Anti-Spyware freeware

[Cunjo]

flame me if you wish but spybot and ad aware are terrible. Go with windows defender if you want a free app.

the Windows Defender name now belongs to Microsoft.

Last I heard, Microsoft shut them down and took the name for their own product line.

Also, worth a read - I use Avast!, Kerio PF, Firefox + all the extensions listed there (love your icon BTW) and Spywareblaster... with that I have essentially eliminated the need for a spyware scanner, as I've been fully spyware-free for over a year now.

EDIT: Yes, I am referring to a different "Windows Defender," which had been a good program at one point before Microsoft shut down the nonprofit developer with lawsuit threats over the name. I won't use Microsoft's version for the obvious reasons.

 

[wallace]

I have several that I run manually swapping from one to the other, try a-Squared, I think it is great. Often finds one or two that others don't.
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/

 

[Cunjo]

a² looks nice, but it only comes in Paid and limited free-trial, so it can't be qualified as freeware.

 

[wallace]

No it doesn't, have another look, I have had it for months and have not paid a thing...........look down deep

 

[Cunjo]

Aha! thank you... didn't see the free version.

any idea what kinds of functionality the free version is missing over the paid? or will I juist find out at the end of my 30 days?

 

[wallace]

Free Antispyware (a-squared)

Yes I do. and there is no 30 day trial, it is free, and the missing fuctions are:

1)Configure background guard.
2) Check your system a-squared hijackthis free.

You don't need a background guard, run it manually. Hijackthis can be done direct from its own site.

If you look at the bottom of the program when you open it you will see the expiry date is 1/1/3000 and we will both be dead then!

Make sure you update before you scan, and not after.

 

[jdhore1]

I Use:
Spybot Search & Destroy
Microsoft Antispyware (Defender)
SpywareBlaster

NEVER get any Spyware or viruses

 

[wallace]

Good for you - I use two out of the three also, Defender 2 was a headache, so I uninstalled it.

 

[jdhore1]

I feel like John C. Dvorak who says "I get no spam"...I GET NO spyware or viruses

 

[Cunjo]

ditto... or, at least until this last week - I connected to a Wi-Fi network with user-authentication that was swarming with some new, yet-unidentified trojan, and picked up the first infection in over a year (since I began using my current lineup)

After installing noScript, the problem hasn't resurfaced, but then again, they may ahve taken my urgent advice and cleaned the network by now.