Spybot S&D

[KJamesJR]

Is Spybot still a viable Anti-Virus? I've been using it forever. It's free and with great support forums. I also enjoy the UI. I can set the priority levels (scan speeds), start up functions... etc etc.

Some feedback or other recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Yami]

Keep in mind Spybot isn't really designed to be a constant AV program, it's just for on-demand scanning of spyware (rather than malware). Anyway, it's still useful and effective at that, I keep a link to it in my signature.

 

[KSoD]

It is not an anti-virus. It never was. It is just like Windows Defender. It will protect you from tracking cookies and some stuff like that, but it will not protect you against malicious items like Trojans, Viruses and Worms.

 

[KJamesJR]

But it has removed malicious viruses before... When I used to run it in safe mode. It would destroy everything. I don't like Anti-Viruses that run in the background. Maybe because I've been so used to running low end, old, CPUs. So what would be a good secondary Anti-Virus? Or if someone could combo Anti-viruses, what would they be?

 

[KSoD]

Those were malicious items that are not classified as Trojans, Viruses or Worms. They were just malicious cookies.

As stated directly by Spybot themselves:

Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies.

Even they say they are just to remove spyware. There is many forms of spyware. Some are malicious some are not. So those malicious ones they removed were probably hijacks or worse. But they were not classified as the items i mention above.

If you are looking for a decent low CPU using AV try Microsoft Security Essentials.

 

[KJamesJR]

Okay... Do I have to pay for it?

 

[KSoD]

If you would click the link you would have your answer...but no it is completely free for life.

 

[KJamesJR]

Yeah, I clicked it a while ago.

 

[Yami]

If you are looking for a decent low CPU using AV try Microsoft Security Essentials.

Agreed; I use it, and it's quite good. Also have a link for it in my signature

Edit: Or I would, if Rapidshare wasn't blocked at my school, so I can't actually see the image in my signature.

 

[covertAHhps]

Spybot is totally awesome for removing viruses! I use it all the time.

You don't need to pay for anything to get rid of some of even the nastiest viruses.

I never use more than 6 things to remove viruses and its all free:
- Might have to boot into safe mode with networking.
- Turn off your system restore.
- Cleanup (just some basic software some guy made that deletes temp files and stuff). Get it here somewhere: www.stevengould.org
- Do a system scan using hijackthis and 'fix' everything that you are not sure of. You will want to get familiar with what this software detects in their scan if you want to be able to do things like get a computer with a nasty virus up and running in just a few minutes so that you can get back to work while running scans in the background to clean it up. I would recommend getting this software now and doing a scan just to see the list as it looks when your computer is NOT infected with a virus so that you can get familiar with everything that is legit. It is pretty easy to tell what is malicious when you are familiar with this scan and the legit things that it pulls.
- LSP fix is a must-have as well. Like hijackthis, run it right when you get it so that you know what legit stuff that it pulls.
- Use Malwarebytes AND spybot s&d to find and delete the remaining infected files. I always run both because these can find things that others do not.
- Use Process Explorer (free software as well) to find any files that nothing else has found if you know that there is still something wrong. A good way to find the infections is to watch this software as you do something like launch a web browser to see that is active while you do that.

I wouldn't pay a penny to any virus removal company . ... ever!

If you want virus protection that runs in the background AVG works good and is free as well.

: )