mto wrote:

>
> "Dick Hazeleger" <Dick@post_it_in_the_newsgroup.com> wrote in message
> news:viit9p9ji4rqbf@corp.supernews.com...
> > mto wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > "Earl Brant" <e.b.brant@prodigy.net> wrote in message
> > > news:fB9Wa.139$Mp3.10@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com.. .
> > > > Question: Is Spybot Search & Destroy better than
> > > > Lavasoft/Adware?
> > >
> > > If you are comparing free to free, yes by about a million years.
> > > Example - not long ago my daughter found herself so infected with
> > > spyware of various sorts that her browser window had shrunk to a
> > > vertical space of about 3 inches on a 17 inch monitor. When a
> > > porn-site toolbar magically appeared and would not go away I got
> > > an emergency phone call. AdAware took out ~250 files - but NOT
> > > the porn tool bar. Spybot Search & Destroy got rid of the whole
> > > mess. They did, however, refuse to install a firewall because it
> > > "interferes with their email," didn't raise their security
> > > settings because it "interferes with some of their websites" and
> > > kept the Yahoo Messenger. Several weeks later the phone bill
> > > arrives - with hundreds and hundreds of dollars in phone calls
> > > that they didn't make. Cleaned out the machine again. AdAware
> > > didn't find the dialer(s) - buy Spybot found 2 of them. This
> > > time they agreed to firewalls, upgraded security settings, etc.
> > >
> > > Re paid version of AdAware I cannot comment. Don't use it, don't
> > > know anyone who does.
> > >
> > > > On the website download.com there were some negative feedback
> > > > comments concerning Spybot that it is itself SPYWARE. What
> > > > about this?
> > >
> > > I think this is due to misunderstanding by some that are too lazy
> > > or unintelligent to read the entire name of the program.
> > >
> > > Not to mention that I wouldn't trust much of what download.com
> > > has to say - some of the worst offenders have great download.com
> > > ratings
> > >
> > > I have never seen or heard of any indication that Spybot Search
> > > and Destroy is itself spyware.
> > >
> > > > Also, how does Aluria's Spyware Eliminator compare to Spybot
> > > > and to Lavasoft?
> > >
> > > Most people who post to this forum seems to use and recommend
> > > using both the free version of AdAware and Spybot Search and
> > > Destroy.
> > >
> > > Some add to that Hijack This and Spyware Blaster.
> > >
> > > Never seen Spyware Eliminator recommended by anyone.
> > >
> > >
> > > > In your professional opinion which is the best?
> > > >
> > >
> > > See above.
> >
> > Hi Mto,
> >
> > I hope your daughter has recovered from her infection well... (got
> > it ;-) )
> >
> >
> > To the OP: Do as told, use both legal (not the rip offs I mean) and
> > free programs, use HiJack This, SpywareBlaster, CookieWall (or
> > another good cookie muncher), use an eMail client that shows you
> > HTML in plain text or use an Anti Spam tool that can do that (hint:
> > FrontGate MX from www.presorium.com) to prevent drive by installs
> > through opened HTML mails. Raise your security settings and use a
> > firewall, whatever others say... even those on DUN should use one!
> >
> > Dick
>
> Even if you use Outlook Express you can set your email - both regular
> and news - to show all mail as plain text rather than HTML. The
> newest version also allows you to set it up so that attached files
> (including the html) are blocked from automatically opening.
>
> To set up OE to read in plain text, click Tools/Options/Read then
> make sure that the box that says "Read all messages in plain text" is
> checked. You can add another layer of protection by making sure that
> the "Automatically download messages when viewing in the preview
> pane" is UNchecked.
>
> The functions that allow you to block html and other files from
> opening is under Tool/Options?security in the top half of the screen
> under "Viruses" - use Restricted Zone, "Warn when other apps try to
> send mail as me" and "Do not allow attachments........"

OK, MTO... I also have Outlook Express 5.01 on this system (although
I'm fasing it out)... now tell me then which of the settings under
options I must use to show the messages as plain text. AFAIK that
feature has been implemented in OE6... but now I don't need it anymore
;D, OE crashed that much, that I decided to use two separate programs
for mail and news and I like em both (FoxMail and XanaNews) very much.

Greetings
Dick