PC experts, HELP! questions on Adaware and Spybot

97tbird · Jul 12, 2004

I've installed Adaware from Lavasoft.com to clean up my PC from Spyware etc, and it did the job pretty good.

Now, I've also downloaded and installed "Spybot"(from safer-networking.org), which is supposed to be compatible with "Adaware", but I haven't done any scanning with Spybot yet:

Can I also run Spybot, although I already have run Adaware? Have any of you run both of those on the same PC? will it screw things up?

And do I really need Spybot when I already have Adaware? or is Adaware enough?

Of the two, which one would you keep/use IF it's not good to use both of them on the same PC?

How often should you run Adaware/Spybot to clean the PC clean of Spyware?

Any answers/help/advice would help me greatly,
Thanks a lot in advance.

Pablo · Jul 12, 2004

Spybot is far superior to Adaware. I have both, they are completly compatable, but I find Adaware pointless.

cadjak · Jul 12, 2004

I have both, and have found a few times when one will pick up some malware that the other missed. It doesn't hurt to have them both. Obviously, don't get impatient and run them at the same time.

-cadjak

jthorner · Jul 12, 2004

I use them both, and I agree with cadjak. No matter which order I run them in, both adaware and spybot finds things which the other one missed.

Just as with virus scan software, make sure to download updates regularly.

John

Jelly · Jul 12, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Pablo:
Spybot is far superior to Adaware. I have both, they are completly compatable, but I find Adaware pointless.

On my computer, which runs Firefox and ZoneAlarm, Ad-aware has never once caught anything on a scan.

On that same note though, Spybot never catches anything but a "DSO Exploit" each time I run it which amounts to nothing.

On other computers though (Ones not taken care of, running IE with no protection, etc, etc....) Spybot and Adaware both have caught a GREAT DEAL of "BAD" stuff...

Jelly · Jul 12, 2004

*I've installed Adaware from Lavasoft.com to clean up my PC from Spyware etc, and it did the job pretty good.

Good.

*Can I also run Spybot, although I already have run Adaware? Have any of you run both of those on the same PC? will it screw things up?

Yes. Yes. No.

*And do I really need Spybot when I already have Adaware? or is Adaware enough?

If you're using IE, then I'd use both. If you're using Firefox, you only need Spybot.

*Of the two, which one would you keep/use IF it's not good to use both of them on the same PC?

Both are good. It's perfectly fine to run both.

*How often should you run Adaware/Spybot to clean the PC clean of Spyware?

As much as you want. How much do you use your computer and how "crazy" are you about keeping it up-to-date and in good health? Seriously though, once a week would be just fine.

97tbird · Jul 12, 2004

Thanks a lot for all your advice,

I just ran SpyBot, and it did detect 43 more things that Adaware apparently missed ( it still didn't detect Weatherbug, though; but I'm keeping the W-Bug for now; As stated I don't think it's that bad)

I'm pretty satisfied for now.

I looked at that Spysweeper, too. Iwasn't sure weather it was free, though. I don't know weather I need it right now, but if I do, I'd ask you guys again about how to get it free, if it's possible.

thanks again for everything.

tmorris1 · Jul 13, 2004

Adaware has to be manually run whereas Spybot can be set to run and scan all the time like a virus scanner. Adaware won't find anything unless you tell it to.

Drew99GT · Jul 13, 2004

I've tried many anti-spyware programs including spybot and adware, and they both routinly do not catch a few malicious programs that a program called Spysweeper catches.

Pablo · Jul 13, 2004

I stick by what I wrote....the last 6 months or so, Adaware caught nothing, zero, nada, zilch...

T-Keith · Jul 13, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Jelly:

quote:

Originally posted by Pablo:
Spybot is far superior to Adaware. I have both, they are completly compatable, but I find Adaware pointless.

Click to expand...

On my computer, which runs Firefox and ZoneAlarm, Ad-aware has never once caught anything on a scan.

On that same note though, Spybot never catches anything but a "DSO Exploit" each time I run it which amounts to nothing.

On other computers though (Ones not taken care of, running IE with no protection, etc, etc....) Spybot and Adaware both have caught a GREAT DEAL of "BAD" stuff...

I've experienced the same thing, I'm not sure if Adaware searches Firefox's cookies. Not sure about the DSO exploit that keeps coming up either.

I think that the Imunize feature does a good job and keeping spyware of, but if there hasn't been an update for a while, Spybot does catch some things.

Only tracking cookies with Firefox.

-T

Jelly · Jul 13, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Pablo:
I stick by what I wrote....the last 6 months or so, Adaware caught nothing, zero, nada, zilch...

In regards to my personal computer Pabs, I 110% agree with you. Adaware has caught absolutely nothing!

JohnnyO · Jul 16, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by 97tbird:
How often should you run Adaware/Spybot to clean the PC clean of Spyware?

Depends on how much porn you look at.

Spybot used to catch a lot but since I installed StopZilla pop-up blocker, there's almost nothing.

97tbird · Jul 17, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by JohnnyO:

quote:

Originally posted by 97tbird:
How often should you run Adaware/Spybot to clean the PC clean of Spyware?

Click to expand...

Depends on how much porn you look at.

Spybot used to catch a lot but since I installed StopZilla pop-up blocker, there's almost nothing.

-------------------

Can you get this StopZilla for free?

JohnnyO · Jul 17, 2004

As I recall, the first 30 days is a free trial, then you have to buy it but it doesn't cost much. It does save what it blocks, so you have to click the taskbar icon once in a while to clear it.

honus402 · Jul 18, 2004

I run both Spybot and Adaware plus another free program called "Win Patrol", which I consider to be the icing on the cake. All are compatable with each other.
Win Patrol's free version is located at:
WWW.Winpatrol.com

Jelly · Jul 18, 2004

Since I've gone to exclusively running Mozilla Firefox, I've deleted Adaware and Spybot from my computer. After many, many scans, Adaware found absolutely nothing and Spybot only came up with a DSO exploit.

No need for either one when using Firefox.

I'm stil using ZoneAlarm though.

PC experts, HELP! questions on Adaware and Spybot

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