Ad-Aware 2007 Free

This free antispyware program with a solid scanning engine has a significantly improved UI.

Lavasoft's Ad-Aware Free includes better detection of adware and malware, a scanning engine that goes easy on your PC's system resources, and a snazzy new interface. The updates apply to all three versions of Ad-Aware, which now go by the names Ad-Aware 2007 Free, Plus, and Pro.

In my evaluation of Ad-Aware 2007 Free, I found that the program lived up to its promise of cutting scan time on my PC; for me, this time went down from 7 minutes to 4 minutes. Harder to test was the program's new ability to seek and delete rootkits and other threats that burrow deep into your PC. For that, I take Lavasoft's word when it says earlier versions of Ad-Aware weren't equipped to handle today's threats.

Also new is the program's new interface, which is available in all three versions. Finding tools and tweaking configuration have been made much easier..

Premium Versions Deliver More

A big advantage of the Plus version, which costs $27, is the real-time protection of your system that nips adware, spyware, and malware problems in the bud before they become serious. Though real-time protection isn't new for the Plus and Pro versions, this feature may still convince you to upgrade.

Note: Existing users of Ad-Aware Plus and Pro will be able to upgrade to the new versions for free.

Conclusion In my limited testing, Ad-Aware 2007 Free is a solid post-infection tool. If you don't want to pony up the money to purchase real-time protection with Ad-Aware Plus or Pro, I recommend this free version as a utility that savvy users shouldn't be without. However, as threats become more sophisticated, the real-time protection available with the Plus and Pro versions should be a strong consideration.

--Tom Spring

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