chubasco

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Please post your recommendations for the best Spyware and Adware combating /protection applications. I'm currently using:

- Windows XP SP1
- Norton Antivirus
- Zone Alarm firewall
- Ad-aware 6.0

I was considering also using Spybot S&D, but have heard mixed reviews. Would definitely consider purchasing apps if they are consdierably better and are sold by a reputable company.

Any advice appreciated.
 

folken

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I always put the spybot & adaware combo on spyware troubled comps. I've never had any issues with them.
If you really want spyware protection setup a linux machine with a filtering proxy, it works good :)

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>
 

RichPLS

Champion
I run the free versions of both.
Works for me.

_____________________________________________
<font color=red> And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign </font color=red>
 

blah

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No app can handle everything, so in order to do that, you'll have to have every app on planet to handle all the things that are out there.

After trying many softz, I'm using nothing but ZA, AntiVir Guard and Spybot S&D now (all free) and never had any issues while using them (had Blank Page thingy before used any spybots, had to clean it manually, caz no proggy could do it anyway, now using S&D no issues so far). And if you wish to be protected even more, get a Firefox for troubled sites, it will keep your PC protected a little longer, while there are not much things that are written for it yet ;)

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...
 

Jake_Barnes

Splendid
I'll tell you what I use ... then give you a link to a good Secutity Forum "Tutorial":

<A HREF="http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html" target="_new">Spybot-S&D</A>

<A HREF="http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/" target="_new">Ad-Aware SE Personal</A>

<A HREF="http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html" target="_new">SpywareBlaster 3.2</A>

After your d/l and install all 3 - run the updates immediately ... then run the Spybot and Ad-Aware scans ... SpywareBlaster is a "blocker" ...

This is an excellent forum tutorial: <A HREF="http://www.security-forums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14711" target="_new">Groovicus’ Guide to Simple P.C. Security</A>

Good luck ...

Let me add <A HREF="http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/10/17/10-17-150.shtml" target="_new">CWShredder™</A>




<b> ...more people are driven insane through religious hysteria than by drinking alcohol - W.C. Fields </b><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Jake_Barnes on 10/27/04 09:56 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
 

Jake_Barnes

Splendid
It would help if you made your links "clickable", like this:

<A HREF="http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=33&threadid=1346173&enterthread=y" target="_new">Link</A>

You'll find the instructions in the FAQ section on your left > under html ...




<b> ...more people are driven insane through religious hysteria than by drinking alcohol - W.C. Fields </b>
 

Jake_Barnes

Splendid
Just an added note. CWShredder has changed hands, is still free ... so if you are running an older version - update now, d/l the newest version and run ... there are a lot of articles on why out there.



<b> ...more people are driven insane through religious hysteria than by drinking alcohol - W.C. Fields </b>
 

mjjohn

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Both Spybot and Ad-Aware work well, and are free. I started using Spy Sweeper - http://www.webroot.com/products/spysweeper/
a while back and love it. For $30 you get all that the other 2 do plus added protection - "Only Spy Sweeper features Active Shield technology, which stops spyware before it infects your PC. Deep scans root out and quarantine the trickiest programs" as it says in their ad. After running Spy Sweeper I would run the others to double check. The other two would find nothing else infecting the pc. Yes, free is good, but for the more in-depth scanning and the ability to stop the infection before it roots is worth the money.

For it is not what is seen, but what is not seen. :eek:
 

Jake_Barnes

Splendid
Hang on dude ... let's review this tutorial: <A HREF="http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm" target="_new">Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites</A>

I think using a combination of <b>free</b> programs ... and especially adding the <b>free</b> program from Javacool (the SpywareBlaster people) ... will give u excellent protection without spending your $30 ... but it's your money.

<b>My recommendations: Spybot, Ad-Aware SE, SpywareBlaster, SpywareGuard, and CWShredder.</b> I run all of them and haven't had one piece of spyware hit my system in many months ... I may even add "HijackThis!".

But this is what's said about the 2 <b>free</b> javacool products:

SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard are excellent, free programs from JavaCool. I recommend installing and using both, as they protect your computer in different ways. SpywareBlaster "inoculates" your Internet Explorer browser against the installation of unwanted spyware and adware from the internet. SpywareGuard actively monitors your PC and prevents spyware infestations. Both are easy to install and update.
I don't think you need to shell out $30 when <b>Free</b> seems to be working well ...



<b> ...more people are driven insane through religious hysteria than by drinking alcohol - W.C. Fields </b>
 

Jake_Barnes

Splendid
Here's a link to an excellent forum for Spyware and other malware issues and a list of "Tools": <A HREF="http://spywarewarrior.com/viewtopic.php?t=2958" target="_new"> Malware Removal Tools and Programs</A>


<b> ...more people are driven insane through religious hysteria than by drinking alcohol - W.C. Fields </b>
 

RichPLS

Champion
Good posts Jake, but damn, it sux to have to run 6 programs, even tho free, to rid or feel protected from spyware, and that is not even counting your firewall and anti-virus software.
Unbelievable.

BTW, I run SpyBot S&D and LavaSoft Adaware

<font color=red><pre>\\//__________________________________
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>
 

Jake_Barnes

Splendid
Rich, if you want to feel really paranoid, go to <A HREF="http://spywarewarrior.com/index.php" target="_new">Spyware Warrior Forums</A> and read what these "pros" recommend ... my progms are a minimum ...

Edit: I have both a software and hardware (router) firewall ... I'm not paranoid ... am I?





<b> ...more people are driven insane through religious hysteria than by drinking alcohol - W.C. Fields </b>
 

Scotty35

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A lot of programs that you have to pay for have stolen spybot and incorporated into their own. So you are getting the same thing but at cost!
 
If this was a month ago, I'd agree with you. Howver, after multiple runs of Spybot S&D, Ad-Aware SE, Hijack This, CWShredder and virus scans, this one computer STILL would get re-infected and show pop-ups galore. Now, I'm not sure what this particular piece of crapware is, but it is also able to modify the hosts file... even after it has been made read-only. With Spy Sweeper, a single scan found this crapware and removed it permanently (finally).

There is something to be said for paying for software sometimes.

<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>
 

Jake_Barnes

Splendid
Zoron ... I'll keep that in mind should I ever visit such places that I acquire some nasties like you describe ... but so far, I'm spyware/adware clean (100%) for almost 4 months now ... and plan to say that way ... btw, P2P is one of the principal ways you get these things ... but I suspect you know that already ...

(btw - did you disable System Restore before you cleaned before ... a lot of the re-infections come from not cleaning out those things hiding in the restore points you may have on your system ...)



<b> ...more people are driven insane through religious hysteria than by drinking alcohol - W.C. Fields </b>
 

Jake_Barnes

Splendid
/bump


<b>FireFox <A HREF="http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/" target="_new"><font color=red>1.0.2</font color=red></A>: Released ... Just Add <A HREF="http://www.java.com/en/download/help/5000010300.xml" target="_new"><font color=red>Java</font color=red></A></b>
 

TheCh0s3n1

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Feb 9, 2005
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The April 2005 issue of PC World Magazine features an article that is centered around a comparison of ten antispyware programs. CounterSpy and Spy Sweeper led the field in terms of real-time protection and other features. Spybot S&D had the third-best results. The newly acquired AntiSpyware by Microsoft was not included in the comparisons, but was tested nonetheless. Its signatures were the most up-to-date, so it wouldn't have been a fair comparison. This tells me that AntiSpyware comes highly regarded by the PC World author.

One thing to note is that Sunbelt Software's CounterSpy was in a partnership with Giant, the former owner of Microsoft's AntiSpyware. Prior to the change in ownership, a legal agreement between Giant and Sunbelt has resulted in Windows Updates not only updating AntiSpyware, but also CounterSpy. I got this info from the Sunbelt Software website.

Have any of you tried CounterSpy, and what do you think of it? Also, what is your opinion of Microsoft's AntiSpyware?

I myself am currently evaluating this product to see if it is worth my $$$. The pricing actually doesn't seem to be outrageous either. $20 for the first year of update subscriptions, then $9.98 for each additional year of updates. Not a bad deal.

Up till now, I've been using Ad-Aware SE Personal, Spybot S&D 1.3, Spyware Blaster 3.3, and Microsoft AntiSpyware. Additionally, I use Mozilla's Firefox as my default browser and refrain from the "too-good-to-be-true" offers (from websites) that almost always end up placing all sorts of adware/spyware on your computer. Luckily for me, those "FREE" games you play online do not tempt me one bit, so that's another reason my computers rarely ever see spyware.