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I did not have any problems downloading or installing Spybot, and I have never had a conflict running it along with other programs at the same time.

As far as actually using Spybot, I think the user interface could be a little better, but it really isn't too bad.

As far as I recall, the first time I opened it up, it went straight to the options page so that I could change the default settings by checking or unchecking boxes, but I left it just as it was. Along the left side of the window are a series of vertical boxes that contain the main menu options. Just click on those and you will see what they are for in the main window.

Choosing the first option at the top left box will let you run spybot. After you make the choice to scan your files, it will pull up a long list of files, cookies, register entries, etc. The ones marked with RED checks are the ones you need to get rid of. There will also be some marked with a neutral color (can't remember what that is), and some marked with green, which is OK. An example of the ones marked with green are generally tracking programs that are from friendly programs in your computer that are helpful and cannot be accessed by an outsider, like perhaps when you are working in Microsoft Word and you do a "file" "open" command and it shows you the last 5 files you worked on to make it easier for you to find the file you might want to open.

Anyway, I ignore all of the neutral and friendly files and leave all of the red ones checked. Along the bottom of the window there will be more options, including one that says something like "fix problems." Click it and they'll be gone.

Then Spybot will bring you to another page where it will innoculate your computer to prevent it from downloading problem items again. That is new, and Adaware can't do anything like this at all. I can't remember how this page works but I do not remember having any trouble doing it. Seems to me like it warned me that I needed 257 innoculations and it had me press a button that said "innoculate now" (or something like that) and then it had me press another button. But it was fairly easy.

Then, every time you run Spybot, it will remind you to update. It is easy. If it doesn't push you to the update feature after the warning, just go to the "online" option, and click the "update" box, where it will show you all of the updates available since the last time you updated. Check the boxes, click update, and you are good to go. You won't have to reboot your computer or anything.

Good luck!