MUST HAVE FREE ANTI-SPYWARE TOOL

[ulTRAX]

I like to think I run a clean PC... with dual engine anti-virus, Zone Alarm Pro Firewall, recommended updates for XP... including SP2 which I hate. It's a testament to what a defective piece of shit IE is that the only way MS could find to protect it was to sabotage it. I also run AdAware SE, Spybot S&D and Spyware Blaster. So a few days ago when I heard Microsoft was FINALLY taking spyware seriously that it bought out a company and had a free beta, I downloaded it. http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
Why did they have to buy a company? Because obviously because they lacked the in-house expertise.

The scan found spyware that the other's missed such as bits of the dreaded Cool Web Search and MediaTicket.

I was at friends house and their PC was so bogged down with spyware that they panicked each time IE started up as the default browser because it would eat up all the system resources and slow the PC down to a crawl where nothing could get done. I downloaded the Microsoft beta and it found 3500 infected registry entries alone... plus 83 spyware programs. There were so many browser hijackers they were trying to hijack each other. Even after removal and rebooting some were trying to reinstall themselves.

While the other utilities I have are free... none matches the layered defenses that this MS beta. I strongly urge all of you with XP or Win2000 to try it... sorry, nothing for Win98 or ME yet. The beta will run until July and MS has not announced plans whether they'll offer this free or will charge.

Since IE is inherently defective, there are other other browsers such as Mozilla which offer more flexibility and less security problems. Mozilla is a full feature browser with a mail and chat client. FireFox is a browser only. Both free at www.mozilla.org

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Running Firefox, Thunderbird and Spy Sweeper here

Never any problems!

BTW: Whose app did they buy?

[ulTRAX]

9. MS bought Giant AntiSpyware a month ago

http://www.giantcompany.com/p_antiSpyware.htm

and the beta seems to be repackaged Giant original

[WLKjr]

2. I stopped running IE (aka I.M.F. , i am fucked) when I heard of firefox

and thunderbird. NOTHING COMPARES TO FIREFOX, I GET NO POPUPS. I will say one thing though, after about 2 months of constant firefox use, I decided to open up IE one day and it was HOSED!lol I have never seen so much adware in my life along with it also being popup hell.


same goes for thunderbird, I love that email program. I use them both on the Suse linux box, on the 2kserver, and on the windows pro machine.


BTW, SP2 blows.

[wildflower]

14. How about Netscape?

Seems like it's partnered with Mozilla now, so is it as resistant?

[WLKjr]

73. I used Netscape in linux

and was still getting popups and stuff. I didn't care much for thier browser and never really have cared much for anything from netscape. Firefox should be teh basis for all future browesers IMHO.

[ulTRAX]

17. you should still do a scan..

Even if you don't use IE any longer... you should still try to get all the spyware off your PC. After all... someone is stealing your resources for their own profit. But also... some of the spyware may be working off other areas of Windows besides IE and may still be phoning home. If you don't have a firewall... or hate the XP one... you can get a free one from Zone Alarm at www.zonelabs.com link at bottom of page.

[WLKjr]

72. Oh I still do scans from time to time

I was just shocked at how hosed IE was when I went to use it for the first time in a while.

[CornField]

3. AdAware -- SpywareBlaster -- SpywareGuard

They are all donation-ware

[librechik]

18. be careful--new virus "Adware" disguises itself as AdAware

then destroys your PC.

http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6638-0.html?forumID=15&threadID=22425&messageID=242677

[Babel_17]

4. There are other approaches.

Use Spybot S&D and use the innoculate feature.

There's a hosts file blocklist included too if you so choose.

Follow the link in Spybot S&D and get SpywareBlaster.

Use Mozilla/Firefox. Let it be your default browser.

Use The Proxomotron and use Grypen's filter set.

Consider your hosts file.

I used MS's utility and other than one false positive it found nothing.

Interestingly enough it doesn't do a totally clean uninstall.

It's more work using the tools I listed but it puts one more in control.

There are lots of other utilities out there too, all freeware.

There's HijackThis and CWShredder for example.

[WLKjr]

6. or just use Linux or Mac:D

lol

[Babel_17]

45. All too true :)

But after one strips Windows of its needless/useless/risky features and plugs the holes and limits the services it runs etc. it becomes a reasonable substitute.

Too much incredibly useful stuff runs on it solely for me to abandon it.

I'm not a programmer who can compile his/her own stuff as needed. ;)

Someday maybe ...... :)

[WLKjr]

71. SuSE Linux 9.1 is pretty good

I havent been having too much trouble with installing stuff. I guess it just depends on where you get your programs from, there are some people that can get it to work on their boxes but it WILL NOT RUN ON OTHERS becuase of all the tweaks you can do. If they can get past that and sort of standardize it a bit more and make it take .exe files and run windows based programs without a bunch of add on software, linux will pwnd windows.

[MsTryska]

5. How the heck do y'all get spyware?

I never do, and right now i'm trying my damnedest to infect some machines with, but i'm not really good at getting them good and dirty.

[roguevalley]

7. go to download.com or to adaware.com.

[MsTryska]

10. are they popup sites?

will they automatically infect soem machines or do i have to click on things and download apps and whatnot.


what's disappointing is that i even download apps which i think would be good carriers for spyware (like the dancing desktop girl?) they're clean. very annoying.

[Berserker]

32. Just D/L this peice of shit

http://www.kazaa.com/us/index.htm
You will have a bunch of things to get rid of ....Have Fun

[liberalnurse]

66. Yes, that should work....

My daughter downloaded music there......400 + critters.

[ulTRAX]

35. turn down your security settings

If you're using IE... just go to TOOLS... INTERNET OPTIONS... and SECURITY and lower the setting as far as it goes... then try to go to some site that gives out software keygens or cracks...

Did you want spyware or a virus? LOL

[MsTryska]

64. I want spyware.....

i'm doing some testing on enterprise spyware solutions, so i need some dirty machines to play with.

[liberalnurse]

65. I have the same needs in my

nursing career. We can be morbid.

[MsTryska]

68. *lol*

just remember to breathe through your mouth.


i remember a nurse who i used to have drinks with whenever we ran into each other at this bar we frequented.

man was he morbid. he taught me about the breathing thru your mouth thing.

[Babel_17]

8. Here's the false positive

"Finally, it detected something called SearchSquire, but this turned out to be part of the Immunization feature of Spybot"

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=135148&cid=11276374

[ulTRAX]

22. SearchSquire IS adware

Maybe Spybot is using a similar name but there IS adware called SearchSquire http://www.searchsquire.com/ It was dubbed a lower threat than the others I had....

[Babel_17]

43. Yes, MS's proggie .....

is detecting Spybot's innoculation as being the adware or a variant.

Wouldn't have taken much testing for MS to have found this out.

But playing nice with others has never been a priority for them.

In fairness though I should note that MS has just really taken someone elses proggie and done little more than a rebadging. For now anyways.

[ulTRAX]

47. Spython also picks up SearchSquire as a false positive

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=52411

[Oreo]

11. Not trusting this....

Just ran the latest SpyBot and now this MS BS is showing somethign called Timbuktu Pro and Actmon which look to be remote control and keylogger programs. I just don't MS enough not to think it's going to break something. Anybody else showing these?

Wow!! Just popped up showing RealVNC as spyware. I kinda want to keep that one!

Beware with this people...

[Todd B]

61. To be fair.

Microsoft's AntiSpyware doesn't say that RealVNC/Timbuktu is spyware, it only classifies it as a moderate threat because it can be used to gain access to your computer if you aren't aware it is installed. In fact, by default, it is ignored.

Details: A commerical remote control that allows full control of the machine installed on. This software is a legitimate remote control software package, however if you or your adminstrator are not aware of its installation on your machine it can be considered..
Status: Ignored

[superconnected]

12. I will trust microsofts adware remover more than anyone elses

many of the free ones, and the ones you buy, remove everyone elses adware and install their own.

[idiosyncratic]

16. I wouldn't trust ANYTHING from M$.

And the others, like AdAware and Spybot, simply do not add their own spyware.

[liberalnurse]

67. Their track record has convinced me.

I'm sticking with AdAware, Spybot and Pest Patrol.

[K-W]

37. thats why you use reputable software

no reason to run to Microsoft and thier HORRIBLE record in the field of software

[idiosyncratic]

13. I've been using the Opera browser and I've never used IE.

Netscape was my browser from 1995 to 2003 when I discovered Opera. It has a different engine so getting spyware hasn't been a problem for me.

Opera also has a way of protecting the user from "phishing."

[corksean]

54. Agree completely. tried Mozilla for a few days then straight back to Opera

Has features like a "Find" button for text strings and a "Copy & Go to URL" that I haven't found as convenient on any other browser.

[idiosyncratic]

55. So good to meet another Opera convert here.

:toast: Opera has so many, many features, I'll never discover all of them.

On the rare occasion I am at the library using their computers (IE), it is so weird trying to figure out where the "Back" button is when my Mouse Gesture doesn't work.

[mcscajun]

15. Don't hold your breath waiting for this tool for Windows 98/ME

They're in sunset mode, or close to it.

[ulTRAX]

21. ME was a dog......

I had ME once......... what an absolute dog of an OS.

[mcscajun]

24. Opinions vary...

..I've been running on ME for the past four years...it's never given me any serious problems. Occasionally it will refuse to shut down, but that's it.

I'm looking forward to getting a new PC soon, though. It will have XP. I like what I see there.

[ulTRAX]

28. I upgraded to XP

I spend a lot of time on the PC and with ME it used to crash about twice a day. When I upgraded to XP I didn't have any problem for a month... and even then it was because I was poking though my directories trying to find out what various .exe files did. XP is getting a wee bit quirky after about 18 months... ever since I installed a new videocard... but still nothing like ME was... and there's some nice features. It releases unresponsive programs better than ME and it protects most data should the PC crash.

[IronLionZion]

30. I concur

ME was a worthless piece of shit and wasn't even an OS, seriously. They just threw some shit together and released it as a way to make money selling XP upgrades.

ME was guaranteed to crash regularly. I've had no problems with XP Pro or Home. The stability is largely due to programs running in their own memory spaces. I'm hearing good things about the next big release - project longhorn. Microsoft are not the worthless bunch of wankers they used to be.

[ulTRAX]

39. who will ever calculate what MS kludge costs the world economy

MS is a prime example of just why there needs to be more standardization and less proprietary kludge out there.

[idiosyncratic]

33. Did you ever see what Fred Langa said about ME?

I subscribe to his very helpful newsletter. Back in 2002, he said this:


For example: Windows Millennium Edition was and is perhaps the worst version of Windows in over a decade: It should have been at most a free update to Windows98SE, but instead, Microsoft gussied it up and shoved it out the door as if it were an entirely new version of Windows. The only reason I can see for doing this is that Microsoft needed to release something new to keep the cash flow going. Lacking a real product, they foisted a half-baked Windows ME on the world.


I love that phrase "gussied up."

Fred Langa's Site

[lastknowngood]

19. spybot great stuff free download at spybot.com use in

conjuction with adaware, you'll get most of it.

[rman]

20. free alternatives: ad-aware and spybot

www.lavasoftusa.com

www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

[greyfox]

23. Probbaly my age and senility....

but I tried Mozilla and Firefox both and they were more corn-fusing than anything else... useless.

[ulTRAX]

27. they take some time to configure

But after that... when your IE data is imported... they are pretty easy to figure out.

[idiosyncratic]

40. Try Opera. It is more sophisticated and easier to transition to.

I tried Firefox and just didn't like its clunky appearance. Plus, you have to download additional "extensions" to get some of the cooler features that Opera has "right out of the box."

Opera Browser

[ulTRAX]

74. Firefox Appearance

Ya, I'm not to enthralled with the default skin for FF. One I really do like that's available for Mozilla is a tasteful art deco skin called Sky Pilot.

[Old and In the Way]

25. I ran it yesterday....found searchsquire

But the software is only activated for 6 months. I'm sure you'll end up paying for it after that date if you want to keep using it. It's the Microsoft way.

[ulTRAX]

26. unless

It might be free if MS thinks its getting such a blackeye from the security vulnerabilities of their products. Remember that a year or two back Gates promised the age of safe computing... ROTF

[DS1]

29. Ok, I'm running Win2k SP4, I'll get the latest Spyboy defs, run it

then get this M$ thing, and see if it catches anything Spybot didn't :-)

[Berserker]

31. I put this page together to help

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=242x1314

[ulTRAX]

36. good resource!

I think I'll keep a copy! LOL

[DS1]

44. comprehensive list - the M$ beta found one thing it didn't like

after Spybot ran through my system, Kazaa lite - which I wanted to let it ignore

[phylny]

70. Thanks for this info

Now, I have two questions that I hope someone can answer.

1) I run Windows XP for home and have resisted downloading Service Pack 2. I had read somewhere that it makes your computer batty. Opinions on whether or not I should download it?

2) My monitor appears dark and I cannot fix it with my software nor with the manual buttons on the hp pavilion. How do I determine if it's a problem with the monitor, or with the software? Can I download something to help brighten up the screen? I can see my digital pictures perfectly on my laptop, but not on the PC.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help :)

[RevCheesehead]

34. I can't even load IE 6.0 from a CD.

Honestly, if I had more time (and $), I'd scrap the whole damned thing and get a Mac.

(I'm on Windows ME - and it performs as good as any "middle-child" would be expected to. No offense to middlers out there!)

[ralps]

60. Hi RevCheesehead

Please don't flame me you all, but Apple now has a $499 Mac mini. RevCheesehead if you are near Milwaukee you might want to check it out.

[Emillereid]

38. Can one remove IE from a PC?

I tried once but it wouldn't let me -- said it was being used. My daughter's PC was also so laden with crap that it was unusable!

[ulTRAX]

41. it can be uninstalled

I was trying to get rid of a browser hijacker and after all the free tools I had failed.... I tried a repair... then I then uninstalled it before reinstalling off a disk. The choices you get don't seem to tell you it's being uninstalled... and I was suprised when I was. I've heard it's somewhat integrated into Windows and just removing it can cause problems.

When you say "crap" do you mean the hard drive is full or that IE was full of ad/spyware? If it's the latter try this MS beta.... repairing an infected IE won't cure it.

[Emillereid]

57. Thanks for the link -- I'll try it.

[Berserker]

42. If you are running a different Browser

such as FireFox or Opera and don't use IE you should still keep it on your computer for microsoft security updates. Just don't use it.

[ulTRAX]

46. ya... MS doesn't make it easy to get updates

from other browsers......

[Emillereid]

58. The problem is that adware/spyware turns it on or comes down via IE

[Greylyn58]

48. Need Some Help

I downloaded the program and ran it and it did find 4 spyware programs, one of which it says is a "possible browser hijack".

It says if I remove the spyware it will reset my browser to "Preset or Default settings". Does this mean it will remove all my current bookmarks?

Hope someone can help with this so I can make a decision.

Thanks in advance.

:)

[ulTRAX]

50. it shouldn't......

There are lots of default settings in IE... home page search pages... tons I never knew about until I got the beta tool and it listed them. But should you not want to take a chance... you can copy your FAVs...

In XP they are under C:\Documents and Settings\default\Favorites

default might be a user name if XP is set up for multiple users.

You can just copy the file to desktop.

[Arkana]

49. Running Firefox 1.0 and a combination of Ad-Aware SE

and Spybot Search & Destroy do it for me.

[Berserker]

52. "Possible browser hijack".

Could you tell us what it is that the anti-spyware program pointed out as possible browser hijacker? A browser Hijack will hijack the starting page of your browser do you have that happining?

[ulTRAX]

53. browser hijackers can also...

just monitor your surfing and if you do a search at, say, Google... it throws up its own search page with links to its paid advertisers.

[GarySeven]

51. For myself, I am moving to the new Mac!

Now that Jobs has made an insanely great machine at a sane price, I intend to get one of those book-sized babies and move everything to Mac OS.

[JunkYardDogg]

56. BUY SpySweeper and Pest Patrol

If you think that you save money with freebies, NOT, most of the time.
SpySweeper and Pest Patrol are worth every dime!!!
When you get possible malicious apps detected, Google them and you will find out if they are malicious or benign and you will find out how to get rid of them
Pest Patrol has an incredible library where you can find out what each app is

[Berserker]

62. No reason to buy SpySweeper or Pest Patrol

I can tell you that I have been active in fighting scumware for several years and you do NOT have to pay for good removal tools. I use all free tools and I guarantee you there is NO spyware on my machine. I do not want to be bothered with false positives from SpySweeper or Pest Patrol which is another reason I do not use any Norton products. You do not have to pay money to be spyware free or have a good firewall or anti-virus. Here you can find information and Free tools to fight Spyware.
Security Tools

[ralps]

59. If you all have access to today's 1/13 Wallstreet Journal- online or

paper there is an article in the Personal Technology section by Walter S. Mossberg. It's called "Free Microsoft Program To Battle Spyware Has Some Serious Flaws"
January 13, 2005; Page B1
Here is a little bit of it

"Unfortunately, the company's first free security program has some serious flaws and lapses. I've been testing Microsoft's antispyware software, called simply Microsoft AntiSpyware, and I can't recommend it, in its present form, over the leading third-party antispyware program I have favored, Webroot's Spy Sweeper."
:hi:

[Lisabtrucking]

63. Not a bad program. I bought registry mechanic, which is pretty

good also.

The problem I found with ad ware/lava soft, is it got hijacked a couple of times, and seemed to ignore the spy ware on the computer.

I just use a good firewall and do a scan often.

Thanks for the heads up on Beta.

I'm an XP user also and love it, specially the task manager features where I can end a process that won't shut down.

[ulTRAX]

69. I don't get WSJ but as reported elsewhere.....

But according to this article http://www.webpronews.com/news/ebusinessnews/wpn-45-20050114CaveatsWithNewMicrosoftAntiSpyware.html the concerns were mainly over MS putting its own pages as default browser pages should the browser setting need to be restored... typical MS arrogance. It can be overridden but MS doesn't make it easy. Also it doesn't yet scan for tracking cookies. But it's just beta and it does have a lot of advanced features that I've not seen in other products. Hey... it's free and no one just use just one AS program.

[sweetheart]

75. I loaded it, din't find anything... firefox is ok, still virused though

It really peaved me the other day, when something managed to wipe out
my entire bookmark set on firefox.... its sorta a bummer that these
sorts don't give a public "bug report" screen so we can just sorta
inform developers of holes.

The microsoft tool loaded ok and then took a long time to search
the machine and say "0" found. Funnily, i could not load the tool
using firefox, only with explorer. ha!

[ngant17]

76. M$ Windows XP Professional Bugging Device?

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/10/298702.html

[ulTRAX]

77. what I do NOT trust is this new Windows validation program

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/WhyValidate.aspx?


It places a module in IE and there's probably no reason why MS can't identify you each time you return... or even though Passport Sites.

[Kablooie]

78. My sypware catcher catches 100% !

It's called OS X.

[ulTRAX]

79. no one bothers to create spyware or viruses for Macs

Since no one bothers to create spyware or viruses for Macs... any claims that it's inherently more secure are specious.