Ad-Aware 6 Plus - part I

by Andrew Cooper

Earlier I reviewed PestPatrol, a program that fights Trojan horses, spyware, adware and various other probe tools. Now we turn to another application with similar capabilities.

The program is called Ad-Aware (the version I will be reviewing is Ad-Aware 6 Plus Edition) and it claims to provide protection against all known adware and spyware parasites. The tool can also detect and remove most widespread Trojan horses, but actually that is not its specialization so I will not be considering it as anti-trojan software.

What do we know about spyware and adware?

Adware is simply software that contains advertising. Many manufacturers distribute free copies of their software with advertising banners constantly displayed to compensate for their work in creating the program. Usually the only problem with adware is that the ads can get annoying. However, some developers have included into their adware the technical ability to access some private information about the user and even to manipulate the user's computer. Further, some developers make their software generate advertising even when the user is not running the program. These types of adware should definitely be detected and removed from your computer.

Spyware is any software that is used to acquire personal information about a user without his or her knowledge or consent. Spyware gathers data about the user's system, such as the type and configuration of the computer, installed programs, databases, web surfing preferences and habits, etc. and relays all this data to the software manufacturer. Software manufacturers using Spyware gain free marketing research of their users.

Ad-Aware Plus from Lavasoft

Let's check how Ad-Aware Plus protects us from these bloodsuckers.

Ad-Aware Plus's installation package size is just 2.2 MB and it downloads pretty quick from the developer's web-site. The installation process took me just one minute (!) without any need to reboot my computer. During the installation process I was asked if I want to add extra components like the User Manual document, to which I gladly agreed.

Then I launched the program. The main window is nicely organized so I have no question how to navigate it. The colors used in the interface are so easy on the eyes that I'm sure anyone would like to use the application just because of this.



Before checking the settings of the program I needed to update its Reference file. This file is used to collect information about all known pests, so it is important to keep it current.

The Update is done via the Webupdate button located near the top of the window. Ad-Aware connected to the server and downloaded its most recent Reference file. Now I was ready to scan my hard drives and registry but before did that I wanted to look through the programs settings.

Continue to Part II