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Pros

• Adware Pro has decent scanning and spyware blocking abilities
• The free trial version is very good

Cons

• Adware Pro doesn’t deliver on most of what it claims
• Is not as good as some of the competition like Webroot Spysweeper and Counterspy at removing spyware

View side-by-side comparison of Spyware Removal Software

Lavasoft Ad-aware Pro is a good computer security product that includes all the best online protection features like antivirus and antispyware protection. It removes all malware (malicious software) like viruses, Trojans, worms, rootkits and spyware. And it has the ability to stop hackers and keyloggers from stealing your personal information.

Overall, Ad-aware Pro is not the best antivirus software suite, but it’s sufficient for Home PC use and has proved it has the tools to remove all known malware.

Scope of Protection

Ad-aware Pro provides protection for whatever activity you’re doing. It could be shopping, banking, downloading or socializing; Ad-aware Pro has all the tools to prevent malware infection. Its protection capabilities lie in its combined antivirus and antispyware protection. This is one of the top two-pronged efforts we’ve seen in our antivirus reviews and tests. And the first part of that involves detecting malware using its traditional file-signature matching. The second technique is through advanced heuristic detection and involves behaviour analysis of files to uncover threats.

Effectiveness

Despite receiving certification from Virus Bulletin, Ad-aware is just not as good as the top antivirus software like Norton, BitDefender and Kaspersky. It has the ability to stop a lot of malware and provide basic protection, but it could do better.

It has only been tested twice by Virus Bulletin, and it only passed once. Additionally, it hasn’t been tested by other third party organisations like ICSA, West Coast Labs or AV Comparatives

Ease of Installation

Installing Lavasoft Ad-aware is pretty simple, and the download is sent immediately from their site and is quick. The first update can take a little while, but from then on, the process is pretty fast.

Ease of Use

Ad-aware accommodates both experienced and new users. It has a simple mode which is more direct and simple to use, and an advanced mode which provides more settings and options. The interface is very easy to follow and adjust and one of the simplest we’ve reviewed.

Other Features

Ad-aware Pro has an enhanced online security feature known as Download Guard. It runs as you download files online and notifies you if a file is malicious. It works only in internet explorer though, but it helps you stop threats before they infect your PC.

It has a feature similar to Gamer Mode, known as “Do Not Disturb Mode”. With this feature, you can play games and video and movie presentations in full-screen mode without disturbance.

Updates

An outdated antivirus software product is the same as not having one at all. Luckily, Ad-aware Pro ensures it is always up-to-date with new threats by providing updates each hour of the day. You can also run a manual update just to be sure of course, but it’s configured to automatically download updates.

Summary

Lavasoft Ad-aware Pro is a good antivirus software product with a top list of features and tools. There are of course better antivirus suites, but it has proved to be effective at removing malware and providing total online protection.