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Best Antispyware Program


Best Antispyware Program  

399 members have voted

  1. 1. Best Antispyware Program

    • Microsoft Antispyware
      59
    • Spybot Search and Destroy
      44
    • Adaware
      58
    • Hitman Pro
      3
    • SpywareBlaster
      5
    • CWShredder
      2
    • Pest Patrol
      3
    • Spyware Doctor
      10


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1. I have not been able to reproduce MSAS "ignoring" the gator spywares.

2. Spywareblaster is awesome of course.

3. I've never had a good experience with Norton's antispyware/internet security line. Even trying to uninstall them they leave crap everywhere, they just put themselves so deep all over the system. After uninstalling there are still startup entries everywhere, services, folders, registry keys, and other craps.

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1. I have not been able to reproduce MSAS "ignoring" the gator spywares.

Did you look at the link I posted? There's a screenshot of it in action here.

As for #3... I said decent in 2002. The whole idea of software like Norton (or other security software) is that you don't uninstall it. You upgrade to the next version (at least that's what Symantec wants). I'll agree that when you do uninstall Norton, for the most part it doesn't do a good job of cleaning up after itself.

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Then there's the problem of "selective cleaning". MS-AS is known to ignore certain companies' spyware. :no:

That's just a false rumor. Microsoft does not contract with spyware companies to make profit and not clean their spyware.

Maybe MSAS doesn't pick up certain spyware, but that isn't because of a secret deal or some other conspiracy theory, it's just because it isn't in their spyware database yet.

EXCALLY :D SEE :angry:

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1. I have not been able to reproduce MSAS "ignoring" the gator spywares.

Did you look at the link I posted? There's a screenshot of it in action here.

The screenshot doesn't mean anything to me if I cannot reproduce its results. It is possible that they have changed that since the screenshot was taken, but nonetheless I cannot reproduce.

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couple of points:

Should spyware blaster really be lumped with the others? its not really a full-blown antispyware program, just a simple first line of defense.... theres not much point in rating it since its the best at what it does, since NOTHING can get by it if theres an entry for it...

Also, has anyone ever tried using PIX firewall? I havent had much time to fiddle with mine, but i notice that there seems to be content filtering on it, including activex and java, as well as webpage filtering....its entirely possible, from what ive seen, that it could perform at least as well as spywareblaster in keeping out spyware... (non-bundled, that is)

On topic, I once tried MSAS and compared to PestPatrol, AdAware, and Spybot, and found that MSAS had some shortcomings....ie, unable to halt a scan without losing results

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The screenshot doesn't mean anything to me if I cannot reproduce its results. It is possible that they have changed that since the screenshot was taken, but nonetheless I cannot reproduce.

Hmm... maybe I'll have to fire up VMware this weekend and see if I can reproduce it... to be honest, I haven't tried it myself, but considering that I've heard this from several different sources, I figured that it was worth mentioning. I'll let you all know how it goes.
Should spyware blaster really be lumped with the others? its not really a full-blown antispyware program, just a simple first line of defense.... theres not much point in rating it since its the best at what it does, since NOTHING can get by it if theres an entry for it...

Absolutely! Anti-spyware does not just mean spyware removal. Most anti-virus programs are used to prevent viruses from ever infecting the computer in the first place, and secondly used to clean off an already infected computer. I'm sure you can see the parallel here.
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Should spyware blaster really be lumped with the others? its not really a full-blown antispyware program, just a simple first line of defense.... theres not much point in rating it since its the best at what it does, since NOTHING can get by it if theres an entry for it...

Absolutely! Anti-spyware does not just mean spyware removal. Most anti-virus programs are used to prevent viruses from ever infecting the computer in the first place, and secondly used to clean off an already infected computer. I'm sure you can see the parallel here.

I think this is comparing apples to oranges. You need to compare things that do the same things like MS Anti-Spyware, Ad-Aware, Spybot, Spysweeper, etc. or SpywareBlaster, IE-SpyAd, Spybot (immunization function), etc.

Right now you have to layer your protection anyway, since none of them detect or prevent 100%.

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Personally I think they all pretty much suck. I have a hard time knocking Spybot and SpywareBlaster too much since they're free and have an admittedly limited application. Microsoft's app, seems to me based on experience, the best at detecting and removing what's already there, but as someone already mentioned above it's a resource HOG. I mean that's supposed to be one of the downsides to spyware.. that it chews up resources. Precisely the same thing MS's app is doing.

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  • 2 weeks later...

In order of preference, here is what I recommend:

  1. Webroot Spysweeper 4.5
  2. Spybot Search & Destroy v1.4
  3. TrojanHunter v4.2
  4. BPS Spyware Remover v8 (I dont like v9's interface - too wanky)

Then run RegSupreme Pro afterwards to clean out registry.

I have found that this combo removes 99.9% of all spyware crap, and that SpySweeper & SpyBot prevent further infestations very well.

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  • 3 weeks later...
U kno this is a never ending argument, everyone has there pros and cons and there almost all the same except for the layout. so lets just agree to disagree ;) but if i had to vote i'm totally in love with MS Antispy :wub:

There we go.

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I'd say this topic is finished. Although, I thought I would mention a little app called Stinger.exe. My college A+ instructor mentioned it to the class. It doesn't remove a lot of bad stuff, but the quantity isn't what's important for this one. It removes some of the baddest bitches, apparently.

Edited by Jeremy
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