SUPERAntiSpyware Portable is the Must-Have Spyware Removal Tool You Need
If you’ve got a PC infected with malware, spyware, or rogue/fake antivirus applications, the best tool for removing them is the free SUPERAntiSpyware Portable edition. Here at How-To Geek HQ, this is the tool we use to clean nasty infections like Antivirus Live.
You might wonder why a portable version is so important… the problem is that the worst malware infections block you from installing malware removal software, and even if you manage to get it installed, most of the time when you try and launch it, you’ll get an error like this one:
![image[41]](http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/image411.png "image[41]")
Note: that’s a real screenshot from a real virus that we cleaned with SUPERAntiSpyware Portable.
SUPERAntiSpyware Portable solves this problem by not only giving you a completely portable version of the application, which consists of a single file you can copy to your USB drive without requiring installation, but it also automatically gives you a random filename so the malware can’t detect it as easily.
You should note that when you download the application, it includes all the latest updates as of when you downloaded it.
Sidebar Geek Note
If you’ve had a lot of experience cleaning viruses, you’ll probably note that you could always run SUPERAntiSpyware as a portable application by installing it to a thumb drive, but the updates didn’t automatically come along with it.
Some of us were also using a hack method involving a batch file and setting environment variables to make sure the updates were installed on the thumb drive, but thankfully the new version fixes the problem by automatically including them. The really ironic thing is that I’d written an article scheduled for next week on how to do just that. Oh well, this is much better anyway.
Using SUPERAntiSpyware Portable
Once you’ve launched the application on an infected machine, you should see a welcome screen, and you can just click the button to start it up.
Pick your language…
And just like that, you’re in the main interface. If you haven’t used the regular SUPERAntiSpyware before, you should click the Scan your Computer button—though if you’ve had it sitting on your system for a while you might want to use the update check first.
Select the locations to scan, and choose to Perform Complete Scan (there’s no point in a quick scan on an infected machine).
The application will scan through the system and find anything bad on the system, and then let you remove it all easily. Note: this is a screenshot from an infected machine that we successfully cleaned using SUPERAntiSpyware.
So there you have it, a full endorsement from How-To Geek for SUPERAntiSpyware. I have personally used it to clean at least a dozen machines infected with really terrible rogue/fake antimalware applications.
Note: SUPERAntiSpyware is not an anti-virus software, and is meant for removing spyware and rogue applications that hold your PC for ransom. You still need Microsoft Security Essentials for your real-time protection.
Download SUPERAntiSpyware Portable Scanner from superantispyware.com
Super AntiSpyware and MBAM are highly regarded as the top two free anti-spyware apps. The fact you can take it on a usb stick further increases its usability. How is there bias?
I’ve deleted two comments on this thread that were unhelpful and useless.
SUPERAntiSpyware has always worked wonders for me. Love it! I use malwarebytes too though, and then scan with spybot usually just to make sure it’s completely gone.
I’ve always used MalwareBytes, but I’m going to check this out. A portable version would really be helpful, since it’s difficult to install any applications with some of the recent spyware.
Excellent app! I’ve always been partial to Spybot S&D as well.
Ditto jj128.
I’ve been using the installed version but may switch.
SAS got rid of a stubborn infection Malwarebytes could only find but not remove. I use both since no one automated solution always works.
Hi there,
Having been there with my desktop rapidly shutting down before my eyes and not responding to any of the installed security apps this is a real godsend——–in case of emergency, plug in and play.
EXCELLENT thank you G.B.
This is a .com file and will not execute!
Thought I’d give this a try on a pc just dropped off with Antivirus Live on it. However, booting into Safe Mode, and then running this, you don’t get the Start button on the loader screen due to the screen resolution. Ooops!
I tried it and didn’t find it very “portable.” It left its files in my TEMP folder and, needed an internet connection to update (and doesn’t seem to retain the updates, making it useless to carry via USB drive to a non-connected PC). I’m sticking with ClamWin Portable for my USB stick.
Nice one! I’m going to throw this on my USB stick just in case – have battled with 2 nasty viruses in the last 12 months alone so chance are this may come in handy! Now if only I could remember to backup my hard drive more often …
hi there, i’ve downloaded the software to a usb but it wont run from either the usb or the desktop where I saved it originally. The infection is not allowing it to run- how do i solve this?
hi again,
I’VE FINALLY SORTED THE PROBLEM after a very frustrating day! I’m not a techie in any way so I was literally trying to read forums from this as well as other websites. Please excuse any lingo below that seems amateurish!
The biggest problem I had was that even though I had downloaded the super antispyware the virus would not allow my laptop to run the application! It kept just coming up “The application etc etc etc is infected”.
When I restarted the laptop, I noticed that there is a period of approx 30 seconds to 1 minute immediately after the desktop appears before the virus actually kicks in. Once the virus has reopened or kicked back in, I am completely powerless to even connect to the internet.
If I connected quick enough after re-starting I was able to get online at least where I could check forums such as this one as well being able to download the Super antispyware.
As mentioned above though, once the virus has kicked in on your OS, any subsequent applications will be prevented from running. Save the SAS to your desktop for speedy access. Once you have successfully downloaded the SAS, re-start your system and run the SAS immediately when the desktop appears and go through the recommended steps, ie, scan the entire computer (my scan took 35 minutes), remove all viruses and then roboot- and then hopefully you’ll be back in action- Hope this helps!
I down loaded SAS to my desktop and to a thum drive…& non to soon a friend of mind call and said she was have a problem with her PC ”’I arrived at her home and use the SAS about 4 time and finially got it working correctly…thanks for the heads up….
At this very moment I am runnung MalwareBytes on a machine infected w/ Antivirus Live.
Jamie, above made a very valid point in stating that i had to begin this scan immediately after XP started. Waiting too long before starting the scan prevented it from starting at all.
As it happens, I had repeatedly tried to get MalwareBytes, SAS and others to start but was thwarted by having let too much time elapse.
As I write this, MalwareBytes has completed it’s scan and found 156 infections which it has removed. Immediately upon re-start, I have been successful at starting SAS, which is finally scanning the infected machine.
AGAIN, it seems critical to initiate these malware scans as soon as Windows has loaded!
This is a lifesaver. I had been working on a machine for several days that was infected with Antivirus Soft (which seems to be a clone of Antivirus Live). It blocked installation or running of SuperAntiSpyware (hard disk version), MalwareBytes, Windows Defender, and AVG Antivirus. The only thing that worked was running this portable scanner in Safe mode from a flash drive, which fooled the malware and removed a large enough piece of it that the other programs could be installed and remove the rest, and following other instructions elsewhere on this site regarding Antivirus Live. Thanks a million.
where do i download the antivirus software?
I had good luck downloading on clean machine. I am now able to run on corrupt laptop in safe mode. I am using portable usb hard drive to administer the cure(SUPERAntiSpyware Portable edition). So far so good
I have just finally gotten rid of this horrible sypware that was slowing down my computer. Now it’s running smoothly. I’m annoyed that someone would create such a thing.
SAS removed a malware program called Security Antivirus that Malwarebytes could not. Yea!
Ummm.. I’ve copied the superantispyware to my usb then try to run it on my infected laptop, but the damn SecurityTool Malware wouldn’t let it opened! What do i do now since even the first step is totally blocked???! Please heeelp…
Anybody have a good heavy hammer that I can use on my computer. I’ve tried almost everything on this security tools fiasco’ and nothing seems to work. I will take any help. Thanks
I just used the program, seems to have worked. Thanks
I am not a computer person but have followed the instruction but don’t know where the SAS is saved on my PC. My laptop is infected with security tool and i need to save it on a memory stick so that I can get it on there… please help!!
Uhhm can somone help me after i got rid of all the viruses nd spyware i cant seem to open any programs it always asks me what to open it with
l have security tool l need help
where would i be likely to find this super spy anti virus softwear on my computer?!?! as i dont know where itis?? please help me
To get rid of security tool you need to download the portable superantispyware to your flashdrive and run it from that. Just downloading the normal superantispyware wont help. You can scan and remove viruses without downloading the portable superantispyware to your pc. It works directly from the flashdrive.
I tried this and it seemed to work, but when I rebooted the computer, the Antivirus Soft was still there. What happened?
I downloaded the program, but everytime I try to run it, it just shuts down. Is Activate Security Tool blocking it or something? I definatly need some help here!
Thank you so much!!! I wasn’t able to run my computer in safe mode and was trying to run the recommended anti-virus programs from my portable drive. The virus kept blocking me from opening any of them. Luckily I read Jamie and 1fastbullet’s comments about having a 30-60 second window upon starting up my computer. I’m running scans right now, and so far, so good. Thanks!
I am having the same problem as Erica above with an Antivirus Soft that doesn’t seem to go away even after SAS has quarantined and removed. Everytime I do another scan…there it is again. Any help?
rkill.exe will stop rogue programs from blocking the use of AV’s & AS’s .. found the info on bleepingcomputers,- malwarebytes & superantispyware is awesome and actually do something unlike the more pop items like spybots s&d and ad aware se.. works great on XP & Vista, havent had the chance with W7 yet. download.com taught me almost everything i know. plus trial and error
my advice for a faster running PC: remove the virus known as NORTON Anti-Virus, install Comodo Internet Security. I would recomend AVG but it is like that AVG has done something to make it lag and become a CPU hog ever since they decided to stop offering the free version. so now I can now longer refer users to AVG. cheers and have a nice computer experiance 
I LOVE IT! This program saves me hours of work. I get paid less, cause I have less work to do, but in the end I’m gaining credibility!
You guys rock!!!
I just managed to download and install the Portable version, and it did the job just right.. I had previoulsy downloaded the protable SAS software, but the virus was blocking me from running it… I switched my PX off and on again, and I had about a 15 second window before the fake virus alerts came back, but in that time SuperAntiSpyware managed to get up and running. The fake alerts still continued to come up, but by then the SAS software was running… I just had to be patient and let it do its job, which took about 10 mins. Somehow my regular anti virus softwre became unblocked and the virus was removed… not sure which program actually did the removal, but it was definitley faciltated by SAS. Thanks SAS guys !!!
A friend of mine had this security tool on his computer, and you helped get if off. thank you… all though I think going into the msconfig helped too, because it at first would not let it run, and his enter key was not working, so safe mode wouldn’t go…any way thanks