Sid
Premium
join:2002-11-29
Santa Maria, CA
| reply to richardfrey11001
Re: Spyware Removal Tools Comparison
I just downloaded the trial of spyware doctor myself. Even though I have only been using it for a few minutes now. I like the interface and it has picked up some things my spysweeper and Aluria has not. Some, I dont actually consider spyware but others are. Nice.
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WinXP,PC-Cillin IS, SpySweeper,Opera,Neo Pro. |
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richardfrey11001
join:2000-11-15
Floral Park, NY | reply to Rob A
You were right. The "Trial Version" I got from download.com was a fully working version that updated to the current version.
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Luck Has Nothing To Do With It! |
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Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ | reply to richardfrey11001
Get it from download.com and it will let you remove the spyware. |
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richardfrey11001
join:2000-11-15
Floral Park, NY | reply to Rob A
»www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/
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Luck Has Nothing To Do With It! |
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Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ | reply to richardfrey11001
Yes. And updated the software. Where did you download it? |
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richardfrey11001
join:2000-11-15
Floral Park, NY | reply to Rob A
So, can you delete the spyware??
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Luck Has Nothing To Do With It! |
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RangerTX7
R.I.P. beloved Trooper dog
Premium
join:2004-01-29
Austin, TX
| reply to Rob A
MS AntiSpyware has been mentioned a number of times here. I have an issue with it that I can't get past.
As Giant AntiSpyware, this was a promising program that did a good job. In comes MS, and now, as MS AntiSpyware, support for any OS older than Win2K and any alternative browser was summarily dropped. There is no rationale for this move (other than market share) since the product is fully capable of supporting older OSes and other browsers.
It's as if MS has said "Here, use this AntiSpyware; we'll give it to you for free. But you can use it only on the software we want you to have." So, IMHO, the primary reason for its existence is to boost OS upgrades and use of IE, with security considerations coming in second. Not everyone will agree with my feelings, of course, but as I initially stated, I just can't get past this...and for this reason, MS AntiSpyware will never be installed on any of my machines.
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Those days in Rampart, LAPD, filled me with wonder, horror, and glee. Lemme clue you in, judgments are the sin, you should see what I've seen, been where I've been. |
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Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ
1 edit | reply to richardfrey11001
I didn't buy my copy either. I got it off of download.com 3 months ago, I think when it first came out. |
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richardfrey11001
join:2000-11-15
Floral Park, NY
 ·Optimum Online
| reply to Rob A
.
What do you mean by Trial? I've had mine for 3 months and kept it up to date for like 3 months.
I didn't buy my copy. After seeing your post, I downloaded the evaluation version (deletion of the spyware is crippled in this version..you have to buy it before it will delete the spyware) and did my test.
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Luck Has Nothing To Do With It! |
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Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ
| reply to richardfrey11001
said by richardfrey11001  :SPYWARE DOCTOR IS A FRAUD. The trial version is adding none existent spyware. I ran the live update for Spyware Doctor and then did another scan. It no longer turned out the tracking cookies and advertising..just the 9 lines of Xupiter entries. What do you mean by Trial? I've had mine for 3 months and kept it up to date for like 3 months.
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Verizon DSL + Opera Web Browser= The Ultimate Internet Experience! »verizon.net »opera.com |
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richardfrey11001
join:2000-11-15
Floral Park, NY
·Optimum Online
| reply to turino
Yup thats right. Spyware Doctor found many more infections than the other 2. So those of you that think just having Spybot and Ad-aware gives you a safe system, I would think again"
wooootttt???
In my case, Spyware Doctor found zero more infections than Spybot S&D and Microsoft Antispyware and gave a false positive on a legitimate program.
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Luck Has Nothing To Do With It! |
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illJazz
Premium
join:2002-09-04
switzerland
| reply to Rob A
I swear by MS' AntiSpyware Beta. I installed it on two of my sort of computer-illiterate friends computers and it's awesome for noobs. Runs residentially in the background, acts preventively and has schedules for automatic scans. One of them probably still doesn't know how to use it because he not only is computer-illiterate, which of course is perfectly fine, and which a lot of people are, but he completely and utterly refuses to learn anything about the ways computers function/operate. Can't be helped.. the other one likes it a lot.
It's an awesome tool. I don't see a reason why I would install more than 2 antispyware apps on any system. I have none at all installed on mine. I use Opera and am virtually immune from all things spyware/adware for two reasons: I know where I browse and I'm familiar with the dangers that I come across... and two: I use Opera, which makes staying safe a whole lot easier.
My 0.2..
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IMHO. As always 
»www.abisource.com/ - Free, open-source Text Editor. Great alternative to MS Word 
Check out Trillian! The greatest Instant Messenger on the planet: »gotrillian.com/ |
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turino
join:2004-10-31
Radford, VA
| reply to Rob A
"Spyware Doctor- 52 infections found
Tracking Cookie
Troj/Delf-IT
TV Media Display
ClearSearch
AproposMedia
BullsEye.Exact Advertising
DelfinProject
Altnet Software
180search Assistant
Transponder.Twain-tech
Yup thats right. Spyware Doctor found many more infections than the other 2. So those of you that think just having Spybot and Ad-aware gives you a safe system, I would think again"
wooootttt??? |
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richardfrey11001
join:2000-11-15
Floral Park, NY
·Optimum Online
1 edit | reply to Rob A
I just did a comparison between Spybot S&D, Microsoft Antispyware and Spyware Doctor. I had to down load the Doctor as I only use Spybot and Microsoft.
The first 2 showed no spyware, but Spyware Doctor showed 9 lines of spyware and some tracking cookies....
Tracking Cookie(s) richard frey@abcnews.go[1].txt Medium
Advertising richard frey@com[2].txt Low
Advertising richard frey@cgi-bin[1].txt Low
Tracking Cookie(s) richard frey@indextools[1].txt Medium
Tracking Cookie(s) richard frey@go[1].txt Medium
Tracking Cookie(s) richard frey@rsi.abcnews.go[1].txt Medium
Xupiter C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.1 Elevated
Xupiter C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.1\MsnPUpld.dll Elevated
Xupiter C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.1\MSNPupld.inf Elevated
Xupiter C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.1\PURen-us.dll Elevated
Xupiter C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.1\spweng.dll Elevated
Xupiter C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.1\SpyWareKillerBKGD.jpg Elevated
Xupiter C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.1\swksig.dat Elevated
Xupiter C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.1\WebAAS.dll Elevated
Xupiter C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.1\WebAAS.inf Elevated
Now I have to say that something is might fishy here. When you go to the site about "XUPITER" it tells you how to remove it. It tells you to use Spybot S&D or do it manually.
When I search for the registry entries for Xupiter---there are none. When I open a command prompt and enter the code to release the dll's--It can't find any.
SPYWARE DOCTOR IS A FRAUD. The trial version is adding none existent spyware.
I ran the live update for Spyware Doctor and then did another scan. It no longer turned out the tracking cookies and advertising..just the 9 lines of Xupiter entries.
I think that something is mighty fishy!
Edit to add additional info: I have determined that the "spyware" it has discovered is in reality a program from Zone Alarm called the "Anonymizer Anti-Spyware Scanner" The properties button has a download link from ZoneLabs..»download.zonelabs.com/bin/promot···bAAS.cab
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Luck Has Nothing To Do With It! |
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2kmaro
Think
Premium,ExMod 1 BC
join:2000-07-11
ColossalCave
clubs:  
1 edit | reply to Rob A
If you look at the tests that eburger68 has run, you'll find that there is no 'cheap' solution, and definitely no one-stop-solution to the problem of spyware. I run a whole slew of anti-spyware programs when checking a system out for problems:
Spybot Search & Destroy
Spyware Doctor
Spy Sweeper
BOClean
Spyware Blaster
Giant Anti-Spyware (predecessor to Microsoft's tool)
AdAware
CWShredder
and more
You'll notice a lot of those are not free. I've found that each one finds things the others don't (so much for a one-stop-shopping solution). I figure that at best after all is said and done I maybe get 98-99% of whatever is on a machine off of it. I can only hope the remaining 1-2% is pretty harmless.
My approach is to use the programs that offer "inoculation" and "immunization" features first and deal with what they find and immunize/inoculate the system against going back to any malevolent sites. Then I continue running through the rest of the toolbox. Finally I set up a system with one or two anti-spyware tools and walk away. Which ones I set up depend on whether or not the machine's owner wants a free solution or if they're willing to pay for one.
Typically they want a free solution and I usually leave Spyware Guard and the Microsoft Anti-Spyware tool on the machines. Those two seem to play well with one another. I also ask the owner to consider donating to the Spyware Guard site.
As for the Microsoft tool - I think it's probably a strong one. I have high hopes for it. I own a copy of the original Giant Anti-Spyware program which Microsoft bought and turned into their own. Giant was one of the best, so MS got off the ground with a strong product. I'm hoping that MS will keep the resources available that are needed to keep such a product updated. The effort has to be similar to the effort needed to keep a quality anti-virus database up to date. I'm also hoping that MS is large enough to keep from being intimidated by spyware distributors into pulling detection out of the program at any time.
Kaspersky, long a big name in anti-virus tools, has now released a suite of tools that includes anti-virus, firewall and anti-spam packages. I'm using it on one machine and it looks very good. Cox HSI has begun making a similar suite made by Authentium available to their customers using Windows and it looks pretty good also at this point.
Rob A , you might also want to look at Spy Sweeper from Webroot. There is a fully functional trial package available. I found it to be darned good also. I'll probably buy a copy of it very soon myself.
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then think again! |
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TilhasBB
Formally Goden99
Premium
join:2000-08-05
canada | reply to Rob A
Rob A> I am curiouse how microsoft antispyware would show.
can you try? |
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Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ
| reply to Rxdoxx
Yes I have been reading the front page news. Newer spyware is always coming, thats why you must keep your software up-to-date.
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Verizon DSL + Opera Web Browser= The Ultimate Internet Experience! »verizon.net »opera.com |
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Rxdoxx
Premium,Mod
join:2000-11-03
Middle River, MD
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
Host:
Software
Washington & Balti..
| reply to Rob A
Interesting test and results.
BTW- have you been keeping up on the front page news articles here? Shows a very disturbing trend.
»COAST Collapses
»More Adware Industry Threats
»Tracking Spyware Trickery
»180 Solutions Speaks
»Direct Revenue Class Action
And these are just very recent ones.
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A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold |
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fegul
Premium
join:2004-08-23
united state
| reply to Rob A
I saw that PCworld issue, since I subscribe to it, but I use Antispy (which I like) as my primary defense, not to mention using an alternate browser, and running CCleaner, and other utilities to remove gunk.
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|Networking Help|My Blog| |
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Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ | reply to jabarnut
Exactly why I have these 3 installed and why I run scans with each regularly. |
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