 Number 236 - January 2003 |
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| Free File: Spybot--Search & Destroy Annihilate spyware & adware hidden on your hard drive | |
| By Dan Mitchell | |
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Who's watching you compute?
Today Roger shows you how to find out and eliminate the spies on your hard drive. Free software sometimes comes at a price. Developers often release free versions of programs as adware so that they can pay the bills. You're subjected to advertising every time you use the program. The flip side of this is that most adware programs contain a spyware component that reports back to the "mother ship" about your surfing habits. Many of these advertising companies claim that the information is anonymous or specifically used to target ads, but do you really want to take that chance with your privacy? We didn't think so. Eliminate spyware SpyBot --Search & Destroy (SpyBot-S&D) will find adware and spyware modules on your hard drive and remove them. When you run this program for the first time, you'll be shocked to discover how much spyware is on your hard drive. Just think of all the information this stuff's been gathering. It's possible that once these modules are removed the related programs will stop working. No worries. SpyBot-S&D lets you restore the programs to their original form if you run into a problem. |
Detect other information gatherers
Detecting and removing spyware is only one of the many things this program can do for you. Here's what else it detects: Erase your tracks As if that weren't enough, SpyBot-S&D will also clean your tracks. I'm not just talking about the usual Internet browser stuff, either. Sure, it'll let you clear cookies, URL history, and Temp files. But it'll also let you clear stuff within individual programs, including lists of recently viewed photos in your favorite imaging program and text in Word. Did I mention that it can also find and fix invalid registry entries? SpyBot-S&D does it all. |
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Number 236 - January 2003
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