Combatting Spyware & Adware: Proven Strategies to Avoid Infection

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around strategies and software for combatting spyware and adware, focusing on methods to avoid infection and the effectiveness of various programs. Participants share personal experiences and recommendations regarding different tools and practices.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that AVG virus scanner is the only program that completely eliminates spyware based on their experience.
  • Another participant recommends several free tools, including Process Guard, TDS anti-trojan, Avast antivirus, Spybot Search & Destroy, Ad-aware, and Cwshredder, noting their functionalities and limitations.
  • Some participants advocate for using Firefox and Thunderbird for safer browsing and email, citing their lack of ActiveX and additional security features.
  • One participant mentions that Spy Sweeper is effective but requires registration.
  • Concerns are raised by multiple participants regarding the potential harm Ad-Aware may cause to computers, with one reporting crashes during a scan.
  • A participant warns against blindly removing all detected items by removal software, suggesting that research should be done before taking action.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the effectiveness and safety of specific software, particularly Ad-Aware, with some suggesting it can be harmful while others recommend it. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best practices for spyware removal and the reliability of various tools.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the importance of careful consideration when using removal software, indicating that some programs may have flaws or unintended consequences. There is also mention of varying experiences with different tools, suggesting that effectiveness may depend on individual circumstances.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals seeking advice on preventing spyware and adware infections, as well as those looking for recommendations on software tools for protection and removal.

megashawn
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I was thinking, since spy and adware seems to be running out of control nowadays, what methods have you come up with to aviod the intrusion/infection of such software.

What programs have you found that actually work?


I've tried several myself, Adaware and Spybot being about the best, but neither of them completely removing all of the spy/adware.

The only program I've found thus far that completely eliminates all spyware, has been AVG virus scanner.

www.grisoft.com/[/URL]

I was thinking that this would make for a good topic for a few reasons. One, so that we can all pool our ideas on eliminating spyware, and two, attract more ppl to the site because it seems spyware is a hot topic.
 
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Process guard is free. Use it to stop programs installing trojans and stuff.
http://www.diamondcs.com.au/processguard/index.php?page=download

TDS anti trojan. Free 30 day trial.
http://tds.diamondcs.com.au/index.php?page=download

Avast anti virus is free. A larger number of detections than AVG, Grisoft antivirus. It uses a lot of PC CPU power though.
http://www.avast.com/eng/download/programs/avast_4_home_downloa.html

Spybot search & destroy is free. It prevents spyware. It has one detection that shows on every scan. That's just a program flaw.
http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022-10289035.html?tag=lst-0-2

Ad aware is free. It prevents spyware.
http://www.download.com/Ad-aware/3000-8022-10214379.html?tag=lst-0-1

Mozilla.org firefox browser. Doesn't use active X, so is safer than Internet explorer, has a pop-up blocker. You have to add the java and macromedia, that's simple to do, just click the install button when you see it on a web page and your done.
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Mozilla.org email program. If in options you choose block loading of remote images, I hear it's safer the Outlook express. To use it in windows 98 download winrar first so you can open the email program. Choose Localized WinRAR versions, and your language, download it.
http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm
Then download Thunderbird email program from mozilla.org. http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/

Buy a router if you surf online with high speed internet. It's a hardware firewall. Stops bad hackers.
http://dlink.com/products/?pid=62

Cwshredder. Deals with browser malware. Like when your start page goes bad. It's free.
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
 
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Recommend:
Firefox!
Ad-aware!
Thunderbird!


and if you're really 1337:
gentoo!
MacOSX!
 
Spy Sweeper is also nice dealing with sptware...anyway...it requires registering :|
 
I've heard that Ad-Aware can harm your computer
 
z4955 said:
I've heard that Ad-Aware can harm your computer

i downloading ad-aware, and my computer kept crashing while running the scan, so i uninstalled.
 
I think overall you can do quite a bit of harm to your computer if you just blindly eradicate everything the different removal software discover ... had to learn this the hard way ... nowadays google before removing much of anything.
 

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