Entered CNET Catalog: 12/11/2007
SKU: CNETSPYSWEEPER55
Manufacturer: Webroot Software
Manufacturer description
Spyware grows more sophisticated every day. There's more of it, and it's more malicious than ever before. Experts agree: Webroot Spy Sweeper delivers the most advanced spyware detection, blocking and removal available to beat dangerous spyware programs. Dangerous and annoying spyware can infect your system in many different ways when you use the Internet. Webroot Spy Sweeper gives you 360 degrees of protection. Powerful Smart Shields offer real-time protection by blocking known and emerging spyware threats as you browse - before they ever reach your computer and personal information. If your PC is already infected, Webroot Spy Sweeper's advanced discovery methods locate and completely destroy malicious spyware that hides within your PC - even spyware that hides using rootkit technology. File sharing programs and swapping music, photos or other files are notorious avenues for spyware infection. Webroot Spy Sweeper can effectively identify slight changes in new spyware threats or variants to prevent spyware threats from ever installing on your PC.Product summary
The good: Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.5 scored as an upper-ranked antispyware application in our testing; the company offers free technical support, including live telephone support.
The bad: If you're not vigilant, Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.5 installs the Ask.com toolbar; doesn't provide a full-function trial; antivirus protection is $10 more; scans are slow.
The bottom line: Although Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.5 scored well in CNET tests, it installs the Ask.com toolbar, which seems odd for antispyware product to do.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 12/17/2007
Editors' note: On March 5, 2008, CNET revised its antispyware review ratings to emphasize a product's ability to remove spyware. The new ratings are based on the following formula: Installation (20 percent), Features (20 percent), Performance (50 percent), and Support (10 percent). In most cases a product's rating went down, expanding the range between highest and lowest rated.
Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.5 offers little change from our previously reviewed Spy Sweeper 5.3. What is new are the CNET antispyware test results that show SpySweeper rising into the top three, buoyed by strong on-demand detection and removal scores. Lowering the product, however, is the intrusion of a third-party toolbar that may automatically install if you don't pay close attention.
Setup
Spy Sweeper 5.5 is available for retail purchase or download, with or without antivirus enabled. We question why Webroot would make antivirus an option--shouldn't it be standard? In light of this, we recommend buying the antispyware version for $29. Current Spy Sweeper customers' apps can add antivirus and firewall protection for $10 more; however, we suggest all Spy Sweeper users wait and purchase the antivirus component in a future release. Webroot has an agreement to use the Sophos antivirus engine, but protection from e-mail and IM viruses is not yet included.
Although Webroot advertises a free trial, the trial is not fully functional; it will only detect, but not remove any spyware found--a fact you'll find out only after you've installed, rebooted your computer, and run a complete scan. We think this is wrong and a crude way to force sales. By comparison, Sunbelt offers a full-function trial of its CounterSpy v2 with no strings attached. Speaking of strings, be aware that during installation Webroot will also try to install the Ask.com toolbar onto your PC, even for the trial version. Removing Spy Sweeper at the end of the trial will not remove the toolbar, so be sure to uncheck the Ask.com box before proceeding with the installation.
Should you decide to uninstall Spy Sweeper, Webroot includes an uninstall icon on the All Programs list. After uninstalling the application, a pop-up window will announce that you can have Spy Spweeper for free if you purchase another trial offer from a company called TrailPay. After rebooting, we found no trace of Spy Sweeper in the Program Files directory or the system registry. However, as mentioned, you will need to remove the Ask.com toolbar separately if you had that installed along with Spy Sweeper
Interface
The Spy Sweeper 5.5 with Antivirus interface remains unchanged from that of Spy Sweeper 5, with the exception of a tiny upper-right corner panel informing you whether antivirus protection has been enabled. To tweak antispyware scans for individual files or folders, simply use the various Spy Sweeper configuration screens. With antivirus included, Webroot's integration of Sophos is otherwise invisible; for example, there's no separate configuration page for antivirus scans.
Spy Sweeper's interface remains crisp and intuitive, the result of many hours of user-interface testing. For example, we like that during a scan, the color-coded tabs on the scan page mark your progress: Sweeping, Quarantine, and Summary.
Features
Aside from antivirus protection, Spy Sweeper enhances its antirootkit protection in SpySweeper 5.5. SpySweeper uses protective shields to protect your hard drive, blocking spyware and adware as it attempts to download. Within the Spy Sweeper Sweep section there are three options: Full Sweep scans all the files on your computer's attached drives; Quick Sweep offers a fast and light pass of your main drive system; and Custom Sweep allows you to select individual drives or folders or exclude extensions.
We installed Spy Sweeper 5.5 with ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite up and running on our laptop and experienced no conflicts.
We also found that deep scans for rootkits--those pernicious little malware packages that hide deep within the system kernel--remain optional in this release. Webroot says that its advanced heuristic rootkit protection can be time- and possibly resource-intensive, so Spy Sweeper 5.5 makes it an optional feature. With traditional antivirus packages, full rootkit protection, when offered, is enabled by default. The average user may not ever think to tweak their configuration settings.
Performance
For antispyware protection, Webroot Spy Sweeper performed well, rounding out our top three in our current CNET antispyware tests. CNET labs conducts three separate tests using spyware found to be bundled within free applications rejected by CNET Download.com (as part of its software policies, Download.com does not host applications containing known spyware). In the first test, active detection, Webroot Spy Sweeper detected 60 percent of the spyware. In the second, on-demand test, Webroot Spy Sweeper detected 75 percent of the spyware. In the final removal test, Webroot Spy Sweeper removed all traces for 70 percent of the spyware in our test.
Support
Webroot supports Spy Sweeper by providing online FAQs, a 24-7 e-mail trouble ticket, and toll-free live telephone support located within the country of the caller (Webroot is particularly proud of this fact). All technical support through Webroot is free for registered users.
Conclusion
Despite its strong test results, Spy Sweeper loses points for installing a toolbar and not offering a full-function trial of its product. And for less money you get more antispyware tools and better results from Sunbelt CounterSpy v2. Don't believe CounterSpy is better? Well, you can try its full-function free trial here.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18out of 18 user reviews
Made a small problem brutal
Pros: zilch ..it's truly terrible
Cons: after running scan it dropped my desk top icons and tool bar and, like the others before me have reported, it froze my desk top. still trying to fix it the task manager is the only thing I can pull up even safe mode offers me nothing.
out of 18 user reviews
Are they for real ??
Pros: hmmmmmmm lets see,,,,,,, well,,,wait,,, ummmmmmm,, geee,,,, Nothing!!
Cons: Actually downloading this on a healthy PC..
out of 18 user reviews
Dangerous product that rips holes in Windows apps
Pros: The company promptly honors its refund policy.
Cons: One run of Spy Sweeper on an XP box permanently damaged Microsoft Word and annhilated Windows Installer. The product appears to be incompatible with avast anti-virus, also on the box.
out of 18 user reviews
It is good spywaere
Pros: I purchase ti from the online store http://www.fastdownloadsoftware.com gives nice service
Cons: It is difficult to download
out of 18 user reviews
Slow, and not effective
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: The trial is unstable
Doesnt find as many viruses as BitDefender
Freezes up computer
Slows down initial start up time
Takes up too much space
Not enough functions
Virus scans are agonizingly slow
out of 18 user reviews
poor service
Pros: finds spyware
Cons: Company treats its customers with -0- loyalty.
All of a sudden, I cannot download the new definitions. I've submitted two support requests/tickets in the last week, but have not gotten a single response.
out of 18 user reviews
Buyer Beware!
Pros: None - have no need for it.
Cons: Once they have your credit card details, they simply keep on using it to renew your subscription, without your approval!
out of 18 user reviews
EXCELLENT PRODUCT
Pros: Thorough sweeps. The price is right!
Cons: Somewhat slow.
out of 18 user reviews
System Crasher
Pros: Spyware Removal
Cons: Firewall and/or Virus Protection
I got tired of it and discontinued use. I now use Comodo Pro and I have not had a problem since.
out of 18 user reviews
Fantastic Product Very Highly Recommended
Pros: Catches Everything From Cookies to Spyware to Viruses
Cons: Slows System Down A Bit
out of 18 user reviews
Been a Webroot user for several years
Pros: Catches everything that comes my way
Cons: Is a little slow in scanning
out of 18 user reviews
New version causes trouble; tech support nonexistent
Pros: Used to work fine
Cons: No response from tech support
So, I called tech support - was on hold for at least 1/2 hour and gave up.
Then, I e-mailed then - about a week ago. No reply.
Save your money or buy a different one.
out of 18 user reviews
Never have any problems other users claimed
Pros: Works fine for me for many years!
Cons: it's still going to require system resources, because nobody write a prgram in ASSEMBLY language any more!
out of 18 user reviews
** WARNING ** Renders System Unusable
Pros: 30-day money back guarantee
Cons: intrusive, locks up system
The executable (spysweeper.exe, and associated service, cannot be terminated or disabled which is unacceptable for anybody desiring to use this bloated intrusive program as an on-demand scanner only.
This is the first time in years that commercial-grade software has caused such severe system problems that I couldn't resolve them, without restoring.
There is good news however. Webroot has a 30-day money back guarantee, which is good because you're going to need it!!!
out of 18 user reviews
the slowest most annoying program....
Pros: it was free
Cons: it made my comp almost impossibe to use
out of 18 user reviews
one of the better antispyware programs
Pros: large threat protection
Cons: slows down your computer
out of 18 user reviews
Good Scanner, Bad PC PErformance
Pros: Automation
Cons: Sucks up system resources, causes PC to perform badly
out of 18 user reviews
This Program freezes computers
Pros: Resource Hog
Cons: This program freezes computers
