Best FREE Anti-spyware software?

intel

msdl28712 wrote:

AVG is excellent in my opinion

Hi there.

AVG is good as you say, but its an Antivirus program, and thats different from a Anti Adware Scumware tool like Adware or MS Anti Spyware or Spy Bot Search and destroy.


Antivirus (or "anti-virus") software is a class of program that searches your hard drive and floppy disks for any known or potential viruses

Scumware is a collective term for various forms of intrusive and/or destructive computer software including, but not limited to, computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, AdWare, Spyware, or even software that has legitimate uses but which violates privacy or is obnoxious or intrusive in some way, such as RealPlayer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scumware

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antivirus

tigermatt

The following are the programs I recommend for security: (Not just Anti-Spyware)

• AVG Free Edition (Anti Virus) http://free.grisoft.com/
• Sypbot - Search and Destroy (Anti-Spyware) http://www.safernetworking.org/
• Ad-Aware SE Personal (Anti-Spyware). Website: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ Download here: http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10399602.html?tag=lst-0-2
  There is a free version and a version you can buy - I use the free one and it works well for me.
• ZoneAlarm Firewall: http://www.zonelabs.com/ Download here: http://download.zonelabs.com/bin/free/1230_zl/zlsSetup_61_737_000_en.exe

I would recommend running Microsoft Anti-Spyware as well as having a few anti-spyware programs is good because one will pick up anything that the other doesn't detect, and some do different detections to others. Don't have two anti-virus programs though as this causes conflict.

Toxteth_OGrady

zincoxide wrote:

to ease your obviously paranoid mind.

No need to get personal. :mad:

I was not trying to flame you I was merely asking how you supported your claim. Now I know it's based on a sample size of one.

Perhaps you may have been better to have stated something along the lines of: "In my experience I have only ever needed two, Spybot S & D and Adaware, and I have never had a problem."

You may wish to run these two through google and/or read the reviews

I do not need to Google, I am fully aware of their capabilities. In fact PC Pro magazine ran a lab test on anti-spyware in the Nov 05 issue. It may surprise you to learn that, based on detection rate success, two of the bottom three products were Spybot and Adaware!

The full results base on %age successful detection were:

1. Spyware Doctor 3.2 - 94%

2. Counterspy - 88%

3. Spy Sweeper 4 - 82%

4. Steganos - 76%

5. M$ Antispyware - 67%

6. Trend Micro - 61%

7. Spybot S & D - 56%

8. Adaware SE - 48%

9. Spy Cleaner 38%

:cool:

TOG

Bernie

...is my favourite. :j

Being the family PC "geek", just because I know a bit more about them, I get to sort out PC's for the extended family. I've installed all the usual free stuff mentioned above in all the family's PCs.

Dad-in-Law got infected with spyware that none of the usual programs could deal with. I downloaded the trial version of Spyware Doctor (SD) from PC tools which found and boasted it could remove them - but wouldn't without registration. Being a firm "try-it-first" type, I "borrowed" a serial number from the web. It worked a treat! We were impressed so, out with Dad's credit card, registered the software properly and obtained access the regular updates. SD continues to do the job more effectively than all the freebies put together.

When I got home, I repeated the exercise on our PCs, found additional spyware onboard that the pile of protection we had installed had not stopped. I followed Dad with the credit card!

Software companies, PC Tools in particular, you'd do better to give people time-limited software to let potential customers try the stuff for real.

zincoxide

Toxteth_OGrady wrote:

No need to get personal. :mad:

I was not trying to flame you I was merely asking how you supported your claim. Now I know it's based on a sample size of one.

Perhaps you may have been better to have stated something along the lines of: "In my experience I have only ever needed two, Spybot S & D and Adaware, and I have never had a problem."



I do not need to Google, I am fully aware of their capabilities. In fact PC Pro magazine ran a lab test on anti-spyware in the Nov 05 issue. It may surprise you to learn that, based on detection rate success, two of the bottom three products were Spybot and Adaware!

The full results base on %age successful detection were:

1. Spyware Doctor 3.2 - 94%

2. Counterspy - 88%

3. Spy Sweeper 4 - 82%

4. Steganos - 76%

5. M$ Antispyware - 67%

6. Trend Micro - 61%

7. Spybot S & D - 56%

8. Adaware SE - 48%

9. Spy Cleaner 38%

:cool:

TOG

djohn2002uk

Here we go again.
One poster with far less knowledge than another can't accept the fact without slinging insults around.

Further to TOGs quote from PCPRO which I'd read too, PCAdvisor now tend to recomend MSAntispyware over and above Adaware and Spybot.

My way of beating everything is to keep Spybot teatimer running along with Spyware Guard and Spyware Blaster, backed up by a scan with Spybot, Adaware and MSAntispyware occationally.

This appears to keep me free.

StephenB_2

I use IE-spyad, described here (and I wish the description was better). Basically, it adds a long list of dodgy web sites to the 'restricted' area of internet explorer, thus greatly reducing their abilities to install stuff on your PC. Oh, hang on

IE-SPYAD adds a long list of sites and domains associated with known advertisers, marketers, and crapware pushers to the Restricted sites zone of Internet Explorer. Once you merge this list of sites and domains into the Registry, the web sites for these companies will not be able to use cookies, ActiveX controls, Java applets, or scripting to compromise your privacy or your PC while you surf the Net. Nor will they be able to use your browser to push unwanted pop-ups, cookies, or auto-installing programs on your PC.

It massively reduces the number of unwanted cookies for Ad-aware/spybot etc to clear out.

It's freeware.

SJB

EDIT: it's in the list of things on the page referenced by pchelpman - I missed that before.

zincoxide

djohn2002uk wrote:

Here we go again.
One poster with far less knowledge than another can't accept the fact without slinging insults around.

Further to TOGs quote from PCPRO which I'd read too, PCAdvisor now tend to recomend MSAntispyware over and above Adaware and Spybot.

My way of beating everything is to keep Spybot teatimer running along with Spyware Guard and Spyware Blaster, backed up by a scan with Spybot, Adaware and MSAntispyware occationally.

This appears to keep me free.

Do you stick your nose in where it isn't wanted all the time or just at the end of the year?

What is your malfunction? I've been using PC's for years, repairing them for the same length of time and have built several hundred of them - now I have recommended software for the user and given my opinion - the further post with the bag over the head admits that I perhaps shouldn't have posted in the way I did the first time. But you should keep your nose out.

intel

zincoxide wrote:

Do you stick your nose in where it isn't wanted all the time or just at the end of the year?

He does it all the time im afraid :rotfl:


Right then wheres my handbag

djohn2002uk

Didn't think I mentioned any names but if the cap fits etc.