can be added by right-clicking them on the results page after a scan.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Settings -> Ignore System Internals (Advanced mode)

    Here you would find the list of System Internals detections that are excluded.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy: Advanced Mode Info and License

    That's what you see in Advanced mode when you click on the new "Info & License" tab. I will not drill down on this as its pretty straight-forward.

    The Right Tool for the Job?

    I can't recommend Spybot Search & Destroy as anyone's only anti-malware tool, but in my opinion it is an outstanding spyware and adware remover. It is The Right Tool for the Job.

    Read a concise summary of Spybot Search & Destroy's strengths and weaknesses in this blog post.

Spybot installation: Component selection

Select your preferred installation components on this screen.

Related Topics:

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By Paul Mah

Paul Mah is a writer and blogger who lives in Singapore, where he has worked for a number of years in various capacities within the IT industry. Paul enjoys tinkering with tech gadgets, smartphones, and networking devices.

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