Spybot - Lavasoft - Spyware Eliminator

[Earl Brant]

Question: Is Spybot Search & Destroy better than Lavasoft/Adware?

On the website download.com there were some negative feedback comments
concerning Spybot that it is itself SPYWARE. What about this?

Also, how does Aluria's Spyware Eliminator compare to Spybot and to
Lavasoft?

In your professional opinion which is the best?

Thanks,

Earl Brant

[mto]

"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.

[Dave Higham]

"mto" <nobody@atdon'tbothertowrite.com> wrote in message
news:07-dnXO7Xb-otrSiXTWJkQ@seg.net...

> Re paid version of AdAware I cannot comment. Don't use it, don't know
> anyone who does.

I do - there now you know someone ;-)

Reason being - I like the Ad-watch feature and that doesn't come with the
free version. Detection engine is the same for both the free and the paid
AFAIK.

> Most people who post to this forum seems to use and recommend using both
the
> free version of AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy.

Agree 100%. I run both - why limit the number of tools in your box.

> Some add to that Hijack This and Spyware Blaster.

Agreed with Hijack This, also Cookie Wall. All the above seem to live
together happily enough.

Dave

[Dick Hazeleger]

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

[mto]

"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
> ;-) )

Hi Dick -

Thanks for asking. Yes, their machine is "all better" at least temporarily.
I say temporarily because they are young enough to still have that "isn't
going to happen to me" syndrome to some extent and it seems to apply also to
their computer. Pretty hard to have all the "latest & greatest" free
software toys and no spyware simultaneously. They will learn

MTO

[LOUIE M]

adware is the best never a problem using it
"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?
>
> On the website download.com there were some negative feedback comments
> concerning Spybot that it is itself SPYWARE. What about this?
>
> Also, how does Aluria's Spyware Eliminator compare to Spybot and to
> Lavasoft?
>
> In your professional opinion which is the best?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Earl Brant
>
>
>

[Aaron]

"mto" <nobody@atdon'tbothertowrite.com> wrote in
news:07-dnXO7Xb-otrSiXTWJkQ@seg.net:

>
> "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?
>> 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.

There's a recent virus, named "spybot" over the protests of the spybot
S&D team i think. Personally, i'm thinking using the name spybot s&D
which always gets shortened to Spybot is not too bright an idea.

Aaron
--
Want to learn how to use Winboard and the 150+ free Winboard
Chess engines?Visit http://www.aarontay.per.sg/Winboard/

[BillW]

To say one is better than the other shows your ignorance. At any instant in
time one program may find a file the other didn't. Chances are you were not
using the latest updates or even the latest level of the program. Since you
were running a wide open system the latest spyware could have been on it and
disabled some of the search function. Both programs are excellent but will
not overcome the ignorance of the uninformed user......


"mto" <nobody@atdon'tbothertowrite.com> wrote in message
news:07-dnXO7Xb-otrSiXTWJkQ@seg.net...
>
> "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.
>
>

[mto]

"BillW" <TheCrow@nesting.com> wrote in message
news:cxuWa.15166$Vx2.7586715@newssvr28.news.prodig y.com...
> To say one is better than the other shows your ignorance. At any instant
in
> time one program may find a file the other didn't. Chances are you were
not
> using the latest updates or even the latest level of the program. Since
you
> were running a wide open system the latest spyware could have been on it
and
> disabled some of the search function. Both programs are excellent but will
> not overcome the ignorance of the uninformed user......

Please note that **I** was not running a wide open system - a "grown" child
who no longer lives with me was. I am neither so ignorant nor so foolish.

I use both AdAware and SpyBot Search and Destroy(updated daily) along with
the highest possible security allowed by MS, an antivirus updated every 3
hours and multiple firewalls (the one built into XP, the one built into the
av as well as a dedicated firewall) as I have clearly stated many times.

AdAware does a very good job at what it does. It has some serious
drawbacks, however, not least of which is that there are a number of
exceedingly harmful programs that it does not pick up - like those dialers I
wrote about. It also does not prevent or alert you to installation of
anything as Spybot will if you use the Immunize function.

I stand by what I said - if you have to pick just one (and that is foolish
since they are both rather small programs that function well together for
nearly everyone) then choose SpyBot Search and Destroy, since it is ~a
million times better at catching the most harmful things.

> "mto" <nobody@atdon'tbothertowrite.com> wrote in message
> news:07-dnXO7Xb-otrSiXTWJkQ@seg.net...
> >
> > "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.
> >
> >
>
>

[Little Johnny]

Now that paragraph from BillW should be in the FAQ. Could change it a
little to cover everyone instead of one person but it 'bout says it right.
My neighbor down loaded SB S&D, and AAW, installed and ran. Worked with
them like that for two weeks, till he found out you can update.
"yu ave too bee spmarter than da chine". In order to do that you have to
read.
I have set up programs and wished it would or wouldn't do something. Then
one day while reading the read me files........duh I found out it will do
it. It's called "OP" "Operator Error". Or lazy or ignorance.
If you can find programs that get along and run fine on your sys, I say go
for it.
Someone said here, "You can't have too many tool in your tool box".
A good AV program, fire wall, SB S&D, AdAW and anything else you can make
work well.
What AV and fire wall is up to you. Some require some work and upkeep, some
don't.
IMMHO I think they all do a good job. Some take a lot of resources to do
the same thing another one will do with less resources.
Running a computer "on line" has gotten to be like sex. "You can't do it
without protection".
You have to decide what protection you are happy with and is best for you.

"BillW" <TheCrow@nesting.com> wrote in message
news:cxuWa.15166$Vx2.7586715@newssvr28.news.prodig y.com...
> To say one is better than the other shows your ignorance. At any instant
in
> time one program may find a file the other didn't. Chances are you were
not
> using the latest updates or even the latest level of the program. Since
you
> were running a wide open system the latest spyware could have been on it
and
> disabled some of the search function. Both programs are excellent but will
> not overcome the ignorance of the uninformed user......
>
>
> "mto" <nobody@atdon'tbothertowrite.com> wrote in message
> news:07-dnXO7Xb-otrSiXTWJkQ@seg.net...
> >
> > "Earl Brant" <e.b.brant@prodigy.net> wrote in message
> > news:fB9Wa.139$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.
> >
> >
>
>