Back in 2000, a software engineer, Patrick Kolla, created the basis of a tool for dealing with spyware. This tool, later named Spybot Search and Destroy, was one of the first effective freeware apps for the removal of many kinds of adware and malware that were infecting PCs. Since then, millions of people all over the world have used it at one time or another. To this day, many people consider it an essential part of their PC defenses.
Patrick’s work on Spybot hasn’t stopped, and it’s been updated several times over the years. Today Spybot-
S&D can repair or remove:- Bad registry keys
- Winsock LSPs
- ActiveX objects
- Browser Hijackers
- BHOs (Browser Helper Objects)
- Tracking cookies
- Trackerware
- Homepage hijackers
- Keyloggers
- Trojans
- Adware
- Spyware
- Rootkits
- other kinds of malware
Here’s a screenshot of Spybot as it scanned my laptop yesterday.
Typically, I use Spybot as a secondary scanner, to catch things that my antivirus and other defenses have missed. However, the TeaTimer portion of Spybot can be installed to watch over your computer continuously in the background.
Another great feature of Spybot, is it’s ability to add “immunizations” against some common weaknesses in Internet Explorer and other areas of your PC.
Spybot can be updated every time you use it, by clicking the update icon. Always check for new updates before running a scan.
I prefer to have most of the programs on my PC, set up as portable applications. I was happy to find that Spybot is also available as a portable app.
Download Spybot S&D Portable
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