XoftSpySE: Overview
XoftSpySE AntiSpyware is a powerful antispyware tool that uses a deep-scanning technique to locate infected files within your system’s registry and system folders. This deep scan technology used by the XoftSpySE tool enables it to perform a thorough scan of your computer and helps you get rid of the most stubborn spyware and adware programs.
XoftSpySE antispyware was developed by ParetoLogic, a company founded by four brothers in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The main goal of this firm is to develop tools that will enable computer users to ensure that their computer is in the best working condition possible and is free from unwanted errors, programs, viruses, and spyware.
Spyware: Effects on Computer
Spyware programs are primarily designed to stealthily install on computers without the consent of the user and spy on the activities the user performs. Just like viruses, there are many different families of spyware programs with varying security threats, making it essential that you protect your computer against these malicious programs.
Some of the common spyware categories are:
Keyloggers: These spyware programs log your each and every keystroke and then use your internet connection to transmit collected information to external sources. This information is usually used to deliver undesired adware to your computer. Keyloggers can also log your confidential information, such as credit card details, account numbers, and username/passwords that can be used for more malicious purposes.
Webloggers: Just like Keyloggers, Webloggers record your Web browsing habits to use the information for advertising purposes.
Miscellaneous: In addition to Keyloggers and Webloggers, there are several other types of spyware programs that will scan your hard disk to collect your personal and confidential information.
Spyware programs not only steal your data, but also drastically slow down your computer. Unwanted adware and hijacked Web pages may make it absolutely impossible for you to get any work done on your PC.
These threats posed by spyware programs make it important for all computer users to opt for spyware protection. XoftSpySE antispyware tool is a program that is developed to meet this growing necessity of computer users. It has a large definition database and uses the thorough deep scan technique to go deep into your system and weed out all malicious information from it.
XoftSpySE: Installation
You can easily download the XoftSpySE antispyware tool on your Windows computer from the ParetoLogic Web site. To download and install XoftSpySE on your computer click the Download button on this Web page. After the download is complete, double-click on the setup file copied to your PC to start the Setup wizard and then follow the simple instructions given in the wizard to install the tool on your PC.
When you launch the XoftSpySE tool after the download is complete, you are first prompted to download the spyware definition database update. Select Yes to download the update. This is an essential step because keeping your antispyware database updated will help you keep your PC safe from the latest spyware.
System Requirements
Your computer must meet the following minimum system requirements to enable you to take advantage of all features of the XoftSpySE tool:
- Processor: Intel Pentium II (or equivalent)
- RAM: 64 MB
- Hard Disk Free Space: 10 MB
- Internet Explorer: Version 6.0 (or greater)
The tool supports the following Windows operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows XP
- Microsoft Windows 2000
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows ME
XoftSpySE: How It Works
Just like all other tools developed by ParetoLogic, XoftSpySE has been developed to cater to both novice and advanced computer users. Let’s now have a look at how you can use the tool to easily scan your computer for spyware and clean them. In this section, we will also discuss the methods you can use to customize the XoftSpySE tool to work according to your needs.
Spyware Scan and Removal
After you have updated the tool, you can start a spyware scan on your computer. To start the spyware scan, either click the Start button located at the bottom of the Start screen or click the Start Scan button on the left pane.
After the scan is complete, the results are displayed on the Scanner page. You can perform several tasks on this page.
First, you can view all the results, their threat levels and the location of the infected objects on this screen. In case you want to view detailed information about a particular item, click the View Details link corresponding to it in the Characteristics column. This will open a Web page that will provide you with the information about the detected spyware object.
Note: The View Detail option will work only if you are connected to the Internet.
To display the Full Selection menu, point to any object displayed in the result area and then right-click on it. Using the right-click menu, you can:
- Select or deselect all objects.
- Inverse your current selection.
- Add the selected object to the ignore list or view its detailed information.
- Select or deselect the object on which you have right-clicked.
- Select or deselect file objects.
After you have made your selection, click the Remove button to quarantine all the selected objects. Click OK when a confirmation message box is displayed.
XoftSpySE tool will now remove all the selected items from the computer and quarantine them. After the removal process is complete, the Results page is displayed. On this page, you can view the details of the last scan. Also on this page, you can view the all time usage report of the tool on your PC.
Quarantined Items
All objects that you remove during the spyware scan and repair are saved in a backup file. To view this file, click the Backup List button on the left pane. A new file is added every time you scan and repair spyware using the tool. In case you want to remove or delete one or more quarantine files, on the Backup List page, select the checkboxes of these files and then click the Restore or Delete button.
To create a log of the results, click the Logs button. If you want to report an item to XoftSpySE support or to seek their help on an issue, you may click the Email Log File button, select the concerned log file, write your query in the e-mail message and then send it to Logs@Paretologic.com.
General Settings
To view the general options to configure the XoftSpySE tool, click the General Settings button on the left pane.
On this page you can:
- Choose to launch the spyware tool at system startup. You can also choose whether you want the tool to scan your system for spyware at startup or not.
- Set the default home page and search page of your browser. Setting this helps you prevent your default pages from being hijacked by spyware programs.
- Change the settings on how the tool updates its database.
- Manually check for updates by clicking the Check for Updates button.
Scan Settings
Spyware programs attack several parts of your computer. You can use the Scan Settings page if you want to customize the scan process to look for spyware in particular locations or processes only.
Scheduling
XoftSpySE enables you to schedule periodic spyware scans on your computer. To schedule a scan, click the Scheduling button on the left pane and then in the Schedule dialog box, specify the time and period at which you want XoftSpySE to run the spyware scan on the system and then click OK.
Ignore List
To view the items you set the tool to ignore on the Scanner page, click the Ignore List button on the left pane. If you want to remove any item from this list, select it, and then click the Delete button.
XoftSpySE: Pros and Cons
Let us now look at some of the strengths and weaknesses of the XoftSpySE tool.
The First Look
Simplicity is the first thing you notice when you launch the tool for the first time. Navigation is quite straightforward with all main buttons listed on the left pane. Each page comprises required descriptions to help you easily work with the tool.
The Best Features
Speed: In comparison to several antispyware tools available today, XoftSpySE requires very little space on your system, and it takes just a few minutes to install on the computer. The tool scans your entire system within minutes and displays the results comprising a description and threat level for each detected spyware and adware. What’s more, your computer does not slow down during the scanning process and you can easily carry out your work while the scan runs quietly in the background.
Effectiveness: The tool scans for more than 42.000 different types of spyware and adware programs, comprising threats such as worms, hijackers, malware, keyloggers, webloggers, Trojan Horses, and trackware. The results page also offers the option to view details of each detected threat to help you decide whether you want to remove it from your system or not. When you click the View Details link for an item, you are taken to XoftSpySE directory for that detected threat. On this page, you can view the information such as source, nature, and level of the detected security threat.
Simplicity: XoftSpySE is quite easy to use and comprises features that even not-so-technically sound computer users can use to maintain a healthy spyware-free Windows PC.
Customization: At such a low price, XoftSpySE comprises customization features that are quite similar to several higher-ranked antispyware tools. You can easily use the tools customization and setup features to configure what you want the tool to scan and schedule the time you want it to scan the system.
The Weaknesses
For an antispyware tool that is available for less than $40 the XoftSpySE tool does not have many weaknesses.
The tool lacks the real-time protection feature that helps you in preventing spyware programs from infecting your computer at all times. To overcome this weakness, however, you can schedule the tool to run everyday to ensure that your PC is free from any unwanted stuff.
One thing we would love to have is the option to stop or pause the scan. At the moment, you can only abort the scan. However, the fast speed at which the tool performs the scan, you can easily ignore the lack of this feature.
ParetoLogic provides only basic support for the tool via e-mail and Live tech. The help section is Web-based and therefore, you cannot view it until you are connected to the Internet. This is a bit inconvenient to users.
Conclusion
The final verdict is that the XoftSpySE tool offered for less than $40 has a lot to offer to users in comparison to several other more expensive tools. The tool is quite powerful because it combines its deep scanning technique with a large and up-to-date definition database. Its intuitive interface makes it quite user-friendly and you can use it easily and regularly to maintain a healthy and spyware-free computer. We highly recommend this tool to Windows users.
