It is really weird to see a flood of desktop anti-spyware software elude while U3 flash drive compatible applications are very few in number. I believe this situation is partially accounted for malicious antispyware designed with the sole purpose to imitate legit Windows security applications. With U-free USB devices it is difficult to execute malicious code on a constant basis because hackers want spyware loaded every time Windows starts, which cannot be ensured in case with a flash drive-based application.
The more pleasant it is to have a professional portable anti spyware developed specially for happy owners of U3 capable drives (branded by SanDisk, Kingston, Memorex, Intenso and other world-renowned manufacturers). Xoftspy was the first application designed for U3 drives, and remains a very useful utility till now.
What’s the beauty of having an anti-spyware loaded onto U3 flash drive?

1. If you ever had experience with bootable CD-ROMs then you certainly remember how much time it takes to prepare all files for burning, then the burn process itself, then restarting… and each time you need a scan from CD-ROM, you have to follow the steps anew to update antivirus and antispyware definitions. With a U3 version of Xoftspy, it takes about 3 minutes to insert the flash drive into USB port, run Xoftspy, perform update and you’re ready to scan.
2. A little U3 drive is certainly more convenient to walk with, plus it can store all kinds of files. While it is easy to scratch the surface of a CD, flash drives are more reliable and protected against physical damage.
3. Xoftspy portable runs under normal Windows GUI, so you don’t have to work in DOS-like environment without mouse support. Great for novice PC users!
4. It is a very lightweight application that takes less than 10 megabytes of space on USB drive. Desktop software can require up to ten times more space!
5. Xoftspy can be run on a computer badly infected with Trojans, keyloggers, adware, and all kinds of spyware beasts. The software detects and eliminates all of them.
6. There’s a Restore feature that keeps profiles of infected files and can be used to revert the cured infections to their original state. Hence, the registry change can be undone any time.
7. Anti-malware database updates are issued on a weekly basis, and with “Automatic Update” feature enabled new spyware definitions are downloaded and installed as soon as there’s a web connection available.

However, it is not always suitable for using. Xoftspy portable cannot be run under Safe Mode. If Windows cannot be started at all because of spyware modules cluttering memory, there’s no other way out except loading security software from a bootable compact disk. Also, consider the price; to construct a bootable CD, you have a variety of free PC security software names like AVG, Avast!, SpyBot Search & Destroy, Spyware Blaster, Lavasoft Ad-aware, etc. But if you value the convenience and ease of use, I recommend that you have a look at Xoftspy hubpage where I describe my experience with this handy anti spyware.

About The Author:

Head over to read the extensive review of Xoftspy portable anti spyware for flashdrives by Paretologic.
Kelly Wright is a PC management and data protection consultant who publishes articles about Internet security and Windows-based computers’ maintenance.