Compared to the ‘Plus’ or ‘Pro’ versions, this one is only a scanner. You can use it to perform standard scans (main Windows components and registry entries), full scans (scans of the entire system) or custom scans. Scanning the entire system would take quite a while depending on the size of your hard-drives, while a basic scan would be completed shortly (average physical memory usage of 47 MB). After the scanning process is completed, you can choose to wipe out the new found threats, to ignore or quarantine them.

Before taking a decisive action, the program will allow you to export the summary of the recent scan. You can also set a restore point to use in case the deletion of items would affect system stability. I liked the fact that the program has a track cleaning tool included. You can use this feature to clean the cache, cookies, history, last typed URL in Internet Explorer, FireFox and Opera.

Pluses: Ad-Aware 2007 is free for personal use. Free auto updating service and auto scan option.

Drawbacks / flaws: The ‘Adwatch’ real-time scanner, the ‘Process Watch’ and ‘Hosts File Editor’ features are only available in the ‘Plus’ or ‘Pro’ (paid) versions of the program.

In conclusion: Ad-Aware 2007 (Free) is a useful tool, but I’d go for the ‘Plus’ or ‘Pro’ version because I believe that it’ better to prevent a threat than to try to fix it after it produced some damage.

• Redesigned Engine – Benefit from superior program flexibility and more accurate scanning methods with all-new program architecture.
• Improved Code Sequence Identification (CSI) Technology – Boost your privacy protection with precise detection of embedded malware, including known and emerging threats
• Incremental Definition File Updates – Save precious time and resources with smaller update files resulting in faster download times.
• TrackSweep - Control privacy by erasing tracks left behind while surfing the Web on Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera, with one easy click.
• Multiple Browser Support – Choose Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Opera with expanded browser support.
• New Straightforward User Interface – Effortlessly maneuver the complexities of malware detection and removal with our new user-friendly interface.