SUPERAntiSpyware 6 Review

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key review info
application features
  • Detect and remove spyware and other types of malware
  • (8 more, see all...)

The new version of SUPERAntiSpyware was released earlier today, marking the sixth iteration of the application. For those who don't have a clue about it, SUPERAntiSpyware is an advanced security program designed to ensure computer privacy and prevent intruders by blocking all popular forms of spyware. It can detect other forms of malware as well, such as adware, Trojans, worms, and rootkits, but this should be viewed as an extra safety measure only, since the app was not built as an all-round antivirus application.

The free edition of SUPERAntiSpyware 6 features a redesigned interface that aims to simplify navigation for inexperienced users, touch support for tablets running Windows 8.1, a new tool that investigates various parts of the system, as well as improvements regarding the scan speed, impact on system resources, the Help menu, and general app stability.

More features are available in the SUPERAntiSpyware Professional, such as scheduled scans, a new email notifications system for receiving results for scheduled scans, real-time spyware blocking, as well as automatic checkups for software and definition updates.

Installation and interface

During the installation procedure it is possible to specify the interface language and allow SUPERAntiSpyware to check for recent definition database updates and to submit a system diagnostic to help identify potentially harmful software. Since it is ad-supported, the tool also offers to download and install third-party tools that it does not actually need to work properly, but they can be excluded from setup.

In the interface department, SUPERAntiSpyware has dropped the former layout configuration and opted for large flat buttons that have been adopted by most software developers who want to implement the Metro UI look. However, the program's theme and colors have remained the same for the most part.

Showing the interface in SUPERAntiSpyware 6
The interface has been redesignedThree buttons in the main frame provide immediate access to scanning, system tools, and help documentation. The other three are available only in the Pro edition of SUPERAntiSpyware (real-time protection, scheduled scanning, automatic updates), so they are just teasers in the free version.

Scanning options

There are four types of scanning modes available: Complete runs a thorough checkup on all parts of the computer, Quick investigates only common spyware hiding places to favor speed, Critical Point looks only for active infections, while Custom lets users handpick the exact locations to look into. A contextual scanner is available as well.

SUPERAntiSpyware lists a few pre-scan actions deemed as recommended. It can scan for unwanted programs, check for malware database updates, close the windows of active browsers, and delete Windows temporary files. As for the actual scanner, users can enable Rescue Scan (in case of severe malware infections) and Scan Boost (allocates extra system resources to improve scan speed) modes, verify web browser tracking cookies, scan the contents of ZIP archives, as well as check only recently modified files and set the number of days to take into account.

Showing the scan options in SUPERAntiSpyware 6
Showing the advanced scan settings in SUPERAntiSpyware 6
Configure standard and advanced scan settingsMore advanced scan settings are available for power users. For example, it is possible to look only for known file types to reduce the task time, include Alternate Data Streams, follow shortcuts during scanning, terminate active threats before sending them to the quarantine, as well as ignore files larger than 4MB, non-executable files and System Restore/Volume Information.
Showing the scan results in SUPERAntiSpyware 6
Showing the scan results in SUPERAntiSpyware 6
Examine scan results before taking actionAdditionally, it is possible to mark any files as trusted, remove items flagged for deletion by the app, and create a list of locations to automatically exclude. During scanning, the software utility shows the name, description, and registry entry for each unwanted program it finds, enabling users to mark them as allowed and to uninstall them. If the PC is left unattended for a long time, scan statistics may be examined later in log files to find out details like scan type, total time, total number of threats in each category, along with the full path for each suspicious object.

System tools and program settings

As we discussed earlier, System Investigator is a new feature of SUPERAntiSpyware that permits users to run an in-depth examination on the PC and evaluate its malware status. It can use cached item information, take into account the whitelist and opinions of the user community, and scan results for spyware, malware, and so on. Custom categories can be included for the investigation, such as the Windows startup items, web browser plugins, services and drivers, desktop, Start Menu/Screen and taskbar, classes, and application data folders.

Showing the system tools in SUPERAntiSpyware 6
Showing the system investigator in SUPERAntiSpyware 6
Use various tools, such as the new System Investigator Unwanted programs can be easily removed, while quarantined items can be investigated and deleted or restored. Furthermore, users may check out previous scan logs, delete otherwise difficult-to-remove files (such as system files), repair registry issues caused by malware agents, as well as submit suspicious malware samples to the SUPERAntiSpyware developers for professional evaluation.
Showing the program settings in SUPERAntiSpyware 6
Configure program settingsAs far as program settings are concerned, it is possible to remove SUPERAntiSpyware's entry from the Windows autorun sequence, hide the splash screen at app startup, disable Windows Explorer shell integration, indicate an automatic scan mode at startup, and more. Settings can be restored to default.

The Good

The application is compatible with all Windows versions from XP to 8 and 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit). It features multiple scanning modes and many useful system tools. The new System Investigator offers thorough information about many parts of the computer, such as autostart entries, drivers, services, classes, and web browser plugins.

As far as scanning speed is concerned, SUPERAntiSpyware delivers very good results, so it seems that the developers have kept their word concerning improvements from this perspective.

The app identified and removed numerous tracking cookies in our evaluation.

The Bad

It found many false positives in our tests. Users should pay attention to the scan results before getting ahead of themselves and deleting everything.

It is not possible to cancel the threat removal job. During this time, the web browsers became unresponsive in our tests, and we lost sound across the entire computer (a Windows reboot was necessary to fix this problem).

The System Investigator does not provide the possibility to manage apps and objects or to generate reports. Moreover, it froze during our evaluation when we attempted to cancel it.

There is no help manual built into the application.

When it comes to malware detection, SUPERAntiSpyware is pretty weak and it clearly shouldn't be used as an antivirus app. It identified and removed 4,195 virus samples from a total of 8,502 files in our tests, so that means that it had roughly a 49% success ratio.

CPU and RAM usage was significant during scan and removal jobs. The response time of other active programs decreased.

The Truth

Although part of its new features bring significant improvements, the new version of SUPERAntiSpyware failed to impress us in terms of performance. We definitely expected more from this highly-regarded spyware blocker.

NOTE: You can also read our previous review for SUPERAntiSpyware 5.7.

user interface 3
features 2
ease of use 4
pricing / value 5


final rating 2
Editor's review
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