SuperAntiSpyware is an antivirus program that secures your PC from malware and hacker attacks. Its main purpose is to block spyware and other types of malicious software that infects a computer. Also, it provides users with the ability to perform advanced settings, use several scanning options, and work with various system tools when they try to restore some stability of Windows.
SuperAntiSpyware Pros and Cons
We like:
- Compatibility with all versions of Windows, starting with XP.
- It has several scanning modes and many useful system tools.
- The new System Investigator module provides comprehensive information about many parts of the system.
- It shows very good scanning results.
We don’t like:
- The program generated a lot of false positives during the testing.
- There is no way to cancel the threat removal task.
- The System Investigator module does not provide the ability to manage applications and objects or create reports. Also, during our tests, it crashed when we tried to cancel it.
- There is no reference guide built into the application.
- When it comes to malware detection, SUPERAntiSpyware is pretty weak. It detected and deleted 4,195 virus samples from 8,502 files in total in our tests, so we can assume that her success rate was approximately 49%.
Highlights
- Detection and removal of spyware and other malicious software
- Multiple scan modes: full, fast, critical, selective
- Highly detalized scan reports
- Advanced scanner settings
- System Detailed Analysis Module (System Investigator)
- Uninstallation of unwanted programs
- Removal of hard-to-delete files
- Quarantine mode
- Fixing of the registry corruption caused by malware
Main Features
The company makes the biggest emphasis on the elimination of identity threats and the security of one’s personal data. SuperAntiSpyware is an advanced security program designed to ensure the confidentiality of the information and prevent intrusions by blocking all popular spyware types. It can also detect other forms of malicious software, such as free adware, Trojans, worms, and rootkits, but this should only be taken as additional security measures since the application was not created as a full-fledged antivirus. Here is the list of the features introduced by the developers:
- Malware
- Spyware
- Adware
- Trojans
- Worms
- Ransomware
- Keyloggers
- Hijackers
- Rootkits
- PUPs
- Cryptominers
The free version of SuperAntiSpyware Free has a redesigned interface that simplifies navigation for inexperienced users, supports touch control on tablets running Windows. This new tool explores various parts of the system, as well as improvements in scanning speed, system resources, the Help menu, and overall application stability.
More features are available in SuperAntiSpyware Professional, such as scheduled scans, a new email notification system to receive the results of scheduled checks, real-time blocking of spyware, and automatic checks for program updates and antivirus databases.
Security Features
The program contains several security features that make the use of the computer and your identity safe. The main three of the security features are as follows.
- Real-Time Threat Blocking. It is the feature that receives constant updates about emerging viruses and new threats. With it, the antivirus can block even zero-day threats or remove them from your computer before they do any damage. You can customize the threat detection or scan the computer when you need it.
- Detect & Remove Malicious Threats. The program protects from the major virtual threats, such as Trojans, ransomware, spyware, and other types of malware. It has an option of automatic removal of threats or the manual one, which requires the user’s participation. It is important to mention that the program demonstrated a lot of false-positive alarms, which is why it is better to confirm threat removal manually.
- Email Notifications. You can set the program to notify you about all the security activities via email. If anything is wrong with your computer while you are away, you will get the note in your inbox. However, if there are too many notifications, you can always cancel the email subscription.
Scanning Options
There are four scanning options:
- the Complete mode performs a full scan on all parts of the computer;
- in the Quick mode, only the most characteristic places of hiding spyware are viewed so as not to lose speed;
- in the Critical Point mode (scan of critical objects), only active infections,
- while using the Custom mode, you can select specific objects for scanning.
SuperAntiSpyware shows you a list of several recommended actions to take before scanning. It can check the gear for unwanted programs, scan it for malware database updates, close windows of active browsers, and delete temporary Windows files. As for the scanning itself, you can enable the Rescue Scan (in case of severe malware infections) and Scan Boost, as additional system resources are allocated to speed up the scanning process). You can also set it to check web tracking browser cookies, scan the contents of ZIP archives, and check only recently modified files and set the number of days to be taken into account.
For advanced users, there are more scan settings. For example, it is possible to view only registered file types to reduce the task time, enable Alternate Data Streams, during scanning, check the operation of shortcuts, neutralize active threats before sending them to quarantine, and also ignore files larger than less than 4 MB, and non-executable files.
Performance
The antivirus shows little impact on the computer’s performance. However, the more complicated scan option you run, the more load it brings to the computer. If you are worried about the performance of the gear and do not want any software to slow it down, you need to set the antivirus the right way and always choose the scanning modes that are relevant for the particular situation.
As for the test results, SuperAntiSpyware shows quite a high sensitivity to most of the suspicious files. However, it also showed a lot of positive results for the files that did not contain any threats, which is why we would recommend revising the scanning results. The problem is, it can quarantine the clean files. Nonetheless, it did not miss the crucial threats to the security of the data and the machine. Hence, with the right custom settings and attention to the scan results, the software will not overload your computer or miss significant threats.
Ease of Use
The interface of the program is understandable and user-friendly. The developers guide you as a user from the very installation link on the website. All the major options and actions are easy to find, and access from the program’s home screen. Also, it is possible to mark any files that can be trusted, delete items marked by the application for deletion, and create a list of locations for automatic exclusion. All these actions are intuitive and laid out in the SuperAntiSpyware interface.
When you run a scan, the software utility displays the name, description, and registry key for each unwanted program that it finds. It gives users the ability to mark them as approved or uninstall them. If the computer has not been serviced for a long time, you can view the scan statistics later in the log, which will show details such as the type of scan, the total time, the total number of threats in each category, as well as the full path to each suspicious object. Overall, it is hard to get confused by the program or its functions.
Setup
The installation process is quick and does not require any specific skills. During the installation process, you can choose an interface language and enable SuperAntiSpyware to check for fresh updates to the definition database and send system diagnostics to help identify potentially harmful software. Since there is an advertising component, the program will also offer to download and install third-party software tools that are not required for the program to work properly, but their installation can be excluded.
In the department responsible for the SuperAntiSpyware interface, they shrugged off the old execution structure. They chose the large flat buttons that were adopted by most software developers who decided to implement the look of the Metro interface. However, the theme and colors of the program remained mostly the same.
Using the buttons in the main window, you can immediately access the scanning functions, system tools, and reference documentation. The other three are only available in the SuperAntiSpyware Pro version with real-time protection, scheduled scans, automatic updates, so in the free version, they just annoy the user.
SuperAntiSpyware Pricing
There are two options you can take in the SuperAntiSpyware plans: the free one and the Pro one. Most of the crucial features are there is the free plan, yet, the paid suit has advanced features: real-time protection, scheduled scans, automatic updates, so in the free version, they just annoy the user. The features that are available in the free plan are Detection and Removal of Malicious Threats, Multi-Dimensional Scanning, and Process Interrogation Technology.
The advanced features in the Pro plan are Real-Time Threat Blocking, Automatic Updates, Multiple Scan Options, Email Notifications. The professional plan will cost you $29.95 per year and protect only one computer. You can try it for free, as there is a 14-day trial period for the Pro package.
Support and Customer Service
If you have questions or issues with the program, there are several options for you to get help. First, there is an extensive FAQ section on the website. It collects all the popular help requests and explains how to handle them. Second, there is a specified forum regarding the program and the complications that users encounter. You can learn from the experience of other users or ask your question in the community. Third, there is a semi-automated technical support department. It forks as follows: you choose the issue you have with the software and explain what is wrong. Finally, there is a contact form on the website. You can explain what your issue is in the form and wait until the support team contacts you via email. Here, whatever the problem is, you can find a way to solve it, as there are plenty of resources for that.
For billing issues, you can contact via phone: 866-966-6254, or utilize the following emails:
SuperAntiSpyware Alternatives
Of course, there are many different antiviruses in the market. If you are looking for an alternative or want to switch from SuperAntiSpyware. The most popular and reliable alternatives are:
SuperAntiSpyware Antivirus FAQ
Verdict
So, is SuperAntiSpyware a good choice to ensure the security of your computer? Well, it does great at protecting the computer from spyware. However, it cannot perform as a well-rounded, holistic antivirus. If you need a single antivirus with no additional security software, you may need to keep looking. However, if your concern is the security of your data, SuperAntiSpyware will provide you with it.
