AVG Anti-Spyware

AVG Anti-Spyware offers a high protection level, bolstered by useful features, for a reasonable cost. After 30 days, some of the features get disabled, but you're still able to search for and remove malware, and update definitions manually.
The tools performed well but aren't for the casual enthusiast. Besides the Scanner, which offers four levels of scanning plus a fully customizable fifth, the Resident Shield blocked all malicious components we tried to install, and we were impressed with the overall level of security the app provides: there's even a shredder that offers Fast, Secure, and Paranoid levels of deletion.
The diagnostic tools are spread through different tabs, so options clutter isn't an issue. Still, there's a lot to manage, from running processes to start-up entries to connections--but the program provides little information as to which items are potentially dangerous. In some cases, the program seemed to hog an inordinate amount of memory when its real-time shield was active.
The interface is mundane, with icons floating in a horizontal top-nav bar. The main Status window had quick link jumps to control the resident shield and automatic updates. Update contained proxy connection options, Analysis offered in-depth essential information not only on system processes but Internet connections, programs running from startup, browser plug-ins, and LSPs.