What is the best free spyware removal tool?

roughy101 · 23-02-2005, 13:55

my daughter has just got broadband, new computer, etc can anyone advise good spyware to download or does she need to buy one.

Cyclone · 23-02-2005, 13:57

spyware filter, spyware removal...

spyware itself comes for free and downloads without your knowledge.

AdAware, microsoft spyware removal tool (beta).

DanSumption · 23-02-2005, 14:15

Spybot Search & Destroy seems better than AdAware, but each of them pick up things that the other doesn't so well worth downloading both (they're free). After doing that, I was once left with a single popup hack which neither of them spotted, but which I managed to get rid of using a trial version of a commercial program (I forget which one though).

Avalon · 23-02-2005, 14:17

Quote:

Originally posted by roughy101
my daughter has just got broadband, new computer, etc can anyone advise good spyware to download or does she need to buy one.

Judt go to any porn site, and youll get tracking cookies, data miners and all sorts!

Seriously though, i have Ad-Aware SE and Spybot S&D and they are both good...except Spybit crashed my PC today...

steevie/d · 23-02-2005, 14:29

just go to avast .com and download it for free last for 1 year then re regester evry year down load home edition keeps itself updated down loads automacticaly hope this helps you bests regards steve ...

Rich · 23-02-2005, 16:15

Download Adaware from www.lavasoft.com and AVG Anti-virus from www.grisoft.com, all you need for a virus and spyware free PC... AND, they both come free, gratis and for nowt.

vidster · 23-02-2005, 16:51

I use Ad-Aware SE and Spybot S&D.

I installed Microsoft Anti Spyware beta the day before yesterday. As soon as i installed it my laptop started playing up. It took TEN minutes to go in to standby and then refused to come out of standby. I had to force a shut-down in the end. I tried re-installing it, defragging the HD etc but it wasn't having it so i uninstalled it.

I believe it will be a great program but until the bugs are fixed i'll be sticking with Ad-Aware and Spybot!

matsalleh · 24-02-2005, 04:50

So would it make sense to have more than one anti virus/spyware programme installed ?Thinking if one misses something the other might pick it up,or would one get in the way of the other ?

Jamie · 24-02-2005, 08:18

Quote:

Originally posted by vidster
I installed Microsoft Anti Spyware beta the day before yesterday. As soon as i installed it my laptop started playing up. It took TEN minutes to go in to standby and then refused to come out of standby. I had to force a shut-down in the end. I tried re-installing it, defragging the HD etc but it wasn't having it so i uninstalled it.

I believe it will be a great program but until the bugs are fixed i'll be sticking with Ad-Aware and Spybot!

Does anyone know if Microsoft Anti Spyware will be free or not !?

Cyclone · 24-02-2005, 08:38

Quote:

Originally posted by matsalleh
So would it make sense to have more than one anti virus/spyware programme installed ?Thinking if one misses something the other might pick it up,or would one get in the way of the other ?

anti virus, no.
spyware removal tool, yes.

vidster · 24-02-2005, 11:03

Quote:

Originally posted by matsalleh
So would it make sense to have more than one anti virus/spyware programme installed ?Thinking if one misses something the other might pick it up,or would one get in the way of the other ?

As long as they don't both have real-time monitoring of your computer (and even then i doubt there would be a huge problem) there is no problem with having more than one anti spyware program.
I have Ad-Aware SE and Spybot search and destroy installed on my computer. One program tends to pick up on what the other one misses. I run these programs at least once a week.

It is also worth mentioning that i have SpywareGuard and Spyware blaster installed on my computer too. One of them constantly monitors for spyware and the other one looks out for any Trojans and ActiveX programs being installed.

LINKS:
Spywareguard 2.2

SpywareBlaster 3.2

Ad-Aware SE

Spybot search and destroy

matsalleh · 24-02-2005, 14:48

Many thanks guys

SHarper · 24-02-2005, 16:16

Vidster, am I right in thinking that now I have installed Ad-Aware SE and Spybot s & d, I dont have to bother renewing my Norton2004 when it runs out in a couple of weeks?
It seems too good to be true.
I will download Spywareguard and spywareblaster, as per your suggestion.
Do these programs run all the time automatically, or do I have to run them?
Sorry if I'm being a bit thick.....

vidster · 24-02-2005, 18:20

Quote:

Originally posted by SHarper
Vidster, am I right in thinking that now I have installed Ad-Aware SE and Spybot s & d, I dont have to bother renewing my Norton2004 when it runs out in a couple of weeks?
It seems too good to be true.
I will download Spywareguard and SpywareBlaster, as per your suggestion.
Do these programs run all the time automatically, or do I have to run them?
Sorry if I'm being a bit thick.....

Ad-Aware and Spybot are only spyware removal tools. They will not stop viruses, Trojans and hackers. When 'Snortin' Norton runs out you can install a free firewall and free antivirus program. I would recommend AVG7 antivirus and Sygate personal firewall

.
SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard will run constantly in the background and monitor for spyware,Trojans etc... being installed.

[EDIT] It's also worth noting that all the above programs i mentioned are very light on resources

.

AVG7

Sygate personal firewall

DanSumption · 25-02-2005, 15:13

You should only have one anti-virus program running as a real-time monitor, but it's worth running a full scan with a second program from time-to-time. I use Trend Micro's online scan: easy peasy, all you need is a web-browser. Go to:
http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

tslogf74 · 25-02-2005, 21:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamie
Does anyone know if Microsoft Anti Spyware will be free or not !?

Yes, I'm pretty sure it will be.