Spyware scanners

[vantim]

Hey everybody, I was just reading my favorite computer magazine, and they did a lowdown on spyware scanners.

Seems that the latest version of adaware isn't doing a very good job. They infected machines with over 200 different known popular spyware apps. Adaware found only 2 of 'em. They then ran Spybot Search & Destroy and it found all but 2 of 'em. So I ran a scan on my own machine here at work. First I ran Adaware SE Personal ver. 1.06 with the latest updates .The results came back with only dataminer tracking cookies found. 29 of 'em to be exact.

So I downloaded Spybot Search & Destroy beta 1.4. I updated it and scanned my drive and it found 53 apps and registry entries that adaware missed. Adaware has done a real good job making their app user friendly and simple, but apparantly they forgot to make it remove spyware as well. I will periodically download new versions and scan to see if they correct this problem. Until then it's SS&D for me.

Anybody else know of any good free ones out there? ( I refuse to pay for a spyware scanner) Bring on the links.

[Zero Tolerance]

This is something I have known for a long long time now....I thought everyone else knew too.

I use Spybot exclusively...and have for over a year now....

Thanks Dave420...hes the one that pimp'd SS&D originally on this site!

[vantim]

All past reviews have always put adaware and SS&D pretty even. I used to use it, then I switched to adaware about 8 months ago. Personally I thought version 1.04 kicked ass! The microsoft spyware blaster got some pretty good reviews also this time around. I've used the MS Spyware Blaster on my work computer now since MS bought it from Giant. It's pretty reliable and good on front end blocking. But SS&D is the absolute best for digging up the hard to get apps. The only better way to stop spyware is to make the switch to Linux.

[bigH2O]

Well, I can say from experience that you get what you pay for. If it's free, well then you've gotten what you paid for. I use webroot's SpySweeper. They have a free trial at www.webroot.com, and if you want to buy it it's only 30 bucks... well worth the price because it picks up everything that's been thrown at it. It updates the definitions automatically every night, and when there is a revision change to the .exe it updates itself automatically. Occasionally I run some of the freeware programs just to see if SpySweeper is still doing it's job, and adaware, ss&d, and all the others never find anything that spysweeper hadn't taken care of.

[vantim]

Well I'll tell you right now that just because something is free doesn't mean it's second rate. I would put Spybot up against Webroot any day of the week, and in it's day I would have put adaware right there with it.

[Zero Tolerance]

just for the record SS&D has a pay version :D

[vantim]

Yes they do. But the scanner is still the same program as the free one. they just turn on more gadgets with the pay version.

[JoeCool]

Hey everybody, I was just reading my favorite computer magazine, and they did a lowdown on spyware scanners.



ahh your a MaxPC reader too huh? ;)

[vantim]

Yep, been a loyal reader since the 3rd issue came out in 1997. It's a drool magazine but, I can't put it down.

[vantim]

Although I've been pretty disappointed with the quality of the mag for a while. This month was pretty crappy. I didn't need to see 5 pages of flat screens that cost as much as a house.