A closer look at SpywareBlaster 4.2

SpywareBlaster prevents the installation of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, dialers, browser hijackers, and other potentially unwanted programs. It can also block spyware/tracking cookies in IE, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape, and many other browsers, and restrict the actions of spyware/ad/tracking sites.

SpywareBlaster also includes a System Snapshot feature, which lets you take a snapshot of your computer in its clean state and later revert, undoing many changes made by spyware and browser hijackers.

On the left side of the initial screen you have all the actions:

Current protection status – look down to the Quick Tasks list and choose the option Enable All Protection (for all browsers):

Within each browser, you can configure the protection:

Also, you can configure the block list for restricted sites:

The System Snapshot option creates an “image” of various settings on your system, so if your computer is infected by spyware, or altered in any way, you can restore browser and system settings by loading a saved snapshot:

The various Tools included in Spyware Blaster – change your start page if another program has set in, have backup copies of your Hosts file, kill or block Flash (remember all those annoying ads!) or create a custom list of Active controls you want to block:

SpywareBlaster is free, and so is the manual updating. If you try and eventually like this tool, you will have to pay a small sum if you want the AutoUpdate option. It’s a simple program, not too many bells and whistles. It is a little frustrating that it lacks a spyware removal option – for that, you’ll have to use another program.