Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

ZubeCo reviewed v6.1.0.145 on Nov 26, 2010

Piece-of-Crap... Had the "original" Spy Sweeper installed and ran great. Also ran
AVG concurrently. Between the two of them my PC ALWAYS intercepted a threat. Started receiving "Install NEW bigger, better..." Spy Sweeper popups. Finally succumed and installed. WORST MISTAKE I EVER MADE...! After installation I found that AVG no longer loaded at start up, and have been beset with viruses and malware ever since. System performance is unacceptable also. I have to run MALWAREBYTES to isolate what Webroot, not only allows to infect, but doesnt find when I run a scan. I complained to Webroot and demanded the THEY FIX what they broke. All I received was instructions that I don't understand. Don't waste your money on a product that NO LONGER WORKS...

notorious_rn reviewed v6.1.0.145 on Apr 25, 2010

been using this software for 5 years and it never let me down. not even a problem with malware and viruses.

with regards to its startup it really slows down my computer for a minute but after loading up no problem noted.

for all pc users please take note that every new applications being installed on your computer it will eat up your memory and your processor. upgrade your pc so you could use the full potential of the application you are using.

CyberDoc999 reviewed v6.1.0.128 on May 26, 2009

Bloated and slow.... I have to un-install it just to get my computer running normal...

Zee333 reviewed v5.8.1.47 on Jul 23, 2008

This is a critical update for Windows Vista users, especially those using Service Pack 1 so if you're using an older version, update using the check for updates within the program then go to the browser window that it opens.

this is such an awesome anti spyware.

Also, it does install the Webroot Ask Toolbar, but if you ask not to install it, it wont be installed.

Also there is a way, legally to get this program completly free for 1 year, somewhere on www.webroot.com - although they are not displaying the link on their website, you gota find the link somewhere on Google, when i find it, i'll post

Cris3 reviewed v5.8.1.47 on Jul 22, 2008

The new interface is awesome. This program always worked well for me. It's good at blocking malware and sites without being annoying. I like to run SpywareBlaster 4.1 and Defender with it.

a-squared antimalware has a really good scanner that I like.

Webroot Spy Sweeper is my main line of defense.

pola reviewed v5.5.7.124 on Jan 30, 2008

what a piece of crap this is.after trying an half an hour i cant subscribe.

RUBBISH

Zee333 reviewed v5.5.7.124 on Jan 20, 2008

Possibly the best AntiSpyware out there, also detects Virus and rootkits and many other things. its worth paying for!

Onsoku reviewed v5.5.7.122 on Jan 2, 2008

http://forums.slickdeals...duid=11103&t=698696

...but I'll stick to Spyware Terminator & Avast Home.

zapatero reviewed v5.5.7.103 on Oct 15, 2007

Installs an Ask toolbar without warning, which is difficult to remove.

CyberDoc999 reviewed v5.5.7.48 on Sep 23, 2007

failed to remove spyware!
they make you laugh they make you cry
they make you kiss $30 goodbye!

zapatero reviewed v5.5.7.48 on Jul 30, 2007

SS with Antivirus: Same problem as in the previous version - option Shields > Windows System > File System > Scan on Write, must be disabled to avoid very slow execution of some programs.

Tao2005 reviewed v5.5.1.3356 on Jul 11, 2007

Full marks for the industries most reliable AS. Great program. I use this one alot, and trust it to keep my system clean and free of spyware. How ever their AV is a joke, and doesn't detect what my other AV program does. Hope the AV improves in time. Till then SS is all you need.

zapatero reviewed v5.5.1.3356 on Jun 25, 2007

I have also found that it blocks some processes (Win XP SP2), like the unistall of OpenOffice. Only solution is to shut down SS.

PCbetaTester reviewed v5.5.1.3354 on Jun 22, 2007

Have used Spy Sweeper for years, and rate it a 4.8 overall, but the latest 5.5 release has been locking up my WinXPSP2 computer(might be fine for yours). Just proves the axiom: Beware ALL new releases before putting them into production, and ALWAYS test in YOUR environment before deploying!

Cris3 reviewed v5.5.1.3354 on Jun 20, 2007

The newest version hides in the background and does its job without bugging you by flagging every change you make. Nothing gets on except for a couple of cookies that don't matter. Not only do I recommend this product, I like their Windows Washer program also. The two seem to work together.

Antibuddha reviewed v5.2.3.2120 on Feb 2, 2007

According to Webroot, the latest version (actually 5.3.1.2344) is supposed to be Vista compliant. I'm convinced Spysweeper jumped the gun on this one. I have yet to complete a scan with Vista running. I'm running a 3.0 GHz Pentium IV (dual) processor with 2047 MB of ram, so processing power and system memory shouldn't be an issue. I've had no other problems with running any of my other programs including my Kaspersky Internet Security with Vista and in fact have to say I'm pleasantly surprised with how efficiently Vista handles programs. I've shut down every non-essential running process and still can't complete a Spysweeper scan. Trying to run it overnight results in my system actually going to sleep without completing the scan. According to the Spysweeper website, Vista users should request a special download, but when I click the link provided, I get an email with standard XP and older version download options wit the 5.3.2344 being the most recent build.

Zebbie79 reviewed v5.2.3.2120 on Jan 27, 2007

This software really slowed down my computer. To make my computer usable I had to turn off all shields in it, but even then it's slow because spysweeper.exe has to load at every startup and cannot be disabled.

gnovak1 reviewed v5.2.3.2120 on Jan 27, 2007

I read all this critics and I'm confused!Before I installed this version I had 4.7 and now is the same story.I dont't have extreme machine but it works without a problem,It doesn't slows down the PC but it works even better!!!I have Nod 2.7 final,ZoneAlarm pro firewall and Ashampoo ant-spyware pro and PC works without any problem!Opera or IE work (open) normally and I don't have problems with pop-ups!
I don't really know or maybe I'm just lucky!

Creole reviewed v5.2.3.2120 on Jan 18, 2007

I run Norton and Zone Alarm as well.
Version 5.2 Spy Sweeper has slowed computer terribly. Now, the Pop Ups appear every few seconds, freezing any typing in any program.
Webroot just said it was something they were working on but could not solve as yet.

Sorry, but if you put a product out there you should know how to fix it too.

I am dropping them also.

orl062715 reviewed v5.2.3.2120 on Nov 22, 2006

Please do NOT install version 5.2.3.2120 on your PC! I have to first say that all versions of Spy Sweeper have worked extremely well for me - no challenges or problems. Last night I installed version 5.2.3.2120 and my system performance went from lighting fast to slower than a snail making a one foot dash. Trying to open IE6 has become a nightmare. It use to open in less than one second, it now takes about 20 seconds to open. This same challenge occurs with all applications I try to open on my PC. I turned off Spy Sweeper and my PC returned back to lighting fast. Thank goodness I still had the last three versions on my desktop. I immediately removed version 5.2.3.2120 and installed a previous version and I have regained my system performance. My subscibtion expires next month and I will not be renewing. There are many other spyware programs on this website that have great reviews that I will be switching to!

CilyPudi reviewed v5.2.3.2120 on Nov 16, 2006

I am a subscriber and just updated to version 5.2.3(build 2125). The Keylogger Shield still causes Task Manager to go crazy. CilyPudi said the processes were crawling around like ants. Still a memory hog, and still fairly impotent.
CilyPudi said it was just a Cookie monster.

Another mass advertised overrated piece of crap like Norton, Registry Mechanic, Pest Patrol and Mcafee. Don't waste your money.
Instead you might try the paid Ewido

moonbliss reviewed v5.2.3.2120 on Oct 26, 2006

I tried spysweeper as well...I found it used to much memory, and the web root company is slow at responding to emails, as well as slow in refunding money. I use AVG Anti-spy ware and I love it! Uses hardly any CPU, and finds the same things spysweeper finds. I have been spy ware free with AVG! :D

CilyPudi reviewed v5.0.7.1608 on Oct 10, 2006

CilyPudi spent $30 and then poured glue into his registry. Do you want some glue too?? It's only thirty dollars.............

heartky reviewed v5.0.7.1608 on Oct 4, 2006

I can add my name to the list of people who have had a horrible experience with the latest edition of SpySweeper 5.0. I too have spent many agonizing hours trying to figure out why my computer was slowing down to a crawl and then hang. I went through the usual checklist running chkdsk, Norton antivirus, etc in Safe Mode. Then bought Spinrite to see if there was something wrong with my hard drive...perfectly normal. Then did spyware scans with SpySweeper, Spyware Coctor, Pest Patrol. Cleaned out everything...
except SpySweeper. Then I read this forum, removed SpySweeper, except for a remnant that refuse to die. Yet now my computer runs fine with 4% CPU utilization(running Spyware Doctor) instead of 100% with SpySweeper running. Thanks to all who went previously and enabled me to find the solution. Considering all of the excellent reviews this product has gotten perhaps this problem occurs in computers that have distinct combinations of software. Either way, this should be posted as a possible solution.

stisev reviewed v5.0.7.1608 on Aug 11, 2006

Good frikken god.

Spyware Sweeper (software) needs to die a fast death and soon.

It's become complete bloat.

Cris3 reviewed v5.0.7.1608 on Aug 8, 2006

I run Spy Sweeper 5.xx on my secondary computer and it works without a hitch. It's much quicker than the older versions. I haven't had the problems that the others have mentioned.

The reason I don't rate it a 5 is it wants you to verify every little change. That gets annoying.

For protection and detection it works great. I use AdAware for quick checks. I run Spyware Blaster and Microsoft Defender for backup protection.

the1cee reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Aug 7, 2006

I too downloaded version 5 of Webroots Spy Sweeper program on August 3rd, which all but halted my system. I also performed a system restore, as I had renewed my subcription online and no longer have the software for the prior version (4.5.9). I no longer have spyware protection; the restored version does not function. I sent a couple of emails to Webroot (bugreport@webroot.com) with no response as of this date. I am sorely disappointed in this product. I wish I had seen this posted information before updating.

vortex100 reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Aug 6, 2006

I wish I had come here first before upgrading to SpySpeeper 5.0. I have had to disable the program on my computer because it is such an incredible memory hog. I tried adding RAM memory and running msconfig to eliminate all other RAM memory use, with absolutely no effect on performance. It still slowed my system down to a crawl. This program is now unusable.

Webroot should be ashamed. They took a good product and destroyed it.

gorf reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Jul 23, 2006

I also had problems with 5.0.5.1286 so I unistalled using add/remove programs in control panel and re-installed the previous version. So far so good, I was worried v5 might not fully uninstall and there might be conflict between the remnants of 5 and 4.5.9.709. Opened a ticket with Webroot July 20 and no response so far. SS seemed to be running scans when it felt like it with huge CPU and memory drain making all other puter functions slow to a point of being unusable. This is not my first problem with SS upgrades very disappointed with the product and Webroots non-response.

jhs1129 reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Jul 21, 2006

Same exact problem as the other posts. I have been using Spy Sweeper for over a year with no problems. As soon as I downloaded their free upgrade to 5.O I've had nothing but problems. My computer reboots constantly. I have had no response to the service ticket I put in. My advice: DON'T download the upgrade!!!

laffer reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Jul 19, 2006

I to have had nothing but problems with the latest upgrade to SpySweeper. I have created to tech tickets with their company and have received no response. I Have been paying for and using their program since they first released it. Their lack of attention to this problem, and refusal to acknowledge it or comunicate with me in any form have caused me great concern. I wonder if somewone has bougt the company and it's product with the sole intention of destroying it? DO NOT DL version 5.0 or use it in any fashion on your computer unless you want your system to be locked up by this latest abomination (CPU hog>!

1dothan reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Jul 18, 2006

I have been using spy sweeper for over a year without much problem until I downloaded the update 5.0. This update caused me serious problems including heavy memory use and locking up my pc. It took over 5 hours to get my pc up and running again. I have removed spy sweeper from start up and my pc is running fine again. Which now makes spy sweeper useless. I have submitted a ticket to webroot. As of right now I cannot recommend the new 5.0. I have a duo core pc with 1 gig of memory.

Luis19580 reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Jul 16, 2006

Upgraded to the "new" Spy Sweeper 5.0 today. It slowed my computer down so I had to uninstall it. Now the computer is working fine again. Another 30 bucks down the drain!

lefreak reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Jul 12, 2006

You can use a 180 days full version of v4.0

www.webroot-shop.de/cgi-bin/index.cgi?c=de&site=gmx_gratis40

baki_princ reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Jul 12, 2006

Everyting is OK but this version is not compatible with Panda Titanium 5.03 so I must stick with version 4.5.7. As soon as I can running both in the same time I will upgrade.

Tokar reviewed v5.0.5.1286 on Jul 12, 2006

Nice new interface, but the stupid shareware version is just like Spyware Doctor shareware...itll scan but won't remove a single thing. It at least spits out a log which allows you to manually remove what it finds.

Triumpth reviewed v4.5.9.709 on Jun 20, 2006

First of all this is not "Bloatware" before any more of you start critizing this program.

"WRSSSDK.exe is a process belonging to Webroot's Spysweeper which protects your computer from Internet-bound threats such as Trojans and spyware. This program is important for the stable and secure running of your computer and should not be terminated. "

How is that nasty? Everytime you start up that process is brung up. It is not "Bloatware."

I have been using this program for 2 years now, I have used update after update... There is no other program that can out sweep this one and / or out update.

Please don't complain about Memory usage because Spy Sweeper is not big and if your computer can not handle running it than I suppose you buy a new one because yours is going out of date.

This program allows you to activate shields which significantly helps your computer from receiving spyware.

I think i bought this program at Wal-Mart for around $20 in December of 04'. I do not complain, because if you buy something you expect it to work and sure enough it does.

Just last night I updated to Version 5.0 Beta. It has a few more options that I find very helpful and an action that allows you control the speed of your sweep.

Basically, what it comes down to is this...

If you want to keep / remove spyware from your computer and do it safely this program "Webroot Spy Sweeper" is the best at doing that. Sure it does cost some money but in my opinion and many others that this program is well worth it.

Chase - Charlotte, NC.

captainahab reviewed v4.5.9.709 on May 11, 2006

Even though this program is a resource piggy, I'm giving it a 5 simply for cleaning more spyware than any other antispyware product. Nothing comes close.

Diggs reviewed v4.5.9.709 on May 5, 2006

This product is utter crap! Why? I'll tell you.First of all......it works for the most part.Fine.I tried the trial version and when it came time to unistall it, I did. But guess what? Somewhere in your registry or hidden in some obsolete folder somewhere on your system are additional files that remain! Stunned? But of course not. Companies like webroot like to leave "traces" of their program on your system.I wonder why? I tried finding the offending entries or "traces" and could not find them. So how did I know there were still some "traces" left? Simple.....I tried re-installing the program and running it.And like every other program that has a trial version, if you completely remove every single entry then re-install it,it will then fucntion again. Now you say,"Well of course they do that.They don't want people re-installing a trial version to use it again." Understandable. however, when I want a program removed from my system...I want it REMOVED. Completely. It may take me awhile but,I'll eventually find the offending "traces" of this program and delete them. Perhaps I will find another spyware program that will remove it. That would be funny. And guys? Thanks for the other reviews making us all aware of the poor customer service and bloated ware that the later edition has become. I CANNOT, nor will NOT recommend "Spysweeper" to anyone just for the one, simple reason I stated above. Remove means REMOVE. It's as simple as that.

stisev reviewed v4.5.9.709 on Apr 12, 2006

PCFlyer - I agree on all counts.

I am no longer recommending this program to any of my customers.

It is officially BLOATWARE.

DEAD PRODUCT.

CreetGuy reviewed v4.5.9.709 on Mar 26, 2006

The best out there, highly recommended program!

zipwilly reviewed v4.5.9.709 on Mar 21, 2006

I bought this product because of the PC Magazine endorsement. Unfortunately, it routinely brings my PC to a crawl even when it is not in use. When I shutdown and remove the product my PC works fine.

Oldsod reviewed v4.5.9.709 on Mar 14, 2006

The Best there is in the presnt market-IMHO. It does rootkits, probably the best scanner and removal on the market and has a very good shield/guard system. Works, starts and runs well. Just un check the " Load at Windows Starup" in Program Options and it do just that - have no problem to use as an on-demand scanner or resident scanner.JMHO Oldsod

Techguy22 reviewed v4.5.9.709 on Mar 13, 2006

I applaud Webroot for being the first anti-spyware program to offer root kit detection and removal even if you must enable it manually.
Spy Sweeper has great blocking and detection ratings, as well as the most spyware definitions I’ve seen (128,425 threat traces.)
Great Program I just wish you could set the WRSSSDK.exe service to manual.

wat0114 reviewed v4.5.9.709 on Feb 25, 2006

*Edited Review - 05/06/2006*

Well, I never thought this would happen, but time to downgrade my rating from a 4 to a 3 (actually 2.5 but that's not possible so I'm being kind and rounding up to a 3) PCFLYER and Stisev have a valid point; this app is quite a resource hog, though, for some sttrange reason, more so since a few weeks ago than before. I no longer have it running real-time, but rather as on-demand only. You know something else? I find that NOD32 keeps spyware bugs off my machine pretty much as effectively as this would, anyways. All SS ever finds when I do launch it once/week is only a few harmless cookies. Hate to admit it, but this is in its current state a waste of money.

PCFlyer reviewed v4.5.8.683 on Jan 24, 2006

WRSSSDK.EXE - Yes, we agree, this service has officially become bloatware, and nasty. We should know, we've been fans and paid customers of SpySweeper since early on.

WE ARE NO LONGER RECOMMENDING WEBROOT SPYSWEEPER TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

The real problem is that the Service "WRSSSDK.EXE" is buggy and as result negatively impacts the overall usability and performance of any PC, not only with IE, but also with Network Interfaces, and most applications, etc.

In earlier versions pre 4.5, it was possible to change the service to be 'Manual', which worked just fine. For most safe-practice PC Users, we should (continue to) be able use WRSSSDK.exe on demand, for the occasional 'Sweep'.

Now, with the newest version, the program itself always resets the Service back to be 'Automatic'. We've tried disabling Every Shield option available. Go back to Services, and change it to 'Manual', and then it gets reset next time we start the program back to 'Automatic', everytime.

Anyone know how to make the service be 'Manual' and stay that way? Like in previous versions?

And no, DISABLING the Service does not do it.

Technical Support at Webroot is nearly non-existant. They're 100% focused on getting their little green boxes into retail stores.

We've had to uninstall SpySweeper from every PC in our Office and will try to figure out how to request a refund.

If we all complain about this issue, maybe someday we'll be heard.

wat0114 reviewed v4.5.8.683 on Dec 16, 2005

Still the best on the market at finding and - most important - preventing spyware. Sure, it's quite resource intensive, but only when scanning - not during realtime monitoring. The somewhat annoying issue of high mem usage caused by a scan still exists, even long after the scan is completed.

G0ldheart reviewed v4.5.8.683 on Dec 16, 2005

I am a tech support guy (old-timer @ 22 years in the biz). While I use the free versions of Adaware and Spybot S&D, Spysweeper typically beats both of these out as far as finding and removing spyware goes. Of course, at any given moment one app will find things others do not, but in general Spysweeper is superior - which I think should be expected from a commercial app.

Spysweeper does a lot more to prevent infestations, keeping watch on various files such as IE home page, startup files, etc.

Plus it can check compressed files and scan for rootkits (albiet you need to check on these in options).

I regularly repair spyware and viruses on client computers every day at work and this one is certainly the top tool for finding and eliminating spyware in my opinion.

The cons are Spysweeper is resource intensive and consumes a lot of memory and slows systems down just like antivirus apps. Plus the startup file watch can be annoying when installing other apps as it pop ups a notification by default.

Adrian79 reviewed v4.5.8.683 on Dec 16, 2005

best one...i normally use cracks n leaked serials..but not for this..i PAID for it!! yay!

minklein reviewed v4.5.8.683 on Dec 16, 2005

Call it what ever, bloatware etc; It works and it works very well. I was running the popular freeware programs and they did not catch the one that nailed one of my systems.

My wife downloaded a freeware Sudoko game and we immidiately got hit by this popup adware spyware crapola.(technico-xxx somthing). Technico did have some fine print in a readme file that said it had an unistaller. Yeah right, the uninstaller did not remove anything, random popups were running rampant all the time.

I talked to the guys at Admuncher and advised me to try Spy Sweeper. I downloaded the trial and immediately it caught all the technico garbage, the Trojan it installed and about six other registry modifications that technico had made.

Webroot took care of my problem now I support them.

Re: Free Stuff. The other day SpySweeper was 20 bucks with a 20 buck rebate. That almost makes it free.

Be really careful into which inkwell you dip your pen.

Timoleon reviewed v4.5.8.683 on Dec 16, 2005

Last week we encountered a horrible bug here at work caused by Spy Sweeper: When Spy Sweeper went to write temporary files, it completely filled up the four 60Gb hard drives on our server and brought down our three retail stores. A fix was issued by Webroot later in the day, but for a couple of hours during the busy day we were pretty pissed, to say the least...

SirMango reviewed v4.5.8.683 on Dec 16, 2005

I'm with xprotocalx
This software seems to do what it does well, but there is almost no reason to pay for spyware protection since there are hundres of free software and free help you can get on the internet. I also find that this software is a bit blocky and slow on the interface compared to others. It also find that the resident shield is useless and heavy. I used to have anti-spywares (free and for scanning only), but realised, after a whole year of not getting a single spyware (even after scanning with Webroot), that having a good surfing habit (not installing anything that is suspecious or unknown) and a good knowledge of your computer (noticing odd things, slowdowns) is the key to keeping your system safe. And that is free.

wat0114 reviewed v4.5.7.656 on Nov 22, 2005

Quote:

"The new version (4.5+) installs a service and REENABLES it on startup every time you run the program! This should be considered spyware by itself."

Spyware?? No, it's one of the antispyware services necessary to protect YOU from spyware!

Well stisev, forget it then. Find another antispyware app.

Still some minor bugs to be worked out, otherwise an outstanding antispyware app.

stisev reviewed v4.5.7.656 on Nov 22, 2005

" if you want to disable the wrsssdk service from launching (in new version) go to your services and set the "Startup Type" to "Disabled"."

I know to how use a computer, dude.
Spyware Sweeper forces the service reenable itself after running and scanning.

This is officially bloatware.

oninopoo reviewed v4.5.7.656 on Nov 18, 2005

Best Anti-Spyware program evAr! I can safely say that anyone who contests this statement or has anything negative to say about this program has absolutely no clue what they're talking about.

xprotocalx reviewed v4.5.7.656 on Nov 18, 2005

i dont even know why im giving this a 3.
it works, i suppose, but im sure everyone will agree with me, when i say that paying for this type of a program is a complete waste of money.
microsoft antispyware/lavasoft/spybot, those 3 in my opinion, are the best antispyware utilities, and they're FREE.
if webroot was the be all and end all of antispyware programs, i would pay for it, but its not even close. ive run webroot on systems that have it installed, and then used microsoft/lavasoft/spybot, and each of those programs picked off more spyware that webroot didnt catch. NOT worth paying for...

Zee333 reviewed v4.5.5.604 on Nov 13, 2005

Best AntiSpyware tool by FAR well worth it USE IT

stisev reviewed v4.5.5.604 on Oct 29, 2005

wat0114,

Responding to your comment:

Have you even bothered to use the latest version? How can you can NOT consider it bloatware? It has its own service which is foribly reenabled, even after it's been disabled. It has all sorts of "shields" which might be useful to some.

No thanks. I'll stick with version 3.5, which is not bloated.

And YGTBKM (you've got to be kidding) @ your link. Too much RAM is inefficient? LOL.

wat0114 reviewed v4.5.5.604 on Oct 28, 2005

**EDIT** stisev, I hate to break the news to you, but version 3.5 is not as effective as the latest, and Webroot will soon no longer support it. The added shields in the newer version are excellent. BTW, if you want to disable the wrsssdk service from launching (in new version) go to your services and set the "Startup Type" to "Disabled".

Still the reported "High Mem" issue, otherwise an outstanding antispyware app. for those of you calling it bloatware, you've gotta be kidding!? In case you didn't know, Windows is supposed to utilize as much free RAM as possible. It's actually inefficient to have too much free RAM on a system. Here's a link for you people to read and hopefully learn something from:

http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php

waynebike reviewed v4.5.5.604 on Oct 25, 2005

Great software and their support is good about fixing issues. I install this software daily on computers and have yet to find any major issues with it. The only complaint i have is changelogs, where the heck can you go to find out what changes between versions?

stisev reviewed v4.5.3.560 on Oct 25, 2005

*******BLOATWARE WARNING********

Do NOT use the latest versions.

Stick with 3.5 or below and update your defs there.

The new version (4.5+) installs a service and REENABLES it on startup every time you run the program! This should be considered spyware by itself.

cricri_pingouin reviewed v4.5.3.560 on Oct 20, 2005

My review summarises the facts (I'm not making anything up) I observed and was carried on independently from what other people said. All programs were updated with the very latest databases available at the time of the review (today).

I first run Ad-Aware (smart scan) and do a cleanup. I run SpyBot after that but it didn't find anything more.
I then run Spy Sweeper. It finds 2 more cookies. Spy Sweeper took an awfully long time to scan since the only option is a deep scan.
So I though, well, let's run Ad-Aware in full scan to be fair. It found 3 more items (cookies too).

So, to summarise:
Ad-aware (compared to Spy Sweeper) scans way faster in fast mode, missed 2 cookies in fast mode, but found more items in full mode, and takes 20MB memory.

Spy Sweeper (compared to Ad-Aware) only has a slow full mode (-1 star), finds 2 more cookies then Ad-Aware quick scan but less when compared equally in full scan mode (-1 star), it takes 37MB memory (-1 star), it costs money (-1 star) and the application is slower to open and close (-1 star).

Final verdict: 1 out of 5 (which is well paid since I should give it maximum-points deduced=5-5=0).

Tenoq reviewed v4.5.3.560 on Oct 13, 2005

The best anti-spyware utility I've used (and I use them daily on at least two or three bugged jobs). More effective than Adaware, Spybot, Giant/MSAS and all the others.

Would be worth 5 stars if it was free, like Adaware. :)

wat0114 reviewed v4.5.3.560 on Oct 12, 2005

Check the "Mem Usage" for many of your running processes under Task Manager after you've performed a sweep. The numbers still sky-rocket (at least on my system) and stay that way well after a sweep is performed. Funny that this issue was resolved on the beta. At least there's no performance hit when this happens. Actually, because of the added protection, including the ADS shield and scanning option for root kits, I would give this utility 4.5 stars if possible. It looks to have become a very powerful antispyware utility. The combined memory use of the SpySweeper.exe and WRSSSDK.exe processes during resident protection is very negligible, with no impact on cpu cycles.

Steve33062 reviewed v4.5.3.560 on Oct 12, 2005

I like this program and have been using it for some time. The interface is better now at 4.5.3.560 I think. I have one complaint although minor which is that when I have something checked as always keep, it keeps it fine. But then it turns around & puts an unchecked item in always delete. Same is true of always deleted items checked, it deletes them fine put puts an entry unchecked in the always keep. I beta tested 4.5 but they never answered that complaint. Otherwise GREAT software I believe to use on top of your other spyware detectors

oopsminded reviewed v4.0.4.430 on Sep 30, 2005

I'm getting tired of all the "resource hog" critic people seem to bring up when they have nothing else to say. (ctrl-alt-del: SpySweeper.exe - 1,728K; WRSSSDK.exe - 3,708K and my system hasn't been rebooted for more than 18 hours, I have 9 tabs opened, etc)

BTW, zenwarrior, WSSSDK.EXE is part of Windows SharePoint Services, not SpySweeper, but I guess it was a typo.

People, if you don't know what to make out of all the pro&cons reviews, get (if you don't already have) SP S&D, Lavasoft Ad-Aware Personal and MS Antispyware beta, all free, and scan your system. Then get a trial version of Spy Sweeper and ask it to scan again... Surprised?
And not to mention the SpySweeper's Windows Messenger Service shield or the Start-up shield.

Anyway, try that "test" and check back if you think I'm blowing smoke.

ZenWarrior reviewed v4.0.4.430 on Aug 31, 2005

To disagree with a couple of people, I have found Spy Sweeper to be worse than any malware I've encountered to date. Yes, I'm serious. It's resource hog, often using 30 Mb, and never less than 20+ Mb. And, it 8greatly8 impacted my computer's performance. Spy Sweeper slowed my system to a crawl. I couldn't understand what happened at first, but everything returned to normal after Spy Sweeper's uninstallation. One thing more: you can't turn it completely off without fully uninstalling it! An app named WSSSDK.exe remains running and does not appear anywhere in the normal start-up locations. It is not meant to be disabled by the user, obviously. (Hmmm...sounds a lot like malware, eh?) As far as I am concerned, Spy Sweeper itself is malware. And last, I've received no response from Webroot/Spy Sweeper support. I'm being entirely ignored. I have three open support tickets with absolutely no response from Webroot. One ticket has been open for days. Jeesh, junk software. (Now, where's the refund of my money?)

wat0114 reviewed v4.0.4.430 on Aug 6, 2005

A very good antispyware utility. No major changes from before, still shows high mem usage on processes during and after a scan (the values don't eventually settle back to normal as Webroot claims they do) but no adverse affect on performance, as well as it's inability to handle Hosts files of more than 5K entries. The scan speed is relatively fast and the real-time protection abilities of this utility is first rate. Highly recommended as part of anyone's system security package.

Tokar reviewed v4.0.4.430 on Aug 4, 2005

SpySweeper + MS Antispyware = the best combo.

The problem is...
SpySweeper is not free, and the scanning and removal processes take FOREVER. So SLOW!

bokhylla reviewed v4.0.3.405 on Jul 24, 2005

This is one of the best programs in finding adware and spyware. PC Magazine and PC World says the same!!
Björn Lundahl, Göteborg, Sweden

mmhah reviewed v4.0.3.405 on Jul 13, 2005

Why isn't there a 6 on your rating scale? The Rolls Royce of Spyware detectors. I suppose it is not easy to improve on a previous version when already brilliant, but Webroot did. The product is well supported by a quick and efficient technical team and offers free upgrades of the product during the first year of subscription when applicable. Many useful features and sheduled scans. Easily configured to your personal needs. Have never had a false positive. I'll be amazed if they can top this again.

wat0114 reviewed v4.0.3.363 on Jun 23, 2005

This final version is so much better than the Beta I recently tested. The only issues I've found with it so far, is that after a scan, the memory consumption increases on its processes, and also on many other unrelated process such as outpost.exe, svchost and several others. Very strange, but at least my pc's performance doesn't seem to suffer as a result. Also, it won't allow the user to modify the hosts file to anything over about 15 kB. It will display the message: "Hosts file too large" and then wipe it out entirely.

Overall, it scans faster and uses fewer resources than version 3.5. Quite a powerful anti-spyware utility.

Antibuddha reviewed v4.0.3.363 on Jun 14, 2005

I've been using this product for several months and the latest build removed one lingering concern. The previous version hogged resources and took too long. Aside from that, it did a superb job of catching spyware and still does. This new build scanned my system in half the time the old build took and had very little effect on the performance of my machine while the scan was being done.

dustdevil reviewed v4.0.2.352 on Jun 2, 2005

Beware of this piece of software it will if you permit it steal your homepage.

betadaemon reviewed v4.0.2.352 on Jun 2, 2005

This app deserves one star: still can only schedule sweeps on the hour (they won't allow you to pick a minute!), it's a heavy resource hog, the new 4.0 crashed my Windows XP every time I ran a scan (!!!!), it also caused my Windows Task Bar to disappear once I installed the 4.0 update.

I'm a licensed user for over a year and the quality has been steadily dropping and dropping. I'm done. There are better choices. Consider Microsoft's offering or Counterspy. Either is better than this.

Neoprimal reviewed v4.0 Beta on May 10, 2005

I can't help but to give this program a 3. It's not a bad program at all and does what it's supposed to. But considering it's HEAVY use of system resources, I mean...goodness, 65 megs?!...It's no memory leak, 65 megs is what this program uses while idle. That jumps to roughly 113 while scanning...not even Symantec AV scans at 113 megs of Ram. I'm not worried for people like myself however, I have a gig of dual channel clocked memory; I'm worried about the person who just got their brand new dell with 512 whopping megs of Ram, who buy Spysweeper from Compusa or Bestbuy and come home to install it to be then using (unbeknownst to them), a good chump change or their necessary ram. 65 megs is completely unaccebtable for anything but a screen saver or video game. Furthermore, you have to buy this program, and you generally don't get program leaps free, meaning you'll get 3.5.1.1, 3.5.2.6 etc, but they won't give you 4.0 because you purchased 3.x. Finally...WHY? Why buy this memory hog when MS AntiSpyware works just as well and is free? 2 good spyware programs are better than 1, but I won't be shelling out for Spysweeper any more - for that, I'll look into other options.

TehMark reviewed v4.0 Beta on May 10, 2005

Best way for an average person to protect their computer from spyware. Its easy and does pick up what others that are free fail to find.

taz757 reviewed v4.0 Beta on May 9, 2005

No good. I can't install this beta because I apparently need a key for it. I'd love to be able to review it, but because of this fact, it gets a 1.

wat0114 reviewed v4.0 Beta on May 9, 2005

Okay, I removed NOD32, re-installed Kaspersky 5.0.227 and was able to install Spysweeper. Perhaps NOD32 beta was the problem. anyways, after some thorough testing, this is what I sent off to Webroot's Beta team:

The process: WRSSSDK.exe continues to run even after Spysweeper is shut down.

Still does not co-exist very well with Outpost Pro firewall when the firewall's "Application Memory Modification" protection is enabled; Outpost will shut down all network access unless I disable the "Open Process Control" protection.

Still seems to have severe memory leak issues, especially after a scan is performed. The Spysweeper.exe and WRSSSDK.exe processes will consume a combined total of up to 70 MB of RAM.

Otherwise, the program does launch faster and starts/completes a sweep faster than ver 3.5

I'm also wondering about that WRSSSDK.exe process; is it part of the "Real Time" protection and deliberately meant to continue running in the background even after the utility is shut down? Perhaps Webroot will shed some light on it, eventually.

My 3 rating remains unchanged.

Yes iLLz, same problem. It may be due to your antivirus detecting some of the files as suspicious, just as NOD32 beta version is doing on my system. Try checking your av logs and you'll probably see that has taken place. I'll give it a three only because I'm not sure if this is a Webroot issue or a NOD32 issue, but it is pretty disconcerting.

jordenpro reviewed v4.0 Beta on May 9, 2005

"Simply the best" - hardly.

"Detects stuff MS doesn't" - come on now.

Spysweeper is a great program to use in combination with others. However, I feel there are free alternatives that work just fine for preventing/detecting/removing spyware, I found this to be a little heavy on system resources.

waynebike reviewed v4.0 Beta on May 9, 2005

NOD32 Antivirus breaks this install because it thinks one of the files is possibly a new virus, so I reported it as a false positive to them. Anyway, back to the actual app that im reviewing. This is a great app and it keeps getting better and better.

iLLz reviewed v4.0 Beta on May 9, 2005

I love this program as it is one of the best. I am currently using version 4.0.0.286 which runs great. This version is 4.0.0.319 and I cannot get this to install. I keep getting a movefile error while trying to install this version. Anyone else having any issues with this?

stisev reviewed v3.5 on Feb 27, 2005

One of the best malware scanners on the market.
Detected items even Microsoft Antispyware couldn't.

Costs $ though.

The-Who reviewed v3.5 on Feb 23, 2005

simply the best. there isn't any other program that find and clean those creatures like this prog does. but still, for a complete scan, u must do it in "Safe Mode". i think they should consider adding an option of "boot scan".

Nikkita reviewed v3.5 on Feb 20, 2005

Many of us wouldn't mind to ride a luxury Mercedes Benz 600 but not all of us can afford it. The same I can say about Webroot Spy Sweeper: it's a very mighty app but it takes too much time to scan and in addition to that while scanning it takes so much of your computer resources that only those with very powerful computers can do anything else during the scanning process. That's why I give only 3 to this program.

David_2005 reviewed v3.5 on Jan 12, 2005

One of the best spyware removal tools out there today

Antibuddha reviewed v3.5 on Dec 25, 2004

Excellent Program: I currently use version 3.2 and tested it against trial versions of other popular anti-spyware and freeware. On rare occasions, Ad-Aware picked up a missed cookie or Spybot reported an unidentifiable anomaly, but I do believe that Webroot is equal to or better than these two competitors and better than all others I tested. I am particulary impressed with the fact that Webroot's library of "spyware fingerprints" is steadily growing and kept current.

Mike162005 reviewed v3.5 Beta on Dec 5, 2004

This is the best non-free Anti-Spyware out there IMO. It's really reconmended!

Zeeshaan reviewed v3.5 Beta on Dec 3, 2004

Removes more SPyware then Ad-Aware, SPyBot and Spyware doctor put together, really recommended! Stable too.

Drich reviewed v3.0.0 Build 129 on Aug 10, 2004

Very good program. Ive have tried many spyware programs and this is the best of the bunch. Very effective and catching spyware and removing it. Now with host files, start up manager, and more added to it, its better than before. Low false positve unlike others I have tried. If your going to have a spyware program, then this is the one.

siliconman01 reviewed v3.0.0 on Jul 13, 2004

Spy Sweeper 3.0.0 has a few bugs in it such as Right Click Context scanning in Windows Explorer causes Windows Explorer to abort. Using the Memory scanner results in CPU utilization to surge to 100% every 20+ seconds and it stays there for 3-5 seconds causing system slow downs. Programs such as AOL Fanfare will not load if the Spy Installation Checker is active in memory. This is on a Windows XP Home system with lots of DRAM (1.5 gbyte) and 2.6 ghertz Pentium IV.

Technical support by Webroot is very poor. Calling results in long wait times and have never been able to get a live voice. Email support takes 5-7 days and in every case I've had totally irrelevant responses to my problem submissions, as if they have responses mixed up with another user.

Spy Sweeper manual scan works well and updates appear to be reasonably frequent. I like Webroot Window Washer and use it religiously. I was hoping Spy Sweeper would be reliable too; however, it is proving not to perform per specifications on my system.

Because of the poor technical support and no updates to correct submitted problems, I am considering requesting a refund and removing Spy Sweeper.

tem0 reviewed v2.6.1.45 on May 19, 2004

Surprisingly effective, and definitely worth a try if you're finding spyware impermeable to other solutions.

Tokar reviewed v2.6.1.45 on May 18, 2004

Spy Sweeper is the best ad removal program out there. It searches the registry, files and the memory, and is very efficient at it. It catches things that Ad-Aware and SpyBot do not. Heck, it was PC Magazine's Editor's Choice a couple months ago.
It comes with a tray monitor that picks up anything that tries to infect your computer, whether it be a homepage hijacker or a piece of adware. It tells you when it tries to do something and asks what you want to do (allow or disallow), kind of like Norton Antivirus Auto-Protect when it detecs a virus.

This thing also detects a lot of well known trojans.
Comes with a built in definitions updater, which I believe is run automatically if you choose.

elliott_nally reviewed v2.2 on Dec 20, 2003

Very nice program finds ALOT of spyware alot Ad-aware and Spybot Miss - I Use Ad-Aware, Spybot And Spysweeper that keeps me spyware Free!