Smart Scan

The Smart Scan is a fast system check that scans only the most critical sections of your system. The Smart Scan will scan your memory, registry, cookies, favorites, and Hosts file. The directories scanned are Windows, Temp and Program Files. The Smart Scan does not scan archived content.

This scan mode should only be used for daily system maintenance; use this scan if you are sure that your system is clean and you have performed a Full Scan or an in-depth Custom Scan on your main hard drive at least once during the past month. If this is your first scan, you suspect that your system has become infected with suspicious content, or you have used another anti-spyware product prior to installing and using Ad-Aware 2007, we recommend performing a Full Scan.

Full Scan

The Full Scan is an in-depth scan mode that thoroughly scans your entire system including all local drives. We recommend using the Full Scan when you use Ad-Aware 2007 for the first time, and at regular intervals to ensure that your system is clean.

The Full Scan takes longer to scan your system than the Smart Scan, but is more likely to find infections that have been installed on drives other than your main hard disk or in your archives. In addition to the areas scanned during a Smart System Scan, all fixed drives and archive files are also scanned.

Custom Scan

The Custom Scan scans your system using your pre-configured settings. You can customize Ad-Aware 2007 to scan specific sections or directories.