That's because everything you've been told about free spyware removers - that they work just as good as paid software, that they offer sufficient real time protection, that you can use two or three free tools and remove all spyware from your computer just the same as if you used one paid tool - is a lie.

But it's what you haven't been told that is the most important distinction between free antispyware programs and paid programs, and that is the huge difference in detection methods.

Almost all free software uses outdated and ineffective scanning methods. They simply look over your folders and files and look for abnormalities, unknown files, or files that might have changed recently and then in future scans they rely on historical observation of those same files and folders to determine if a spyware infection is present.

The problem with this type of scanning methodology is that the program simply doesn't really know whether or not the files it has pegged are, in fact, spyware. While they do get it right a majority of the time, you will also frequently see false positives - meaning that a file that it thinks is spyware is actually a legitimate file. This is primarily because by partly relying on simply seeing file changes, the software sometimes views updates and service pack files that are applied to your operating system or applications as spyware only because the file has changed, disregarding the fact that the file should have in fact changed.

The other major problem that free spyware removers face is simply a lack of effectiveness. Spyware has become increasingly dynamic in nature and therefore can embed or hide itself within files and folders very easily, avoiding the simplistic scanning of free tools.

A far better option when looking for top antispyware programs is to look for tools that scan your computer against a spyware database which is kept up to date by a team of technical programmers. This is why it is worth it to pay $30 for spyware removal software because that money is used to pay those programmers to keep their spyware database maintained and up to date. This is important because you are ensured that you are protected against even the most recent spyware threats that have only become active within days or sometimes hours.

Additionally, scanning against a database is a much more effective method of scanning because each file on your computer is compared against spyware definitions, or actual inactive spyware files, to determine an infection rather than relying on simple observation.

So the next time someone tells you that free spyware removal tools such as Search and Destroy or Windows Defender are adequate to clean your computer, you can tell them that you've been told the truth about free antispyware software and that they're much better off investing a mere $30 to keep their computer clean.