Ad-Aware Personal Edition

Ad-Aware is one of the oldest antispyware tools around, but its definitions are still updated frequently. The personal edition is free and very slick, although it’s not usually as effective at removing spyware as Spy-bot or Spysweeper, both discussed next.

When using Ad-Aware, make sure you click Check for updates now before running a scan. Also, to turn off the awful, jarring sound Ad-Aware plays when it has found spy-ware, click the gear icon to open the Settings window, click the Tweak button, open the Misc Settings category, and turn off the Play sound if scan produced a result option.