Adware!

[chas]

There have been several threads in the past about computery in general and recommendations for spyware and adware in particular. This table from Windows Secrets might be of interest. Apologies to those who have already seen it.

Product Adware Fixed False Pos.
Giant AntiSpyware 63% 0
Webroot Spy Sweeper 48% 0
Ad-Aware SE Personal 47% 0
Pest Patrol 41% 10
SpywareStormer 35% 0
Intermute SpySubtract Pro 34% 0
PC Tools Spyware Doctor 33% 0
Spybot Search & Destroy 33% 0
McAfee AntiSpyware 33% 9
Xblock X-Cleaner Deluxe 31% 1
XoftSpy 27% 3
NoAdware 24% 0
Aluria Spyware Eliminator 23% 3
OmniQuad AntiSpy 16% 1
Spyware COP 15% 0
SpyHunter 15% 1
SpyKiller 2005 15% 2

Sorry - it seems to have lost its formatting. The percentage is the amount of spy/adware the programme found.I hope it is legible. I was surprised to see how far down the list Spybot is.

 

[steve28]

Doing this job daily i have found that the spybot is a bit feeble to date at picking certain adwares up, the best one i have found until the begining of this year was adaware.
Now i have my hands on microsoft antispyware and it is geared up for all of them, its interesting running the same programs in sequence and seeing what the next program pick up on that the last missed.

This is not an advert, just saw the post and thought i would put my two pence worth in.

steve

 

[aitchw]

Chas, are these the free/trial versions or the paid up versions where aplicable? I use Spyware Dactor as my frontline tool (paid version, constantly updated). I have Spy Sweeper as well but not active, run it occasionally as, starngely given your figures, it hasn't been as effective. Will have a look at Giant AntiSpyware though.

Whatever people use it is worth keeping in mind that none of them alone give bombproof protection.

 

[chas]

Its is not clear if they are using the freeware or paid up versions. The article, which is several pages long, was emailed to me from http://windowssecrets.com/.

 

[BrendanS]

Giant have been bought by Microsoft. They have released the latest version of Giant as MS antispyware. The beta version of this can be downloaded free of charge from the MS website, and is excellent. Not only scans and removes spyware, but monitors in real time like an antivirus

 

[BrendanS]

PS the original research, with a list of the actual versions of the softwares used can be seen here
http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-test-guide.htm

 

[pragmatist]

Both of us have tried the MS version of Giant - did great things for HWMBO's PC but mine reported virtually the entire registry as infected and it's only been installed for a couple of weeks and has Adaware run regularly so think this was spurious. Still it's beta ! I have uninstalled however rather than lose my registry

 

[davel]

Agree on the success of Microsoft version todate - it picked up a bunch of stuff that SpyBot and the AOL checker missed.
It's free at present but it has a "lock-out" that comes into force at the end of July when, no doubt, MS will want paying.