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Ad-Aware Review

Spywares can make computers run in a sluggish pace. Same goes with adware. Spywares and adware curse every computer system contaminated by them. You know that they're there and you can't just ignore them. There is lots of software available for eradicating these menaces. They promise to do the job yet can't provide the security we yearn them to have. Then there's Ad-Aware, the only antispyware software that can truly do the task it was designed to do.

Ad-Aware 2007 is the best free privacy tool available. It scans the memory, registry, hard drives, removable and optical drives for known tracking components, and aggressive, data-mining advertising malwares. It detects a wide range of adware and spyware related issues. You can easily update it with the latest definitions and signatures through its built-in updater.

Ad-Aware first came out in 2005 and its different versions have already been downloaded more than 200 million times. That statistic shows that Ad-Aware is trusted by a great number of computer users around the world. Lavasoft, the developer of Ad-Aware was one of the first who saw the dangers of malwares and made a solution for the growing epidemic.

Its latest incarnation is Ad-Aware 2007. The latest version has a new and improved engine, with code sequence identification that has been improved, one-click Web-history cleanup, incremental definition updates, multiple browser support, and many more new features not found in its predecessors. The latest release also has language support for Dutch, Flemish, and Portuguese.

Ad-Aware 2007 is available in four versions. These versions are Free, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise.

Let's first take a look at Ad-Aware 2007 Free. This version is free to download yet it's restricted for homes and non-commercial use. Those who wish to use Ad-Aware 2007 Free can conveniently download it. Unlike the previous versions, the latest version's updater is now permanently turned on. Does this mean that an anti-malware is running a spyware? Oh the irony of things.

Let's take a closer look at Ad-Adware's interface. There are six tabs in the navigation side bar. The Status and Scan tabs start the adware scan. After the scan, you'll be shown a list of items that needs fixing. Ad-Aware separates the items in two separate groups, namely Critical Objects and Privacy Objects. The latter group pertains to low-threat items such as tracking cookies. Items in the Critical Object list have a Threat Analysis Index from 1 to 10. You can look at an individual item and list all the file and Registry traces associated with that threat. You check off the ones you want to remove and click Quarantine or Remove. Sometimes, Ad-Aware queues up removal of threats for the next reboot and warns that a reboot is needed. In the paid version, you can also set a system restore point.

Then there's the Ad-Watch tab. This tab is useless when you have the free version. Ad-Watch is only available on the Paid version of Ad-Aware. This feature gives you real time protection against malwares. Upgrading to Ad-Aware Plus or Pro will cost you $27.

The Web Update tab controls the definition files and software updates. There is a noticeable slowness in the upgrade process than the previous versions. Often times, when you upgrade, it crashes the application. The developers should fix this bug as soon as possible. Then there's the Tools and Plug-ins tab. This is where you control your plug-ins. You can't use plug-ins in the free version but this tab hosts TrackSweep, which cleans your browsing tracks. It will clean out the cache, cookies and browsing history.

Lastly, there's the Settings tab. This is where you find the options regarding browsers, scanning, auto-scans, user interface, and log files. Ad-Aware 2007 Free does remove malware components from your computer system. It is a stable version, save for some issues regarding its Web Update feature. Even if it is a freeware, it is a fully functional adware and malware remover. It is strictly an adware/malware scanner, and doesn't give your computer real time protection. Ad-Aware 2007 is one of a few well known anti-adware applications that don't have antivirus functions.

If you want full time protection from adware, then you should get Ad-Aware 2007 Plus or Pro version. Ad-Aware 2007 Plus gives you this and more. Additional features of the Plus version include automatic updating, custom scanning of specific directories, a hosts file editor and cookie blocking. It costs $29.95 for a one-year single-user license.

Then there is the Ad-Aware 2007 Pro. This version contains all the features of the Free and Plus versions plus the ability to scan other hard drives in a network. It also has a command line support. Additional features include Ad-Watch Connect and Process Watch Module. It costs $39.95 for a single-year license.

Lastly, there's the Ad-Aware Enterprise for businesses with a network. This version lets you control all the computers in a network where Ad-Aware is installed. Included in this version are network tools to aide you manage and monitor Ad-Aware within your network. So if you're looking for a reliable adware and malware scanner, be sure to try out Ad-Aware 2007. Its free version is conveniently available to be downloaded in the Internet. If you wish to have real-time protection then you should upgrade to a Plus or Pro version. Said to say though, Ad-Adware could not detect files that are hidden from the Windows API using rootkit techniques but Lavasoft is currently in the drawing board for rootkit protection and planned to incorporate it in future versions.

Ad-Aware has free technical and customer support. Those who have the paid versions of the application have access to online support and can access lots of the information online. Downloads include product and installation manuals to make it easier for you. There's a web site wherein frequently asked questions are answered and a forum is available so that you can interact with other Ad-Aware users. Ad-Aware 2007's minimum system requirements are 50 MB of RAM and 50 MB of free hard drive space. It will run on Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 or Vista (32 bit). It supports browsers such as Internet Explorer 5.5, Firefox 1.5 and Opera 9.