Ad-Aware by Lavasoft is one of the original anti-spyware companies and perhaps the most well-known. Although it didn't seem to find as many components as other products we reviewed, it is a good solution for detecting spyware. Ad-Aware comes with a well-rounded feature-set including real-time monitoring, automatic updates, and rollback capabilities. It doesn't offer as many useful features as Spy Sweeper, however. For example, it lacks the ability to schedule scans and the real-time monitoring isn't quite as effective. It also is much higher priced and this product is targeted to IT professionals or technically-oriented users. In addition, the technical support is horrible. We've put in several email requests and they've either been ignored or taken much longer than they should have. We have also been unsuccessful with talking to a live person.

One unique addition to Ad-Aware Professional is a built-in popup blocker. This is a wonderful addition for those that would otherwise go out and purchase a blocker. But, don't buy the product for its popup-blocking capabilities. It doesn't work as well as you would probably like. The software also comes with Ad-watch—Lavasoft’s answer to real-time monitoring. Ad-aware will monitor your Internet activity and warn you if your computer attempts to download spyware or adware; you have the preemptive option to cancel the installation. In addition, you can block ActiveX and web installations to minimize the risk of downloading spyware. But Ad-Aware won't offer detailed warning information as Webroot's Spy Sweeper will. It also provides rollback capabilities so you can restore components you may want to keep (deleting some components may disable some desired applications that are dependent on adware).