Best free spyware/adware protection programs?

You probably have the two best "free" apps now.

But I would run them weekly.

Go see this link:

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/software/Free-Links-ftop...

Good stuff there - and a lot depends on the browser you are using. (Firefox ... hint)

Especially if you are using IE ... download SpywareBlaster 3.5.1 ... it's a passive blocker. What it does is installs Kill Bits in your Registry - that blocks the installation of malicious Active X programs (and prevents programs already installed from running). It now offers support for Firefox. It requires zero resources - it's not a running application (hence, passive).

I consider SpywareBlaster a must have!

Basically, if you use SBSD and SpywareBlaster and update regularly, you should be ok.
And maybe scan your computer once every 3 weeks with MS AntiSpy, Ad-Aware, A-Squared, or similar.