Spybot – Search & Destroy (S&D) is a spyware and adware removal computer program compatible with Microsoft Windows.

Dating back to the first Adwares in 2000, Spybot scans the computer hard disk and/or RAM for malicious software.

In addition to spyware and adware detection and disinfection, Spybot-S&D can repair the registry, winsock LSPs, ActiveX objects, browser hijackers and BHOs, PUPs, HTTP cookies, trackerware, heavy duty, homepage hijackers, keyloggers, LSP, tracks, trojans, spybots, revision, and other kinds of malware.

Spybot-S&D was not originally intended to replace but complement anti-virus programs (prior to v. 2.1 'Spybot +AV'), but it does detect some common trojans and rootkits.

Antivirus professional Mary Landesman suggests a possible explanation may stem from a graphical glitch in TeaTimer module's confirmation dialog.

An official explanation from Safer Networking[15] stated that the error was caused by a bug in the program used to build their code.

The result of the bug was that users had difficulty enabling Norton Internet Security to make necessary changes to critical registry areas, such as allowing itself to launch on computer startup.

[16] Incompatibility between the products might occur when Spybot S&D tries to modify the hosts-file (if selected by the user during immunization), which Kaspersky will interpret as an attempt to harmfully manipulate the file.

Trend Micro Officescan followed Norton, Kaspersky and McAfee in simply removing Spybot without warning or notification afterwards.

[17] The immunisation feature of Spybot – Search & Destroy caused Internet Explorer 8 to start slower than expected.