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CounterSpy Review
Feature Set:
CounterSpy is an excellent product with many great features, including color-coded threat indication and descriptions of spyware and adware found on your computer. It also comes with Real-Time Blocking, giving you the ability to prevent spyware from getting on to your computer in the first place.
CounterSpy also makes life easier with automatic updates and a scan scheduler. The auto-update feature allows you to keep your spyware protection up-to-date (by checking for updates every time you login and connect to the Internet), while the scan scheduler allows you to set up automatic scans for anytime.
Effectiveness:
CounterSpy is among the most effective spyware products on the market today. The program finds just about all the spyware and adware out there—successfully removing any spyware we tested.
The program also offers Active Protection, which runs in the background while your computer is on to shield your system from spyware and adware continuously. This feature won’t slow down the speed of your computer and is especially useful for people that are always connected to the Internet.
Although CounterSpy is one of the best at getting rid of spyware, we felt it would be even more effective if it broke up its detections into specific categories—separating them into spyware, adware and cookies.
Ease of Use:
CounterSpy is extremely easy to use. The program is divided into four categories, which are separated into sub-categories. This arrangement helps lead you intuitively through the program.
Customization:
There is plenty of customization available in CounterSpy. We feel that one sign of well-developed software is its ability to bend to the needs of its user, regardless of their skill level; CounterSpy does better than most. For example, a novice can use features like Active Protection with the program’s default settings and receive excellent protection, but a more advanced user can select exactly what the program protects against and what it ignores, depending on preference.
Ease of Setup/Installation:
We found CounterSpy easy to download and set up. When the download is completed, a step-by-step wizard walks you through the setup process and prompts you with questions about specific features. In all, the process takes about two minutes to complete.
Help/Support:
Sunbelt Software offers excellent support for CounterSpy, including a toll-free, technical support number, an extensive, built-in help application and email support. We also felt their customer service was a first-rate operation.
Summary:
CounterSpy by Sunbelt Software is a good fit for just about anyone—from novice to expert. With a four-star rating on almost every category, CounterSpy is a fantastic anti-spyware program.
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