Walk Through Review

Installation -  8

There are a could of things to point out during installation.  The second screen you will get during installation is the EULA where you wiill notice a link to Customize Installation.  It is recommended to go this route if you’re installing the Free version so we have more control over what is installed.

The first screen of the custom install is choosing desktop or Quick Launch icons which is easy enough.  Then choose weather to include the Ad-Watch Live diver or not.  If you include this option keep in mind that only the Basic version of Ad-Watch Live is included with the Free version.

Other than the above suggestions installation is straight forward using the install wizard.  When finished you can choose to enter your email for updates from Lavasoft or not.

Ease of Use – 7

When first running Ad-Aware Anniversary Edition the Update Manager runs to gather all of the latest database updates.

The main control center has a new look compared to 2008 and older versions but is still very intuitive and arguably much easier to use.

Features – 7

Although many helpful features are only available with Plus or Pro versions, such as Scheduled Scans, there are several improvements to the free version.  According to the Lavasoft website the Anniversary Edition boasts using 74% less memory, 60% less resources than previous versions, and the fastest scan time of any comparable product.

The  Included features for the free version are Ad-Watch Live! (Basic), Rootkit Removal System, External Drive Scanning, Pin Point Scanning, System Restore Point, Customizable Profile Scans, Automatic Updates, and a few others.  For more on the different features view the entire version comparison chart.

ThreatWork allows you to submit suspicious files to Lavasoft for analysis to improve the detection process.

Periodically there will be pop up reminders in the notification area about upgrading which will ad features not available in the Free Edition.

Performance – 7

Scans are very fast, much faster than version 2008 or below.  Easily removing or quarantining all / or individual instances of spyware is simple after scanning results are shown.

Product Support – 6

Plus and Pro users get free technical support but Free users are not totally forgotten.  For Ad-Aware Free users there is a FAQ Page and also Lavasoft Support Forums.

Conclusion

Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware has been one of the most popular spyware protection utilities for, well, 10 years now.  With this anniversary version they really have cleaned up the interface to be less confusing.  The application loads a lot faster and takes up fewer system resources.  Scans are fast and reliable as ever.  If you are a long time user of Ad-Aware Free or Commercial the Anniversary Edition is well worth the upgrade.

Download Ad-Aware Free Anniversary Edition

Rating

• Installation:  8
• Ease of Use:  7
• Features:  7
• Performance: 7
• Product Support:  6