Ad-Aware & Spybot

mrsausages

I have the free (and often updated) versions of both Spybot and Ad-Aware installed on my PC, which I run at least once a week. I have a dial up conection (56k) with the Yahoo pop-up blocker running. Despite this I get three or four pop-ups coming up within a couple of minutes each time I connect. I have three questions:

1. Is there any other free software around which may get the things that Spybot and Ad-Aware are not?

2. Am I going to have to accept that if I want to get rid of them I may have to pay for something? (first post on a money saving website and it could cost me money?)

3. My standard reaction is simply to close them down as soon as they appear. Is this the best thing to be doing?

I would appreciate any thoughts.

LincsLad_3

1. Yes - see below.
2. No. The options below are free.
3. Yes.



Have you tried the Google toolbar, which is an efficient pop-up blocker?

Or Firefox, which is probably the best blocker I have yet seen.

Debt_Free_Chick

Which OS and browser are you using? If XP and IE, then make sure you've downloaded all the Windows Updates, as this will install a pop-up blocker for IE.

IIRC, the pop-up blocker was part of SP2. If you've not upgraded to SP2 yet, you need to think about doing so as future Windows Updates will be dependent on you having SP2 installed.

HTH

sra

Have a look at Microsoft Anti-spyware beta

Only been out for a few months (in this form) so the jury is still out on how good it is.

It may not be free when they roll out the full version

I've linked to download.com so you can read the user reviews. Clicking their link takes you through to the microsft download page.

XYZed

they sound to me like they could be windows messenger pop ups? If they appear in the middle of your screen, in a box, check the title bar of the box. If its a windows messenger pop-up, you can just turn off windows messenger service. If you are running XP:

How to Disable Messenger popups...
1... Click on the Start button then Settings then open the Control Panel
2... Double click on the Administrative Tools icon.
3... Then in the window that opens double click on the Services icon.
4... In the right pane of the window that just popped up, find Messenger and double click it.
5... Set it to manual then push the stop putton.

HTH

Zed

andy88_2

sra555 wrote:

Have a look at Microsoft Anti-spyware beta

Only been out for a few months (in this form) so the jury is still out on how good it is.

It may not be free when they roll out the full version

I think it's been announced that the Microsoft Anti-Spyware will remain free at the end of the beta period (July). Reviews say it is very good.

Something I've just read today that I don't like is that its idea of preventing browser hijack is to default revert everything back to MS products eg MSN, etc. I haven't looked a bit deeper yet to see if this is an option or mandatory. I'm wondering if this would cause conflicts with other products that prevent browser hijack.

Katgoddess

Definitely take a look at Firefox browser. :T

sra

andy88 wrote:

I haven't looked a bit deeper yet to see if this is an option or mandatory. I'm wondering if this would cause conflicts with other products that prevent browser hijack.

I run the scan sometimes but i don't use all the options. The reverting to default isn't madatory (though i can't remember the defaults - maybe I set it up not to)

The problem I had was that I couldn't get the thing to stay off. No matter how I configured it - and how many times I told it not to activate at startup - it always popped up and I had to close it.

andy88_2

sra555 wrote:

I run the scan sometimes but i don't use all the options. The reverting to default isn't madatory (though i can't remember the defaults - maybe I set it up not to)

The problem I had was that I couldn't get the thing to stay off. No matter how I configured it - and how many times I told it not to activate at startup - it always popped up and I had to close it.

Thanks. I haven't downloaded the MS one yet. I was half-reading an article in PCAdvisor mag.

backflip

I never get any problems when I check my system with Ad Aware and Spybot mainly because I use Firefox but much more because I've got Sandboxie installed. I think I've mentioned this before but basically it is a temporary folder (the 'Sandbox') which is created each time I browse which attracts EVERYTHING that wants to penetrate my system, this includes spyware, cookies, registry changes and recently AVG flashed that I'd got a virus while I was browsing, but thanks to Sandboxie the virus was contained within the 'sandbox' which is deleted anyway once the browsing session ends. So far it hasn't failed me and I'm delighted with it, I wouldn't surf without it now. The only time I don't use it is when I want to download because that too would end up in the 'sandbox' and couldn't be retrieved.
https://www.sandboxie.com.

damski_2

Dont forget to install "pop up stopper"

again its a free download from

http://www.panicware.com/product_psfree.html

enjoy