ANTI-ADWARE TOOLS
Best program: Unchecky https://unchecky.com Latest major version: 1.0
Unchecky is like antivirus (AV) for adware. Just as your AV blocks malware spread by hackers, Unchecky blocks adware spread by companies. Call it adware, call it bloatware, call it PUPS – call it what you like, as long as you call a halt to it before it gets into your hard drive. PUPS such as the Ask toolbar and Yahoo search engine can be as hard to remove as malware, and do just as much damage.
Unchecky works by automatically ‘unchecking’ (unticking) adware on your behalf when you run an installer. It runs quietly in the background, looking for PUPS. When it blocks one, you’ll see an alert like the one in our screenshot. Don’t let Unchecky make you complacent, though. Companies change their adware tricks faster than we or Unchecky can keep up, so always be vigilant when installing free software.
Best hidden tools
Unchecky gets on with its job without you ever needing to open it. But if you do open it – by clicking the alert, or the leaf icon in your system tray – you can then click ‘Activity log’ to see a detailed list of all installers caught trying to smuggle adware on to your PC. Right-click the list to clear it.
Unchecky now shows ‘warning tooltips’ to help you identify junk in an installer. Hover your mouse over a potential adware source, and up pops a warning message (see screenshot above). You can disable these tooltips in Settings, but we recommend leaving them on.
Also try: Malwarebytes Adwcleaner www.malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner
Another great little tool that works alongside (and won’t conflict with) your AV, Adwcleaner finds and removes the junk that Unchecky misses. It may even dig up adware that’s been hiding in obscure locations on your PC for years.
Don’t use: Ad-aware Free Antivirus
This “legendary anti-spyware” program claims to stop adware and malware. Don’t believe a word – it’s one of the worst junk offenders we’ve seen.