MS AntiSpyware vs Ad-Aware vs SpyBot

[Lare2]

Realtime protection is what gets my ettention out of thisif it stays free. But if they plan to charge for it, I'll prefer to invest in Spy Sweeper

[Raven]

You have to pay for Microsoft Antispyware yet it still requires other programs to 'finish the job'. Microsoft needs to post that puppy for free until they get the bugs out of the program and all the hackers figure out how to use it to install spyware (like they do with Media player).

[IAIHMB]

Microsoft Antispyware 1.0 Beta is free, no paying involved. Microsoft didn't create this program, Giant did, so you probably won't see as many vulnerabilities.

[Mastertech]

Mastertech, I thinks it well known that all the paid ones detect more than spybot and adaware. Don?t get me wrong I am not trashing spybot and adaware, I have said this in other post, spybot and adaware is must have then if you choose buy one.

Really? Anti-Spyware Testing. I think you are really misled that a large database gaurantees better detection. Paying for spyware remover programs is a waste of time and unnecessary if you know what you are doing.

[redfish]

This is the truth. I give specific advice in my Guide on how to prevent Spyware. Once completed you will get nothing more then Cookies with IE, unless of course you like to click on ads.  ;)

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Yes, mostly the same with me, I use IE without getting spyware... but once you have spyware once, it seems hard to return your system to a pure state. Because a spyware/adware program will often open your system up to a lot of other spyware programs. On one of my computers, I didn't start being careful about clicking dialogs until I found out about spyware/adware, which didn't really exist so much a decade ago. I cleaned the computer of it, and running IE more conscientiously or running Firefox I don't a lot of spyware--- once in a while maybe every month or so a spyware program appears again on my computer that I have to remove.

Microsoft deserves credit at least in that now GIANT's software will be used more; not many people knew about GIANT AntiSpyware, and Microsoft distributing it will make it more popular

[thunderrooster]

Yes that test 5 shows adaware picking up more than some of the paid ones that cost. But test one shows some of the paid ones picking up more so does test 3 lol. And that flexbeta test showed that ms antispyware picked up more than spybot and adaware. Plus them test on spywarewarrior didnt include trojans worms and keyloggers. I like any product that has all this in their database http://research.pestpatrol.com/WhitePapers/Glossary.asp I never said it guarantees better detection, just that them paid has a larger database and includes stuff that spybot and adaware doesnt check for. And I have always said spybot and adaware is a must have and if you have the money and want to buy one go buy one. Yes I agree with you if you know what you are doing you usually dont have to worry but anyone can make a mistake and most people dont even know what software contains spyware cause they dont read the eula for everything they install or goto the wrong site and get some crap from the website.

[Mastertech]

The Spyware warrior test is a much better test then flexbetas, it is more throrough and accurate. Spyware removers that artificially inflate themselves with Trojan and Keylogger detections are not accurate either. Those should be removed with Antivirus software. This would make sense why the database numbers look better then they are on the paid ones.

[thunderrooster]

I agree that antivirus should remove the trojans but they miss sometimes so you have backup just in case. But when it comes to keyloggers and other monitoring software antivirus products dont catch some cuase from what I have seen and read some is considered not a bad thing not a threat or infection. I think it is good that keyloggers and trojans are listed in their database. even spy sweeper detects them http://www.webroot.com/spywareinformation/spywaredefined/

Spyware comes in many forms including adware, keyloggers, Trojans, system monitors, browser hijackers, and dialers. It ranges from benign - adware tracking cookies, which let online companies to track your activities on a Web site and tailor pop-up advertising messages based on your choices - to more nefarious spyware programs like Trojans, keyloggers and system monitors, which are capable of capturing keystrokes, online screenshots, and personally identifiable information like your social security number, bank account numbers, logins and passwords, or credit card numbers.

Even spybot detects some trojans and keyloggers http://www.safer-networking.org/en/dictionary/index.html

I havent seen any product that detects all the different type of spyware thats is listed here. Thats what I meant by more.

[Mastertech]

Good certified AntiVirus programs do not miss any Trojans. So wether or not a spyware remover program catches these is irrelevant. There are alot of Trojan programs that have nothing to do with Spyware/Malware and artificially inflating your database with AntiVirus definitions does not mean your application detects more spyware. PestPatrol takes alot of liberties and adds in detection for Trojans that are not spyware/malware related. It is like saying my AV program and Ad-aware detect more things then any of them, it is a stupid argument. What matters is wether or not the program detects spyware/malware that the AV programs do not classify as Viruses ect... Adaware and Spybot do this fine and better then PestPatrol and Spysweeper.

The link I posted for the test was the most accurate because it used the latest definitions if you ran the test with the most current definitions you would see roughly the same ratio.

The bottom line is you do not need to pay for spyware removal programs.

[Slimy]

Good certified AntiVirus programs do not miss any Trojans. So wether or not a spyware remover program catches these is irrelevant.

The bottom line is you do not need to pay for spyware removal programs.

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EXACTLY. :yes:

[syntax01010]

I've tried out a few of the various spy/ad removing apps that charge a fee to use and to update, and have also tried most of the free variations that are out there. What i've found, is that occasionaly, the more costly apps do find one or two things the free aps leave behind. However, if those are nothing more than false positives I can't say for certain.

In the end, much like with a variety of other types of software, a lot of it comes down to the point of cost. Why pay for it? That is the real question. Spyware Doctor by PC Tools, and WebRoot's Spysweeper are two classic examples of where you have to not only pay for the software itself, but also pay to access updates. This, sadly, is a trend that the makers of anti-virus aps are starting to follow. They need to read their history books.

It was tried originally, to charge people for updates to antivirus detections. It failed horribly, and the companies that offered users no other option, quickly lost their customers and ended up out of business back in the 80's/early 90's.

No one is going to pay for what they can get for free, and much like in the case of anti-virus apps, there are pleanty of free adware/spyware definitions on the net you can get access to for updating your protection. It has also been proven lately, that the "BIG two" antivirus apps, i.e. Norton and McAfee have some rather large holes in their detection capabilities that a variety of freeware apps catch. Both AntiVir anti-virus and AVG personal anti-virus(both free) have been shown to catch, block, and remove more than either Norton or McAfee's products.

Much is the same when it concerns spyware/adware apps. I personaly like the idea of the Hitman product, of combing several different apps into one, but again, it isn't released in english, and is technicly an illegal product, due to the fact it makes use of combining several commerical products without the license to do so.

If any programmer is able to put together an application for free personal and commerical use, that offers frequent and free updates via the internet to detection/blocking lists, that is able to combine the effectiveness of Ad-Aware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Spyware Blaster, and either AVG or AntiVir anti-virus all into a single app, the others will probably all end up going out of business due to lack of sales.

I also think the idea of combining an anti-virus and anti-spyware/anti-adware propgram makes some good sense. The reason? Take a look at some of the latest CWS(Cool Web Search) spyware variants. They behave very much like a virus. They can change, i.e. morph themselves, into versions that are just different enough from what spyware apps detect to either avoid detection or to simple reinfect your system once the originals are removed. This is why I also think a good registry cleaning app along the lines of Registry Medic or Registry Mechanic, should be added as well. Most anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-adware products will clean the base infection, but do nothing to remove the the variety of registry changes these malicious programs leave all over your system. This ends up making it twice as likely that you will get re-infected all over again.

One thing that could help this is simple, educate consumers and computer users. If we could somehow put aside petty differences(which sadly still exist on the internet in far too many places), and present a united front to these companies that are creating and releasing these malicious applications on the internet, and simply hit them where it counts the most, i.e. the pocketbook, and refuse to buy their products until they cease doing so, you'd see spyware dissapear from the net very very quickly.

[insanekiwi]

don't resurrect such old threads. i don't like ms antispyware either, big bulky and it messed up my pc.

[Slimy]

No one is going to pay for what they can get for free

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ahem, norton

[Mastertech]

The pay spyware programs find nothing more then the free ones find with an ICSA cerrtified antivirus program. Whether or not an antivirus or spyware removal program leaves registry entries behind has nothing to do with the likely hood of reinfection.

[at0mican]

Not surprised the Microsoft product won out at the end of the review - it was after all GIANT softwares product.

[L3thal Veteran]

Not surprised the Microsoft product won out at the end of the review - it was after all GIANT softwares product.

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Indeed it was, but not many people used it before because it wasn't known. Now that Microsoft purchased it, everyone is using it, or just about everyone.

[thunderrooster]

Mastertech give you a example you can try it out to see what results you get. All these programs are updated and did a scan today. Mcafee home edition v9 adaware and spybot didnt detect this keylogger http://www.bosseveryware.com/ Spyweeper and msantispyware(giant) did. And mcafee is ICSA certified.

[Mastertech]

That is because Bosseverywhere is not a keylogger or something that is installed as a Trojan, Virus or Spyware, it is an application either you or an administrator would install. MS Antispyware also detects VNC which is remote connect software that the user has to install. These are not malicious programs, you don't get Bosseverywhere via a bad email or bundled through some download. It is like detecting Remote Assitance is enable in XP, big deal.

BTW MS Antispyware detects Kazaalite as Spyware. These programs produce a lot of false positives.

[thunderrooster]

They can be if someone else puts them on your computer and uses them without your knowledge. So there you go there is one that the free ones cant detect and that is ICSA certified.

[Mastertech]

Hello! ICSA certification does not detect applications that are not malicious. Any ICSA certified program is not going to detect things like remote connect software such as VNC, PC Anywhere ect... or Boss Anywhere which is something you install. ICSA certification has nothing to do with normal applications.

[thunderrooster]

Well I have proven my point there is stuff at least on thing the free ones cant detect nor a ICSA certified antivirus can detect and paid ones like spysweeper can. You look around on the net and ask them people that got thier passords stolen cuase of vnc or cuase of keylogger and ask them if they would or wouldnt have like to known about it. Tell you what let me install one of them on your computer and sit there and do nothing cuase it dont matter that someone has them programs on your computer right and let me have fun. I think I got my point across. If one of them program gets installed withour you knowledge then you should know how is spying and keep tracking of you.

[DreAming in DigITal]

Sweet...I just ran MS Antispy and found 5 entries that spysweeper and adaware SE didn't find

[Mastertech]

Well I have proven my point there is stuff at least on thing the free ones cant detect nor a ICSA certified antivirus can detect and paid ones like spysweeper can. You look around on the net and ask them people that got thier passords stolen cuase of vnc or cuase of keylogger and ask them if they would or wouldnt have like to known about it. Tell you what let me install one of them on your computer and sit there and do nothing cuase it dont matter that someone has them programs on your computer right and let me have fun. I think I got my point across. If one of them program gets installed withour you knowledge then you should know how is spying and keep tracking of you.

You didn't prove anything other them you don't understand the difference between malicous programs and administrative applications. The only way administrative applications get installed is for someone to PHYSICALLY install them on your PC, they don't just "appear" People need administrative access to do these things. These are not programs people get via infected, emails, downloads, file sharing or any of the other real problems. These are programs, some of which you can BUY. You can buy PC Anywhere in the store so does this mean Spysweeper is a better antispyware program because it says it is installed??? Your whole argument is laughable.

Again MSAntispyware will sometimes find useless entries for applications that are no longer installed on your system. This does not mean your infected.

[thunderrooster]

Whatever Mastertech what I say still is true if someone installs one of them programs on your computer and dont tell you thats a security risk and something I would like to know about. That has actually happened before and if that person had one of them programs he wouldnt have had his passwords changed and someone in his computer doing what they wanted. Antispyware products are suppose to let you know of monitoring programs and a program that gives you control of another computer and that person doesnt know is considered not good what so ever. If you know its there then ignore it, if you dont then you can figure out whats going on. Thats why they probably list it, cuase they dont know if you know its installed or not and letting you know about it.

[mufdvr3669]

Well I have proven my point there is stuff at least on thing the free ones cant detect nor a ICSA certified antivirus can detect and paid ones like spysweeper can. You look around on the net and ask them people that got thier passords stolen cuase of vnc or cuase of keylogger and ask them if they would or wouldnt have like to known about it. Tell you what let me install one of them on your computer and sit there and do nothing cuase it dont matter that someone has them programs on your computer right and let me have fun. I think I got my point across. If one of them program gets installed withour you knowledge then you should know how is spying and keep tracking of you.

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No spyware removal program is perfect. Just because you pay for a program doesn't make it any better, just assures you that your gonna be out some money. Using the MS AntiSpyware, Spybot, and Ad-Aware will remove almost everything you need. If you want to pay an extra $30, get SpySweeper which is a very good program, it probably isn't necessary to most people.