Walk Through Review

Installation – 8

For testing we installed SUPERAntiSpyware on Vista Ultimate x64.  Installation is pretty straight forward and easy following the install wizard.  During installation make sure to check for the most recent updates for the detection database.  This is always a great feature in security software so you’re sure to have everything up to date right away.

Another feature to enable during installation is to have SUPERAntiSpyware keep an eye on the homepage for Internet Explorer so something shady doesn’t hijack it.

*Note:  As of this writing SUPERAntiSpyware will not install on Windows 7.  In all of my tests installation led to a Blue Screen of Death even when trying compatibility mode.

Ease of Use – 7

There is a great Main Menu to control all of the functions and features.  Of course not everything is available with the free edition.

Features – 6

The features available with SUPERAntiSpyware are adequate and comparable to other free spyware utilities out there.  To do a manual update go into Preferences and under Automatic Updates click on Check for Updates Now.  Place a check next to the box allowing update checks each time SUPERAntiSpyware is started.

With the free edition there are enough features to do the job, however for some of the advanced settings the Professional version is required which runs $29.95.  The professional version allows Real-Time Blocking, Scheduled Scans, Registry Protection, Auto Scanning, Automatic Daily Updates, and Free Email Support.

Performance – 7

SUPERAntiSpyware preformed fairly well for me during the scans.  In my test a Quick Scan took just under 20 minutes, this may seem like a long time but this utility really scans files thoroughly.  The best option is probably to create a custom scan so it is not wasting time on music and video files.  There are three types of scans which are Quick, Complete, or Custom.  Also select which drives will be included the scan.  Times will vary as it depends upon the amount of files you have on your system.

It is very light on system resources when idle.

While running a scan it requires more memory as shown here.  One thing I was surprised of though, is while running a scan I noticed little if any slowdown of my other applications.

Product Support – 7

Like most software, SUPERAntiSpyware has a troubleshooting page and User Forums, if you purchase Professional you will receive free email support.  Any questions I had regarding installation were answered on there troubleshooting page.

Conclusion

SUPERAntiSpyware boasts being able to detect over 1 million malicious threats from Spyware, Adware, Spyware, Adware, Malware, Trojans, Dialers, Worms, KeyLoggers, HiJackers, Parasites, Rootkits, and others.  This is good to know and gives a user piece of mind when it comes to security of their PC.

The scans I ran took quite a bit of time.  To avoid long scan times it is best to set up a custom scan and then run Full System Scan once a month.  The free version scans and removes spyware so it does what it says.  Unfortunately having to pay $29.95 for features like auto updates and scheduled scans seems to be a bit much.  If you only need one spyware program this will do the trick.  If you already have malware protection in your Anti-virus Suite or are already using another 3rd party utility there is no reason to switch.  However, if you have a nasty infection this can be a great tool for discovering issues that other programs may not see.

Rating

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