Spybot Search & Destroy is a Windows security program for finding and removing spyware, adware, tracking software and keyloggers. Its Free Edition combines scans that you start yourself with immunization against known harmful sites and spyware installers. Paid editions add antivirus scanning and Live Protection, which checks processes as they run.
Spybot’s system and file scans
The Start Center shows the last scan, definition-update status and immunization status. From there, System Scan examines the computer using Spybot’s detection definitions. Those definitions must be available before a scan can proceed; the results then provide a separate opportunity to review what was found.
Spybot Search & Destroy lists detected items in its scan results. The Fix Selected command processes the selected entries, marks completed fixes with a green tick and adds the items to quarantine.
File Scan narrows the target to files you choose through Add File(s). With Windows Explorer integration enabled, a file can also be scanned from its right-click menu. The results mark a clean file with a green tick, while Remove Malware moves an infected file into quarantine.
Immunization
Immunization changes how the computer handles known unwanted destinations and components. Spybot adds entries for known harmful sites to the Windows hosts file, preventing access to those destinations. It also blocks tracking cookies and known spyware installers contained in its database.
This protection operates at a different point from spyware removal: it applies blocking entries before a listed threat is encountered, rather than waiting for a scan to find an installed item.
Startup Tools
Spybot’s Startup Tools present startup behavior across a set of tabs. Users can inspect what loads when Windows starts and change the behavior of those entries. This helps examine programs or settings that cause software to load automatically, including changes made without the user’s knowledge.
These controls can alter registry entries and other system settings. Startup Tools are included in both the Free Edition and the paid editions.
Rootkit Scan
Rootkit Scan looks for techniques used to hide information at the system level. Its findings require a different interpretation from an ordinary malware detection: legitimate software can also use these techniques to conceal registration data or other information.
A flagged item therefore identifies suspicious hiding behavior, rather than proving that the item is malicious. Deletion through this tool is permanent and does not offer recovery through Spybot’s quarantine.
Free Edition, Home and Professional
| Feature | Free Edition | Home and Professional |
|---|---|---|
| Spyware scanning and immunization | Yes | Yes |
| Startup Tools and Rootkit Scan | Yes | Yes |
| Antivirus engine | No | Yes |
| Live Protection | No | Yes |
| Automatic signature updates and task scheduling | No | Yes |
Live Protection monitors newly created and running processes, checking them for threats and blocking identified malicious processes before they start.
In Home and Professional, definitions and scheduled scans can be handled automatically, while Free Edition users initiate their own updates and scans.
