I’ve been installing Spyware Doctor w/ Antivirus for several months now, and we run it constantly in the shop for removing difficult spyware, malware and virus infection. It even handles rootkits — these are really nasty little guys that most programs don’t even see.

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus 5.5 just earned PC Magazine Editors’ Choice in yesterday’s review. Here’s a quick overview:

“Bottom Line: Cleaning an infested system with this utility can be an adventure, with forced reboots and repeated scans. But the end result–a squeaky-clean system–is decidedly worthwhile. And the software does an excellent job of keeping malware from regaining a foothold in your newly pristine system.”

“Pros: Extremely thorough and accurate cleanup of malware-infested systems. Blocked installation of almost all malware. Updates in the background with no user interaction. “

“Cons: Slow scan and clean of malware-infested systems. Program had problems during scan and clean (all solved by full scan in Safe Mode). No local help system.”

This is a fair assessment of the program. There are sometimes performance issues, but if something has taken control of your system, this program has features to combat a whole gamut of attack methods. If you are attempting to salvage your computer yourself without doing a “factory restore”, you need to download Spyware Doctor 5.5.