Is there enormous differences in how each of these programmes define Spyware? I have installed on my office PC, Spybot, Adaware and now also the Microsoft Spyware remover beta. I scanned my PC first with Adaware, and it reported finding 71 items! (been a while since I scanned this PC). I did not delete these, and then ran the Microsoft programme (without doing any internet useage in between). The Microsoft programmed indentified over 200 items (relating to 8 actual spyware programmes (it give much more info about what it finds than Adaware)). I removed these with the programme. I then re-ran Adaware, and lo and behold it once again reported 71 items! I used it to remove them. This suggested that ecah programme had found a completely different set of 'spyware'. I then used Spybot which for the first time in over a year actually had an update available and I near fell off my seat when it found 4 more items of spyware!

What is going on?, how many rival spyware programmes do you need to actually clean your PC?

What is going on?, how many rival spyware programmes do you need to actually clean your PC?

In my quest to remove the LOP spyware (installed as part of Messenger Plus if you don't read the T&C's ), I found that a lot of the pay-for solutions were much more thorough and seemed to turn up a consistent number of finds, although I was only using the free trials so couldn't try out their cleaning abilities. Spybot and Adaware seem to vary wildly and rarely overlap. I've not tried the MS one as yet

Chris

I run ad-aware, spybot search and destroy, and spywear blaster. I think that is more than enough for me. If there's anything else lurking, well, it can stay there.

Know what you mean though, it's a pain in the backside :grumpy:

AdAware reports every tracking cookie it finds as an "item" including the Briskoda one. While this is a safe approach, it's also a little paranoid. How many of the 71 items were cookies, William.

Interestingly Microsoft seem to have started rolling out the spyware remover via Windows Update. It installed itself on my home laptop last night. There was no sign of a user interface after a reboot though - maybe I will go looking for it tonight. Start->Programs, or Control Panel? Anybody know?

Yep , mine picked up the MS one but I couldn't see where it had installed itself.

Same with me, but I manually installed and ran from the link posted a few days ago on Briskoda, so not sure it is the same thing.

AdAware reports every tracking cookie it finds as an "item" including the Briskoda one. While this is a safe approach' date=' it's also a little paranoid. How many of the 71 items were cookies, William.

Interestingly Microsoft seem to have started rolling out the spyware remover via Windows Update. It installed itself on my home laptop last night. There was no sign of a user interface after a reboot though - maybe I will go looking for it tonight. Start->Programs, or Control Panel? Anybody know?[/quote']

As far as I could see all were cookies. Perhaps Adaware is just pooh.

AdAware is one of the better ones. The MS Beta works 'deeper' in that it also appears to be doing some almost firewall-like protection.

It is worth running a different one every once in a while as when one makes a real leap in progress, others fall behind, after a while it's leapfrogging time...

Some of these spyware proggies are total dogs, others don't really bother me from a functionality perspective, but annoy me as they're spyware...

If you don't use P2P proggies you tend to not get too many of the really bad ones, but if you use online banking I'd remain as paranoid as possible to avoid nasty surprises

I use Spybot and Adaware. They usually dont find anything at all, mainly becaus I use a quality temp/ cache etc wiping program in Tracka Eraser Pro, which I follow up with MRU Buster.

If I dont run the cleaning programs then stuff is there with Spybot and Adaware, but as I said after running TE Pro, nothing is there.

Hey

working in a computer shop, i have come across a fair few spy ware removal tools. the best ones that i found are Spy bot search and destroy and Adaware remover. these are both free and can be found easily by using google.

:bounce:

So Andy you delete all your cookies and log on to every site each time you visit it? That's dedication - too lazy myself

So Andy you delete all your cookies and log on to every site each time you visit it? That's dedication - too lazy myself

Delete every cookie, bit of cache, temp file, net history, deleted emails as well as countless programs history too.

Sometimes, the wipe can relieve 256meg of crap etc.(Admitedly after a weekend of surfing, work etc etc.)

Used to run the free version of Ad Aware, but have switched to the Pro Version which identifies and removes move spyware than the free version. Again ran free version no web browsing etc run pro version tons more found

I understood the search engine of both to be the same, the main difference being that the paid for versions have real-time checking and other bits that are similar to other cleaning proggies, such as a file shredder.