Spybot has for a long time been a staple installation on new machines that I build. Between Spybot and Windows Defender, I feel that I have plenty of coverage, free of charge. I have been in the IT field professionally for over 15 years, so I am aware and careful in what I run and where I go on the web. Bad behavior won’t protect you even if you have the most expensive product, so with that said I have continued my use of Spybot and have taken advantage of the upgrade offered in early July.
The “Immunize” process took a little bit of time for 90k files, but the last time I immunized was when I upgraded to the last version, so who knows. There is a new “Hint of the Day” label that does nothing more than to let you know that you can find more info for a given threat in the pane to the right. This is something that you should have found by yourself if you’ve used the product for any period of time, but if not, then happy birthday to you! And I congratulate you for deleting things successfully without knowing what they do. 🙂
The interface remains pretty much the same as the last version, but immediately the “Update” improvements are evident. You no longer have to check every box that you want to download. I’m pretty simple minded, so if there is an update available, I usually take it. The new version defaults to having everything checked which is a welcome update.
Another update to the “Update” functionality is a choice of where you get your downloads. I find this somewhat unnecessary and an extra step, but hey, at least you get options. If the mirror site you select doesn’t work (which I have run into), you simply click back and pick another site. I don’t typically enjoy having to pick a download mirror myself especially when given a list of 100+, but I imagine that others like this type of flexibility.
Aside from this noticeable update, the product literature says that scan times have been optimized a bit. Apparently, a future 2.0 release with a more efficient scanning engine is underway and “parts” of that newer engine are integrated in the current 1.6 version. I personally cannot speak to faster scan times because I cannot notice a difference.
Other documented updates have to do with yet another coalition aimed at gathering your data to aid in the overall fight against malware and an “easier” on-access scan. Neither of these improvements are noticeable to me, but I may not be a power user of the product.
I use S&D as part of my monthly maintenance routine and it has yet to disappoint me. During a past virus/spyware infection, S&D performed well enough during detection/cleanup that it has been a part of my tool kits for a very long time.
I once again recommend this product and have no reason not to suggest that you upgrade to 1.6. Download it here!
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