Trojan cleaning programs

Trojan Cleaning Programs

Trojan cleaning programs are a special breed, separate from antivirus software. Since antivirus software will detect some Trojans, do you need to complicate your life by acquiring, running and maintaining yet another piece of software? Some Trojans are incredibly clever and difficult to root out plus testing has shown that antivirus software has a very spotty record when it comes to identifying them. Lets face it, you wouldn't be reading this page unless you were worried, plus we admit that we are biased. Therefore this site comes down on the side of having anti-Trojan software as well as antivirus software. Luckily, good anti-Trojan software is relatively inexpensive and as Shareware, you can try it before you plunk down your cash.

Features of Trojan cleaning programs that are important

File scanning
Trojans hide in files. Knowing which files are Trojans is obviously key. However, being able to examine compressed files in various formats is an added requirement. Infected files must be deleted even if the file(s) are open or marked as Read only.

Memory scanning
Because a Trojan must be running in memory if it is to act as a back door, it is crucial that the anti-Trojan program be able to identify and kill the process. It must find the Trojan files and delete them and prevent the files from running when the computer is rebooted.

Easy updates of Trojan information
With new Trojans arriving daily, you will need to keep your Trojan definition file updated. Automatically going to the Internet and retrieving the file is ideal.

The option to run the Trojan-checking program when you want is important. Some programs will install themselves in the computer's memory and scan files continuously. Although this may be the highest level of protection, it can also lead to sluggish performance for your computer and instability. If the program produces many false positives (alerts which turn out to be non-Trojan related), you will eventually turn it off.

Well known anti-Trojan software

Free anti-Torjan software
[Ewido][a²][Swat It]

Commercial anti-Trojan programs
[TDS-3][Trojan Hunter][PestPatrol] [Tauscan][BoClean][The Cleaner]

Free anti-Trojan programs

Ewido Security Suite
Ewido is a recommended product for detecting trojans because of its advanced design and effectivness. When you download the trial version of Ewido, you receive the complete package which you can use for 14 days. If you don't sign up and pay, it deactivates some advanced features such as scanning memory and automatic updates. However, it continues to function as a basic anti-Trojan program.
Find it at http://www.ewido.net

a²(a-squared)
a-squared is available as both a free and paid for version. The free version is missing the automatic updates and the memory resident background fulltime scanning. a² provides very fast scanning but is not as effective as the other scanners.
Find it at http://www.emsisoft.com/en/

Swat It Trojan and Bot remover
Swat It is a free anti-Trojan program. They sell a Pro version which has advanced features. The interface is not a standard Windows look but is perfectly usable. One irritation is that you can scan only one drive at a time.
Find it at http://swatit.org/

Commercial anti-Trojan programs

TDS-3 from DiamondCS
TDS-3 is widely regarded as the most capable Trojan detection software. However, it has a quirky, non-Windows standard interface which may make it difficult for the non-expert to use. Therefore, if you intend to buy it, download the trial version first and make sure that you will be comfortable with it.
30 day trial version available. Find it at http://www.diamondcs.com.au/.

Trojan Hunter
Trojan Hunter is a very capable anti-Trojan program. It has a very high success rate, almost as good as TDS-3. In addition, it has a traditional Windows interface making it easy to learn and use. This program is probably the best all around program for most people to use.
30 day trial available for download. Find it at http://www.trojanhunter.com/.

PestPatrol
PestPatrol is unusual for an anti-Trojan program because it includes additional features that its competitors don't. Specifically, it can scan for and remove spyware, adware, keyboard loggers and hacker tools. Although its anti-Trojan capabilities are not quite up to par with TDS-3 or Trojan Hunter, it is nevertheless, very good. This combination of features may make PestPatrol the one-stop program for people who want to maintain their computers in the simplest fashion.
Evaluation software is available for download. The evaluation version will find Trojans and the other pests, but will not remove them. You need the full version for that. Find it at http://www.pestpatrol.com/.

Tauscan
Another anti-Trojan program.
Evaluation software available for download. Find it at http://www.agnitum.com/products/tauscan/.

BoClean
BoClean is a very unusual anti-Trojan tool because it only scans memory for Trojan activity. At this task, it is probably the best of any anti-Trojan program. The developers feel that this is the most important function and all that is needed in an anti-Trojan program. It does not include a file scanner. If a file scanner is important to you, and it probably should be, than this program is not for you.
There is no evaluation software. You can buy the program at http://www.nsclean.com

The Cleaner
Another anti-Trojan program.
Evaluation software available for download. Find it at http://www.moosoft.com/.

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