What AntiSpyware are you using...??

Freedom777 · #1 07-08-2008, 08:51 PM

Hey Folks, I'm in the need of a good antispyware program and wondered of those of you that are more technically inclined what you're using to keep prying eyes at bay...

I've got pop-ups coming from all directions and I need HELP !

newbieguitarmaker · #2 07-08-2008, 08:53 PM

I use 2, to be extra safe. Ad-Aware and Spybot

Distantshore · #3 07-08-2008, 09:00 PM

I use Ad-Aware, Superantispyware, and then usually scan with Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware scanner.

IbanezFreak777 · #4 07-08-2008, 09:34 PM

Windows Defender is free for legit Windows owners direct from microsoft....

Lefty Robb · #5 07-08-2008, 10:24 PM

ad-aware and spybot plus all the add ons to Firefox has meant 0 issues for well over 2 years.

CosmicDebris · #6 07-08-2008, 10:31 PM

None, nada, zip, and Zilch. I don't run any Anti-Virus either. Been doing it this way for 3yrs. I am just very careful where I go. That stuff slows down my aging computer too much. I use web based email which scans incomming and I know what every process running is for.

All my important data is on a seperate HD so if anything were to happen I don't lose anything.

Freedom777 · #7 07-08-2008, 10:34 PM

Thanks for the pointers everyone. I've downloaded the Ad-Aware program and although it's found 85 items, none were threatening. Whatever it is in my computer has deactivated my Windows Security Alerts Updates and no matter how I try it won't allo me to turn it on. I'm going to try the Windows Defender to see what happens...
I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks again.

Val

Lefty Robb · #8 07-08-2008, 10:40 PM

Well Ad-aware isn't going to fix the damage thats already been done, plus it sounds more like a virus than adware to me, since adware doesn't usually change settings, just bog your computer down with crap to make it run slow.. Try AVG anti-virus as well.

Dee · #9 07-08-2008, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmicDebris

None, nada, zip, and Zilch. I don't run any Anti-Virus either. Been doing it this way for 3yrs. I am just very careful where I go.

Same here, except I haven't used AV or anti-spyware for 4 or 5 years. People say to me "well, you must know nothing about computers", then I tell them that not only am I a system builder but I also used to run a tech help site for people with spyware problems.

To the original poster, stick with the easy-to-use stuff such as Ad-aware for now, it should remove most mild spyware infections. If you have nasty spyware problems, download HijackThis and post a scan log to a website such as Wilders Security to get it analyzed.

HijackThis: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download5554.html

Wilders: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f26/

Lastly, use Firefox browser and install any extensions (plugins) that you think you might need. http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/

Freedom777 · #10 07-08-2008, 11:29 PM

Wow, thanks guys for all this help...

I've never been a fan of the Anti-spyware thing but it's helped a few times before (I used to use one by Sunbelt) but it seems it's not cutting it anymore. I ran the update for Ad-aware and ran it again and it found MalWare on the laptop but even after removing it, I still have the dreaded pop ups...

I've got McAfee antiVirus courtesy of Comcast internet....what do you think...?? It's constantly updating and it's alerted me and removed several Trojan attempts...plus it's free...is it worth it?

IbanezFreak777 · #11 07-09-2008, 12:24 AM

Once your operating system starts to play up, like turning off your security, or stopping system restore from working, your better off re- installing windows. It will never be the same again....

**Ayrton** · #12 07-09-2008, 12:43 AM

Spybot and AVG here...

waylay00 · #13 07-09-2008, 02:32 AM

I have Spybot, Ad-Aware, and AVG Free. Never use them though. Just think twice before you click!

I use CCleaner though to help clean up my registry and remove any unwanted temporary files easily. That and a nice defrag every two weeks keep my system running quickly.

Dee · #14 07-09-2008, 03:40 AM

3 freeware maintenance tools I can't do without

CCleaner:
http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds (choose the "slim" build)
CCleaner is great for general junk cleanup. Configure the options and add the "Run CCleaner" option to the recycle bin right-click context menu, then you can run it without opening the program. I run this application many, many times a day, especially after Internet sessions.

Regseeker:
http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm (Delete everything it finds. It creates a backup automatically, should you ever need to use it). This is a very thorough but safe registry cleaner, give it a try. Some people will be surprised how much useless crap this finds. No install is necessary with this application. Download, unzip, and run it from anywhere on your PC.

NTREGOPT (stands for "Windows NT Registry Optimizer" -- this is for Win XP systems):
http://www.snapfiles.com/opinions/NT.../NTRegOpt.html
Compacts the registry. Use after CCleaner and Regseeker, then reboot to activate the compacted registry.

Finally, the most important piece of software on any system is a good firewall (assuming you don't have a router with a hardware firewall built in). I use Sygate, although it's not the free version. For a good free firewall, get Comodo. http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.c..._firewall.html

Dee · #15 07-09-2008, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freedom777

I've got McAfee antiVirus courtesy of Comcast internet....what do you think...?? It's constantly updating and it's alerted me and removed several Trojan attempts...plus it's free...is it worth it?

Yes, if it's removing Trojan's it's worth it. I would recommend anti-virus to anyone who's not sure whether or not they need an anti-virus!

The reason I don't use one is because 1) I am careful -- a big part of Internet security for me is about common sense and knowing what not to click on, and 2) I can wipe out my current operating system installation, reinstall XP and be back to normal within an hour, should I ever get an infection. This includes reinstalling all my programs and making all the tweaks and changes I need. I write my own batch files to perform literally hundreds of tweaks in a single click.

Here' my method:

My main hard drive is 500GB, but there is no need wipe out the entire 500GB every time I want to install XP. The length of time it takes to format a 500GB drive, plus the length of time it would take to back up important data... it starts to get a little bit ridiculous. The way around it is to partition the drive.

My 500GB is split up into 3 parts. The first partition is 7GB. This is more than enough for XP and all the software I need to use. The rest of the drive is split into 2 more partitions: one partition is 128GB which I use for games, and the other partition is used to store my music and video files. On an older drive (160GB split into 3) I store all my important documents, photo's, etc.

When it comes to reinstalling XP, I only need to wipe out and format the first (7GB) partition. The rest of the drive is untouched and the data (games & music) is stored permanently. No need to back anything up because it can be drag/dropped to another partition. Windows sees each partition as a separate hard drive.

I have 2 physical hard drives. With each drive split intio 3 partitions, Windows sees them as 6 drives.

Also, instead of using a stock XP install (IE: bloated with software I don't need), I use a program called nLite. What I do is copy the contents of my Windows CD to the hard drive and put it in a folder. Run nLite and point it towards the XP folder. nLite allows me to do many things including integrate service packs, remove almost any component (for example, if you don't use Windows Media Player you can remove it so it never even gets installed), make many tweaks, configure services, and so on.

When I've done all that, I let nLite create a bootable ISO (an image file). This is then burnt to a CD using a program called ImgBurn (a great free CD/DVD burner). During the nLite building process, I filled in all my details such as username, password, system language, Windows CD key, and any other details I need, therefore XP can be installed without having to do any of this (it's called a fully unattended installation).

When all is done, I end up with an XP disc which is around 140MB. Compare this to a standard XP with service pack 2 -- it's something like 576MB. Since I removed a ton of stuff I never use, my installation disc is tiny. Now, because of the 7GB partition, you can probably imagine how much faster the installation process is. I can install XP in 4 minutes flat. Had I used a standard Windows installation disc and had to wipe a 500GB drive, it would take hours and I'd also end up tweaking and removing a ton of stuff anyway... what a drag!

http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html

RyanVM is a guy who makes Windows Update Packs -- they include all the latest Windows updates all rolled into one. This can be integrated while building the nLite'd XP disc, so there's no need to use Windows Update website at all.

http://www.ryanvm.net/msfn/

Of course, you have to own your operating system on CD, but let me tell you it's well worth doing this stuff. If you want a truly slimmed down XP it can take some time to learn about what to remove and what to leave alone, but nLite is super easy to use anyway. If you're unsure about removing a component it won't hurt to leave it alone.