# Free antispyware utilities **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2004, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-antispyware-utilities/252174 "2004-06-25T14:01:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-antispyware-utilities/252174/1 "2004-06-25T14:01:51Z")
Besides Ad-aware and Spybot, are there any good spyware removal utilities? I have something on my computer, but those two don’t find it, and it keeps replicating these zip files (I haven’t opened any of them) that I really don’t want… one with Shakira dancing, a Sims crack, some other stuff that I’m sure will just zap my computer if I open them. Also, I don’t want to update my Nortons. Paying for stuff is bad… where’s that free AV thing online everyone’s always talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-antispyware-utilities/252174/2 "2004-06-25T15:38:51Z")
The best online AV scanners are : 1. Trend Housecall 2. RAV AntiVirus Scan Online 3. Panda’s ActiveScan but there are many more (i.e. McAfee FreeScan) You could try McAfee AntiSpyware 2004 (free trail) if you still have problems but I have yet to find someone that couldn’t get rid of whatever they had with Ad-aware and Spybot. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-antispyware-utilities/252174/3 "2004-06-25T15:56:15Z")
The best free anti-virus scanner I’ve found is [AVG 6.0 by Grisoft](http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php). It is not an online scanner, so it protects you all the time, scans your email just like Norton & Mcafee, only without the $$$. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-antispyware-utilities/252174/4 "2004-06-25T16:49:19Z")
If Spybot or Ad-Aware can’t remove it, it gets complicates. You could try [CWShredder](http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html) to see if this is a CoolWebSearch variant (though it doesn’t sound like it). If it’s not CWS, you’re going to have to perform a manual removal: Download and run [Hijackthis](http://tomcoyote.com/hjt/). Scan it, save the log and then go to [http://www.spywareinfo.com](http://www.spywareinfo.com) and post the log. Someone will analyze it. Don’t fix anything by yourself. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-antispyware-utilities/252174/5 "2004-06-25T20:05:30Z")
[Majorgeeks](http://www.majorgeeks.com/) has many anti- spyware and virus programs linked and most are freeware and/or shareware. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-antispyware-utilities/252174/6 "2004-06-25T21:48:28Z")
The [sticky](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=260053) at the top of the forum has a pretty comprehensive list IMHO.