Expert: Carolyn Meinel - 10/21/2008

Question
I currently use McAfee for viruses, but my computer runs very slowly. AOL in particular, but I no longer pay for AOL and therefore can't get much help from them regarding it. Anyway I suspect I need a spyware program. Problem being they all charge too much. I mean we already pay to have viruses removed. Can't there be one software package that removes all programs that I don't want on my computer? Sometimes it seems they invent stuff that I will then need to remove. I was looking online for a freeware spyware program, and found many listed. Downloaded one and did a scan and it told me that I needed to register and pay them to have the found items removed. They were somehow under the impression that that is what freeware is. Freeware in its entirety is free. They should have listed it as shareware or a demo. Anyway what free software would you suggest for removing adware, spyware, and most of the other things that are not technically viruses? Thank you.

Answer
Check out the free version of Adaware at http://www.lavasoft.com/

Personally I prefer using one of the Internet security suites that bundle antivirus with antispyware and a firewall so one program does it all. If you want to test run these all-in-one security programs, you can try either Kapersky Internet Security, which offers a free 30 day trial at http://kapersky.com or F-Secure's Complete Internet security suite, which offers a free thirty day trial: https://store.f-secure.com/cgi-bin/dlreg/ml=EN?ID=FSISTB&desid=TRIAL