Spy Sweeper 5.5.7.122 Online Manual

Reviewing options for Full and Quick Sweeps

Spy Sweeper includes pre-set options for a Full Sweep and a Quick Sweep. You cannot change these options. To run a sweep with modified settings, you must run a Custom Sweep (see Configuring Custom Sweep options).

To review option settings for Full and Quick Sweeps:

1.	In the Icon panel, click Options.

2.	Make sure the Sweep tab is currently active (selected).

3.	Under Sweep Type, select either Full Sweep or Quick Sweep.

A green check mark appears next to each option that is currently enabled for the selected sweep type. The following table describes each option.

 

Sweep Options
Options	Description
Sweep All Attached Drives	Sweeps all drives attached to your computer (such as a CD-RW drive), as well as the internal drives.
Virus Sweep	Applies only to Spy Sweeper with AntiVirus. Enables virus-sweeping in the following areas: Memory Objects, Compressed Files, System Restore Folder, and All User Accounts (providing those options are also turned on, as described below). When selected, the Antivirus Protection panel on the Spy Sweeper Main window shows that Sweep for Viruses is enabled .
Windows Registry	Sweeps the computer’s registry, where spyware and other potentially unwanted programs commonly create entries.
Memory Objects	Sweeps the computer’s random access memory (RAM), where spyware and other potentially unwanted programs commonly load into memory.
Cookies	Sweeps for known tracking cookies that are included in the Spy Sweeper definitions. Some Web sites store and access cookies that may contain personal information (including surfing habits, user names and passwords, and areas of interest), then share that information with other Web sites. However, some cookies can be helpful, because they contain user names and passwords that let you log in to a Web site automatically or contain preferences you set for a Web site. You can determine which ones you want to keep from the Quarantine.
Compressed Files	Sweeps compressed files such as .zip, .rar, .lzh, and .cab files, where potentially unwanted programs can hide. The first time Spy Sweeper scans compressed files, the sweep time takes considerably longer than it would without sweeping compressed files. But after the first sweep with this option, it will skip compressed files that have not changed, thereby saving time. You may want to use this option after you have found potentially unwanted programs and want to be sure they have been removed. If you download a compressed file in the future, you can run a sweep on just that file from Windows Explorer to save time. For more information, see the instructions for setting the Add “Sweep” option to Windows Explorer context menu.
System Restore Folder	Applies only to Windows XP. Sweeps the folder where Windows saves system restore files. If a restore point contains a potentially unwanted program, Spy Sweeper finds it and lets you remove it. After removing the unwanted program, you can still use that restore point in the future.
All User Accounts	Sweeps registry entries for all user accounts or login IDs on your computer. If there are numerous user accounts, the sweep time will be slower than it would with the option turned off. If you deselect this option, Spy Sweeper only sweeps the registry entries for the current user account (which you used to log in).
Direct Disk Sweeping	Searches for strains of spyware that hide themselves from the Windows operating system. Normally, you should leave this option selected, as it makes sweeps run faster. Deselect this option only if you find that Spy Sweeper does not complete a sweep. Some computers need to turn off this method for sweeps to run completely.
Rootkits	Sweeps for rootkits. A rootkit or rootkit masked file is a software tool that an attacker can use to maintain access to your computer for malicious purposes. When this option is selected, the time required for the sweep will double. Use this option only if you are particularly concerned about your computer’s security or continue to see unwanted advertising after running a full system sweep. Otherwise, turn off this option for quicker sweeps.
Verify Executable Programs	Isolates and examines suspect processes running in memory. If the process matches a Spy Sweeper definition, Spy Sweeper stops the process from running.
Behavioral Detection	Applies only to Spy Sweeper with AntiVirus. Enables additional protection (available from Sophos® AntiVirus) by analyzing programs for behavior typical of malware before its code can execute. This option can locate many emerging threats, but on very rare occasions, a legitimate program could be classified as malicious because it shows malware-like behavior.