Spybot vs. Adaware

[Russ Smith]

Just an FYI. I was having issues with speed with my girlfriend's laptop. I'd run several virus scans and found nothing. I ran Adaware and it kept finding one file, but then it would lockup before finishing the scan. It said it had removed the file but when I scanned again, it would find it. It was in the cookies and the machine would just say deep scanning, but never finish and ultimately hang.

The IT manager at work said try Spybot, much better than Adaware, so I downloaded it. My first tip was Spybot recognizes Adaware, but Adaware doesn't recognize Spybot. Spybot ran a full scan in 8:38 and found 98 items to remove, including the file that Adaware found and had allegedly removed or quarantined 3 times.

The laptop is now peforming much quicker, and last night I uninstalled Adaware. Spybot still has a freeware version(what I installed) and so far I'm quite impressed, much faster scans than Adaware ever had, and clearly it caught a lot of things Adaware missed. The version of Adaware I junked was updated 3 days ago to their most current free version so that wasn't the problem.

 

[Chaz]

I think they both miss things. I don't use either one anymore.

I have had someone tell me they considered Spybot itself spyware.


Since the Microsoft Beta (Giant Software) has come out it is the main program I use and recommend.

I also use hijackthis and killbox for the really tough infections that break the Anti-Spyware programs.

 

[Chaz]

There are (were) some additional patches out for Ad-Aware.

There are some versions of Cool Web Search that would break it.

 

[vince56]

Ad Aware and Spybot work well in tandem. I use both, and find that sometimes one of them can find and remove something the other cannot. If you keep them both updated, run a firewall, a good AV program (like McAfee or Norton), and don't download porn ( ), you should be pretty clean.

 

[Russ Smith]

Ad Aware and Spybot work well in tandem. I use both, and find that sometimes one of them can find and remove something the other cannot. If you keep them both updated, run a firewall, a good AV program (like McAfee or Norton), and don't download porn ( ), you should be pretty clean.

Agreed, I had just updated Adaware 3 days earlier. Since we switched to Firefox at home we were seeing far fewer spyware problems but when I noticed the slowdown I decided to run another scan and like I said Adaware kept locking up.

adaware actually thinks Spybot is spyware, it says in the documentation that comes with spyware that Adaware will identify it as potentially harmful. Spyware found adaware and said something liek I see you have adaware here's what you should be careful of.

I don't think Spybot is the end all of course but I figured since my own IT manager is recommending it I should try it and it found all sorts of things Adaware either couldn't find, or was locking up on when scanning.

My girlfriend keeps playing tetris on this one site and I'm convinced that's where we get most of the problems, but it's her laptop so I can't stop her from playing on that site.

 

[Beaver]

I bought Webroot spyware and it picked up a bunch that those freebies didn't.

 

[UncleChris]

I bought Webroot spyware and it picked up a bunch that those freebies didn't.

I too have had great success with Webroot's Spy Sweeper. The freebies are.... welll...... you get what you pay for....

 

[O]

I used to use Spybot but there was like a six month period where they stopped updating definitions, maybe they are now I don't know. If they can't keep up with the spy ware why use it?
I too purchased Spy Sweeper and am very happy with it.

 

[marathon_mom]

I too have had great success with Webroot's Spy Sweeper. The freebies are.... welll...... you get what you pay for....

Me too. Although I'm still having issues. ggrrrr.

 

[jw7]

Since the Microsoft Beta (Giant Software) has come out it is the main program I use and recommend.

Same here. Since that was announced, I have had no virus problems and I don't have to worry about manually downloading new definitions or manually running it.

 

[marathon_mom]

Me too. Although I'm still having issues. ggrrrr.

Edit: Got help from a friend & WOW! It's running great. (knock on wood). Firefox rules!

 

[bratwurst]

My girlfriend keeps playing tetris on this one site and I'm convinced that's where we get most of the problems, but it's her laptop so I can't stop her from playing on that site.

Russ - download FCE Ultra here and I'll send you a tetris rom.

Then she won't need to go to the site to play the game anymore.

 

[BigDavis75]

What are some good sites for finding Spybot?

 

[Russ Smith]

What are some good sites for finding Spybot?

I got it on download.com