[PCWorld]

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[bsmonroe]

I don't know what is wrong with PC World - SpySweeper brought my system (an AMD64 3400 no less) to its knees - it took over four days to root out the program plus all the ugly things it left behind (the svchost file is STILL corrupted).Looking at the net, I can tell I'm not the only one who had this problem. I cannot believe the WebRoot had the gall to actually release this. It doesn't even qualify for BETA - more like ALPHA status.

[TheNameless]

Spyware Doctor is packed with false positives. I'd love to see the rate of false positives for something other than toolbars.What is Spybot doing in there? We all know it's a freeware program that isn't even worthy of being called a "first line of defense," let alone any line of defense.Seems like you guys just got two that can catch things, a third that is fair, and two that have hardly ever been on par, to make the first two look incredible. Retarded.

[Narasu]

Hi there,I wrote and edited the Spyware Specialists story. Your suggestion of more false positives tests is a good one. We'll definitely keep that in mind. Spyware Doctor does find a high number of "infections," many of which are harmless cookies and some of which are not detected by other scanners. See the online portion of the review for more on that:[url]http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,126885/article.html_As far as the mix of products reviewed. We looked at three popular paid products and two popular free ones. Spybot is still quite popular so we reviewed it to show people how it stacks up to the others.Thanks for reading.Narasu

[Spenser]

SpySweeper is not good and their technical support is worse. After installing and using it for some months I thought I was fully protected but when I ran another antispyware I learned that my system was infected with a keylogger: IAmBigBrother. I checked with their support people. I have to mail them three times in order to get some concrete response. It was "we have not heard of it ". I sent them the address of this keylogger website and told them a Google search for IAmBigBrother would enlighten them. The new reply was "Typically if it a valid commercial keylogger then typically we do not remove them, because there are legit and use for non-harmful situations.". That's ridiculous. Any third party like a technician or a co-worker could install this keylogger in your system and obtain your private information. They have to warn about the keylogger existence and let the user to decide what to do with it. But when I told it them they closed my case saying .... it was solved (???)

[TheNameless]

[quote name='Narasu']Hi there,> > I wrote and edited the Spyware Specialists story. Your suggestion of more false positives tests is a good one. We'll definitely keep that in mind. > > > > As far as the mix of products reviewed. We looked at three popular paid products and two popular free ones. Spybot is still quite popular so we reviewed it to show people how it stacks up to the others.> > > > Thanks for reading.> > NarasuThanks.And sorry if it sounded offensive about your choices, just realized how it came off. Yeah, I see your point about popularity, but I personally don't find it fair to compare paid with free. But hey, everyone has differing opinions on what is "on par" to test, and what is not.

[Lavasoft]

First off, we fully understand why you chose to review Lavasoft's Ad-Aware SE Personal in your article.You're right: it is popular software! In fact, Ad-Aware SE is trusted by more than 200 million computer users worldwide.But, what we don't quite comprehend is why your article ranked all of the reviewed anti-spyware software, both paid and free, together in the same group.Not all software is created equally, but it's not like we have to remind you of that. Users, of course, can expect enhanced capabilities to be available in software that they pay for, when compared with freeware.In keeping with our mission, we're proud of the fact that we're able to provide free anti-spyware software to our consumers. And we know that even our free software tests in the same top range as some software that you have to pay for.In the performance rating listed in your own article, Ad-Aware SE detected 5% more adware and spyware than the product ranked ahead of it, CounterSpy. Not only that, but Ad-Aware SE disinfected 10% more adware, and 25% more spyware than CounterSpy. It also did the best job, out of all of the software reviewed, of detecting malware samples.In the full review, Ad-Aware SE Personal was called a "crippled program", because it doesn't have real time scanning. We don't market our Ad-Aware SE Personal freeware as having real-time scanning, and never have. If you want a fair competition, why not test our paid product, Ad-Aware SE Plus, which, by the way, has real-time scanning?Sorry PC World, we just don't understand.

[Narasu]

Hello,I'd like to respond to the Lavasoft post. It is unfortunate that we were unable to test both free and paid versions of Ad-Aware for this story. As I wrote in another forum thread, we had to go with the free version due to its popularity. I understand your point of view. If you'd like to talk about it further, feel free to email me or call me directly.Best,NarasuPC World

[Gatorboyed]

I realize everyone's experience with a software application will be different, but I have only good things to say about Webroot's Spy Sweeper.I have used it for years and it has saved my butt more times than I care to remember, it has already earned it's cost 100 times over. I am self-employed and unfortunately almost all my communication with customers/clients is via email. It makes determining what is spam versus what is legit very difficult. I have stuck with the two programs everyone loves to hate....Norton and SpySweeper.....with very little problems.Not too long ago, I decided to "lighten" my cumbersome Windows OS by replacing these programs with Windows OneCare.....what a mistake. Yes, Windows was faster and snappier, but when a malignant email came in and my computer turned into a pop-up factory, it was SpySweeper that saved the day, locating and removing 6 different spyware apps that I think were installed en-masse from a rogue email.Never again will I abandon Norton and Spy Sweeper. Yes, they slow down your system, but at least they are reliable malware killers.And I had to learn the hard way that Microsoft's all-in-one 'security suite' is a joke. Windows Defender it aint.

[JonFlow]

In the online-only article:I asked PC Tools to comment on these particular files, but didn't receive a response in time for publication.Can the answer be shared? I am interested in what they say.I thought the summary of both articles was excellent. Thank you so much for enlightening the vast amount of readers with this knowledge. I am pleased to discover the overall results, especially since I was an avid Spybot S&D user myself. I will soon be looking into other options.Would it be feasible for PC World to do a test of the, say, 10 most popular Anti Spyware programs from each category (10 pay and 10 free) in the same edition? I'm not too knowledgable about the pay ones, but right away I wondered how Microsoft's Anti-Spyware (Windows Defender?) would hold up, and I saw an advertisement for Crawler's Spyware Terminator a few pages before this article.Thanks for a great article Narasu.

[stargazer]

To Lavasoft: A computer guru made me a complete PC out of his favorite parts. So I really use an illegitimate hybrid. He put 5 free anti-spyware programs on my sweet machine. One of them was Ad-Aware. This is my favorite destroyer of destructive garbage! I like it because after the scan it tells you exactly the crud thats on your machine and YOU can decide what you want to keep and want you want to throw away. I never thought I could collect so many cookies in one week and also more sites are mining. I don't feel its any of their busines what I buy, what sites I visit, etc. etc. So I usually wipe the slate clean. I have IE AND Firefox (which I use most). I notice an inordinate amount of garbage is coming thru IE. Anyhow, I give Ad Aware thumbs up.Stargazer

[dealfisher]

I also note that PestPatrol is excluded. It is just as well. I've got two paid versions of Computer Associates Suites. I have a pop that keeps trying to sell me winantiviruspro. PestPatrol found nothing. I downloaded SpyBot and it found about 25 items that PestPatrol had not found. I went through the rigors of using CA's online "support". A technician responded with a two page "canned" try this. I've exhausted the list; and responded to the technician four days ago. I have repeated the response. I just downloaded Ad-aware, if their freebie does the trick, I'll blow the Computer Associates software off both computers and purchase Ad-aware. Thank you for having the forum.

[Rimmer]

All these Spyware Detectors/Cleaners are nothing but software junk that scare mongering users into buying these products...cough...Mcafee Security Center...cough...for example....alerts you that your PC is vulnerable the moment you install it, simply because you have not suscribed to their services or are not using any of their products......BIG SCAM !!!If you want safe, secure web browsing, all you need is Mozilla Firefox....it's free, much more reliable and service 'bloat' free.Don't waste your $$ on a software firewall, you can buy a router with built-in firewall that uses no resources for alot less.

[GavMack]

Rimmer you couldnt be more wrong about only relying on a routers firewall and Firefox. I clean home users PC's for a living and the malware problem has grown into a bigger problem than the traditional viruses. It's essential for user to have a software firewall that can block ports and manage programs accessing the internet. I've seen malware installed on systems which use old Firefox and Java runtime exploits to run. Malware bypasses a lot of traditional AV products and loads trojans to kill the AV processes and open a port for a hacker to load his rootkit protecting his botnet tools.Most home users who I have cleaned I put on Firefox (along with Sunbelt Kerio and Avast AV) cos I agree it's much safer surfing experience, but I always put on an anti spyware product which monitors the hosts and registry. For users who arent a high risk of reinfection (kids with free ringtones, music etc and adult site visitors) Windows Defender usually suffices but for those who visit targeted sites often it's worth them paying for a copy of Spyware Doctor/Spysweeper for some extra proactive protection.

[Rimmer]

GavMack, ok maybe this type of software is needed to some extent for non-savvy users, but spyware/anti-virus software is still useless when they cannot detect the latest or new 'unknown' yet to be discovered exploits.....the software is not really protecting you as much as you think.

[Narasu]

Narasu here again (i wrote the Spyware Specialists article). To address a few of your questions and comments:1. I never resolved whether PC Tools had false positives or malware that no one else could find. I couldn't confirm from my log files. While researching a story, I do sometimes go surfing in some questionable areas, so who knows. 2. The recommendation to use Firefox is a good one. Erik Larkin did a great job comparing Firefox 2 and IE 7 here:[url]http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127309-page,1/article.html_

[Kitrax]

I don't see what all the fuss is about SpySweeper. I've been using it for over a year now, and it's been great. I've been using Zone Alarm (free/basic), McAfee (provided free though Qwest DSL with MSN Premium), and SpySweeper (provided free though Qwest DSL with MSN Premium) for the past 6 months, and I haven't had a sinle infection, except for when my buddy plugged his USB thumb drive in to my laptop...but McAfee alerted me, and took care of it. :DI'm actually glad that the 2 free programs were added to the review. They show the average Joe who knows nothing about computers or these programs in general, that the freeware just don't (and can't) match the abilities of the $20-$30 programs. When giving advise to folks who don't know the difference between a virus and a keylogger, it's frustrating to hear them say, "Oh, but I have that SpyBot program! Why should I waste $20+ for the same thing when I can get it for free?" :xI'm glad the tests leave SpyBot at the bottom of the lists.

[zorro]

Spyware Doctor is not worthy! I'd rather be struck blind than go thruthis tedius exercise in "protection" again. The Trial version sez it all!zorro

[kcmonseysr]

[quote name='dealfisher']I also note that PestPatrol is excluded. It is just as well. I've got two paid versions of Computer Associates Suites. I have a pop that keeps trying to sell me winantiviruspro. PestPatrol found nothing. I downloaded SpyBot and it found about 25 items that PestPatrol had not found. I went through the rigors of using CA's online "support". A technician responded with a two page "canned" try this. I've exhausted the list; and responded to the technician four days ago. I have repeated the response.> > I just downloaded Ad-aware, if their freebie does the trick, I'll blow the Computer Associates software off both computers and purchase Ad-aware. Thank you for having the forum.For what it's worth, I got hit with 'winantiviruspro' a couple of months ago - on three networked computers (XP home, XP media, + XP Pro). I first noticed it when I was unable to publish to my web site, found that the 'ftp' commanand failed and that 'my computer' properties would not open properly. All other applications seemed to run normally. After a bunch of haggling, I discovered that AdAwareSE personal (i.e. free) removed the problem from two of the computers. I had a bear of a time with the third (XP media) because I had three users on that computer and did not realize for quite a while that I had to remove this malware by running AdAwareSE for EACH user. By the time I discovered this, I also lost "some fingers and toes" along with the malware. Re-installing XP finally fixed all. Meanwhile, I keep running the Adware on each computer regularly, but I have not yet tried their 'paid' version, but may. Does anyone have any info on their upgraded 'paid' version? Just what features - in simple English - would I gain? Thanks.

[Rondil]

The first step in securing or proofing your PC against Spyware, trojans and viruses is to change the way you log onto your computer. If you use a limited logon instead of Admin log on you can limit the hackers ability to do damage or spy on your computer. When logged in this way No software can be installed and No changes can be done to your machine which should prevent any trojans from being installed or drive-by installs. I always log on as a limited account except when I want to install something. I have found a couple programs don't like this so keep that in mind if you folks decide to try this. Yes it can be bypassed with a couple changes to your registry, but the majority of spyware does not do that, plus it has to install first which it cannot do.Heres how its done.Open Control Panel --> User Accounts --> Create a new Account --> Type in a name -->Next -->Click Limited --> Create AccountIts that simple. If you need to be on an Admin account you can change easily by clicking START --> Log Off Switch User (Leaves account and Programs open and running) or Log Off ( Shuts down that account) Then click the account you want to log on too. Here's some good reads on this:"How the right user account can help your computer security".http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/online/logoffadminaccount.mspx"Limited-User Security on Windows XP" http://www.castlecops.com/article-6112--0-0.html"Increasing Security with Limited User Accounts and Restricted Groups" http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Increasing-Security-Limited-User-Accounts-Restricted-Groups.html"Using a Least-Privileged User Account" http://www.microsoft...eacc.mspxFollow these steps in order to keep your computer clean, secure, and running efficiently.1.Install Spy bot - Search and Destroy - Install and download Spy bot - Search and Destroy with its Tea Timer option. This will provide real time spy ware & hijacker protection on your computer alongside your virus protection. You should also scan your computer with program on a regular basis just as you would an anti virus software. A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:Using Spy bot - Search & Destroy to remove Spy ware , Mal ware, and Hijackershttp://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial43.html2.Install Ad-Aware - Install and download Ad-Aware. you should also scan your computer with program on a regular basis just as you would an anti virus software in conjunction with Spy bot.A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:Using Ad-aware to remove Spy ware, Mal ware, & Hijackers from Your Computerhttp://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial48.html3.Commercial Spy ware Removal/Protection Programs - If you feel more comfortable installing a commercial Spy ware removal program then we recommend WebRoot's Spy sweeper or Lavasoft's Ad-Aware Professional. There are many commercial products on the market, but unfortunately most are misleading and substandard. Both of the products we recommend here are proven to be excellent products and a worthy addition to the arsenal of software protecting your computer.Spysweeper Product Informationhttp://www.bleepingcomputer.com/products/?prod=swAd-Aware Pro Production Informationhttp://www.bleepingcomputer.com/products/?prod=aawpro4.5.Make your Internet Explorer more secure - This can be done by following these simple instructions:1.From within Internet Explorer click on the Tools menu and then click on Options.6.Click once on the Security tab7.Click once on the Internet icon so it becomes highlighted.8.Click once on the Custom Level button.a.Change the Download signed ActiveX controls to Prompt9.Change the Download unsigned ActiveX controls to Disable10.Change the Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe to Disable11.Change the Installation of desktop items to Prompt12.Change the Launching programs and files in an IFRAME to Prompt13.Change the Navigate sub-frames across different domains to Prompt14.When all these settings have been made, click on the OK button. 15.If it prompts you as to whether or not you want to save the settings, press the Yes button.1.Next press the Apply button and then the OK to exit the Internet Properties page.16.Use an Anti Virus Software - It is very important that your computer has an anti-virus software running on your machine. This alone can save you a lot of trouble with malware in the future. See this link for a listing of some on line & their stand-alone anti virus programs:Virus, Spy ware, and Mal ware Protection and Removal Resourceshttp://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic405.html17.Update your Anti Virus Software - It is imperative that you update your Anti virus software at least once a week (Even more if you wish). If you do not update your anti virus software then it will not be able to catch any of the new variants that may come out.18.Use a Firewall - I can not stress how important it is that you use a Firewall on your computer. Without a firewall your computer is susceptible to being hacked and taken over. I am very serious about this and see it happen almost every day with my clients. Simply using a Firewall in its default configuration can lower your risk greatly.For a tutorial on Firewalls and a listing of some available ones see the link below:I personally recommend Zone alarm free which you can get here.Understanding and Using Firewallshttp://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial60.html19.20.Visit Microsoft's Windows Update Site Frequently - It is important that you visit http://www.windowsupdate.com regularly. This will ensure your computer has always the latest security updates available installed on your computer. If there are new updates to install, install them immediately, reboot your computer, and revisit the site until there are no more critical updates.21.Install SpywareBlaster - SpywareBlaster will added a large list of programs and sites into your Internet Explorer settings that will protect you from running and downloading known malicious programs.A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:Using SpywareBlaster to protect your computer from Spyware and Mal warehttp://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial49.html22.Update all these programs regularly - Make sure you update all the programs I have listed regularly. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new malicious programs are released.If you think you are infected and the Scanner programs can't find anything (happens a lot) there is a program called Hijackthis that can find the problem. The only problem is that you have to be really good with computers to use it. However you can run it, let it create its log file then post the file to any of several different web sites and someone who is knowledgeable will look it over and give you advice.You can get it here. Its very easy to install as you only need to unzip it then run it. It automatically generates a log when ran and save as a text file. Once you have the log you can post it at these 2 forums. http://www.bleepingc...40ff5df3449Keep in mind that new spyware comes out almost daily and even the best programs can only get a fraction of the spyware that is out there. Mainly because the anti-spyware companies don't know about the new programs. And the very best way to prevent spyware. Run Linux. Unbuntu is FREE and it's much easier to use.