PC Tools Spyware Doctor 4 review

This is the first time that we've reviewed Spyware Doctor and we were impressed with its performance.

Not only does it have a clean interface, but the engine under the hood is effective. Its real-time protection made it hard to infect the test system and we couldn't even run the installation file of the rogue anti-spyware program because Spyware Doctor moved it to the quarantine area straight away.

When installing other spyware, a rapid succession of pop-up windows indicated that something was happening to protect our system. We weren't given any choice about whether or not we wanted to block these programs and it turned out some of the files were able to make their way to the system.

After a reboot and full system scan, Spyware Doctor discovered hundreds of 'infections'. Before removing them, it offered to create a Windows System Restore point, which is a nice touch. It then provided a clear breakdown of each of the threats, showing a mix of cookies, files, temporary internet files and Registry entries.

The layout of the scan results page meant that it was impossible to view the names of many of these files because the path names were longer than the display window and there was no horizontal scrolling bar. After the items were removed by the program, the log file became available. This showed all the filenames in a clearer way. We mopped up with Ad-Aware, but it failed to find any remaining traces of spyware.

At £19 including VAT, this is a well-priced security tool that made mincemeat of the spyware with which we tested it - in the end. It also comes with a wide set of options that experts will enjoy. It doesn't quite beat ewido anti-spyware or CounterSpy, but it's as good as Spy Sweeper and is £5 cheaper