 SpySweeper |
| Review Date: February 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: C. Cherry, tn usa |
Webroot Spy Sweeper - Windows
This purchase is good if you are looking for a product key. You can download from Webroot and use this key to activate your subscription. |
Webroot SpySweeper works!
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| Review Date: January 2, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Robert Wurzburg, Long Island, New York |
I have used 3 different versions of Webroot Spysweeper now for over 6 months without major issues.
Other reviewers complain about the [...] toolbar, when other software vendors do the same thing for Google,
MSN, Yahoo and others. If you would watch your installation screens as carefully as you should, you can easily
see these unwanted "add-ons" and uncheck the box before installing the actual program by disk or download. You
have no business complaining about your own negligence and blaming Webroot.
For Windows 98 and Me, I'm using v4.0.3 from disk, and will upgrade this to v5.5 because of limited definitions.
Spysweeper for MSN v6.1.0.124 was downloaded to Windows XP SP3 w/IE 7.0 with only the installation failing first
try. A call to Webroot technical support was made, the uninstall program downloaded to my desktop, program removed
and then re-installed without ANY issues since.
SpySweeper v6.1.0.145 from disk was installed for XP SP3, w/IE 7.0 and has worked just fine, no issues whatsoever.
The higher v6 and above versions block many kinds of adware, tracking cookies, and other surfing vermin from even
being placed on my computer, a welcome and safer improvement from the usual quarantine and remove later from other
definitely inferior products.
I can recommend Webroot SpySweeper without reservation to anyone who wants a superior anti-spyware program for XP. |
Potential diminished by cookie reporting deficiencies, installation of 3rd party toolbar w/o approval, ill-advised sales nags.
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| Review Date: December 1, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Reader, |
This version of Spysweeper is somewhat improved over version 5.X. In particular, the availability of a "no extra charge" firewall, i.e., the Webroot Desktop Firewall, is a nice advance. It means that the chances of incompatibility between your anti-malware, anti-virus, and software firewall are now significantly reduced.
As noted in my earlier review of version 5.x, Spysweeper was one of the first quality anti-malware programs available. Although there are now a number of free products with similar or, arguably, enhanced capabilities. So an important question is how does this version stack up.
The software has not changed greatly. The interface is essentially identical. Full sweeps are still quite long, even on a quad core system with four gigabytes of RAM. Although one reviewer for an earlier version mentioned sweeps completed in 5-6 minutes, I've never had sweep times even approach those results for the earlier version or this later one. With this version my sweep times have been reduced below an hour, while they exceeded an hour with the earlier 5.X version. It's uncertain if inherent sweep speed has actually gone down or not, as my CPU, memory, and disk speeds are better than with the original system. Of course, it's also not clear if the relatively long sweep times are due to thoroughness or to inefficient algorithm designs. Faster sweeps can be achieved using the "quick sweep" option. However, if you're going to check you system for malware, it seems a "full sweep" is most appropriate.
Spysweeper continues to have implementation deficiencies. It still specifies the number of cookies it finds. However, unless it determines a cookie is a problem, e.g., a tracking cookie, it provides no further information. A clearly better approach would be for Spysweeper to list all cookies it finds with their location and allow users to decide which, if any, cookies to keep. However, Spysweeper has not advanced in this area from their previous versions.
Some of my disappointment with Spysweeper relates to the company's intrusive sales "nags" after purchase, while making it difficult to avoid or eliminate them. For example, when you select "Check for Updates" manually from the Spysweeper "Home" page, your browser is opened and you are taken to one of the company's web pages (nag screens) -- even if your product is up-to-date. There you'll find the option to add (buy) "Webroot Internet Security Essentials". This is an unnecessary, and time-wasting annoyance. Other competitor's products, some available for free, simply download program updates automatically if needed, without requiring your browser to be opened, and presenting you with nag ads each time you request a manual update. Spysweeper should certainly consider removing this "feature" in the near future.
During a Spysweeper installation, Spysweeper may not be the only software you will be installing. The default during the Spysweeper installation process is to also install the "Ask" search bar in your browser without requiring your specific approval. If you are not alert this will be done automatically. Clearly an "op-in" for a possibly undesired feature would be more appropriate than Webroot's "op-out" requirement. As the Ask toolbar is available for free download from Ask at anytime, the current default installation is not a service to Webroot customers. If you do not want the Ask toolbar added to your browser, carefully check your options as you install Spysweeper
Spysweeper is still a quite competent product, albeit, with some technical issues. However, in rating it I considered not only its technical features, but also how user-friendly I felt it was for a purchased product. In this comparison, Spysweeper's unnecessary sales pitch each time you manually check for an update, and its ill-advised tactic of opting you in for the installation of a browser toolbar without your explicit approval, were significant negatives. The value difference and user-friendliness between Spysweeper and free competitors appears to be diminishing.
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Improved
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| Review Date: April 12, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. Welter, |
I've run Spysweeper for years on a computer running Windows XP. But, for me, Spysweeper went wrong after version 5.5. I had to stick with older versions until version 5.8 came out and even then not every version of 5.8 was usable, and installing new versions often entailed a good bit of work. Through out this time Webroot tech support was less than helpful, constantly blaming me for problems of their creation. Webroot really likes to tell users of Spysweeper after a user has installed a newer version of Spysweeper that the user must uninstall Spysweeper, then run a special piece of software called Spysweeper Cleanup, and only then reinstall a version of Spysweeper, which still may or may not function properly.
Now that version 6.1 is out (March 2009), most of the really big problems have disappeared for me. I run Spysweeper 6.1 on an old Dell laptop with with only a 600 megahertz processor and 512 megabytes of RAM, with XP Home as the operating system.
That said, the process of renewing the software is a joke. One has to opt out of many silly things before making the purchase, the most difficult thing to opt out of is the auto renewal feature. Webroot really needs to fix the renewal process. In the past, Webroot simply sent out an email saying that your subscription was about to expire, and anyway the main software window still clearly states the expiration date for Spysweeper updates.
Forgot to mention when I wrote the above a month ago: When 6.1 installs it also installs a program called WBCustomerSer. Even though, this is apparently separate Webroot update software, don't close it in the system tray and think that will save RAM, closing this background program causes problems that can't be fixed without a system restart. It is irresponsible of Webroot to have designed the software this way.
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updated in early September 2009:
Webroot now forces the download and installation of their Antivirus Software. It is impossible to get spyware definitions updated and avoid this new software.
AVOID Spysweeper unless you want to have to use Webroot AV software. Webroot started this forced "upgrade" about a week ago. I complained to customer service immediately but never got a response, and haven't been able to update spyware defs in that time.
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Good Product - satisfied with customer support
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| Review Date: December 18, 2008 |
| Reviewer: the bear, Mesa, AZ |
I have used the plain vanilla version of spysweeper for several years on my two XP machines. I have run several spyware programs including Adware (free version), windows defender (MS)(free software) and Spybot also free software.
I run spysweeper on two different XP machines, one several years old. The only annoyance I have found was that spysweeper will run during bootup on my slower machine really slowing down the boot up time. I disabled spysweeper to run only on demand on my slower machine.
I have never found spyware with any of my spyware programs as I regularly update their definitions and run all of them at least once a week. I keep XP updated with the latest security updates with the exception of SP3 as I have heard people have had problems with SP3.
I found customer support good and overall recommend the product. Definitions are updated regularly and there can be several free program updates through the year. There have been no issues (program hangs, etc)running the software.
Remember to disable the email shield checking if you have other software that checks email like norton. i found with my slower system that everytime i would send an email from outlook express spysweeper would run slowing down the system. I have zone alarm as my firewall and disabled email checking there also to keep my system from bogging down.
I run Spysweeper, Ad-aware, Norton AV 2007, Zone Alarm, and windows defender with no compatibility issues. The spyware programs are run separately on demand. |
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