This product needs an Expert Mode

I've been in tech support for years, so combating spyware is of special
interest to me. I have used Adaware, Spybot, Spysweeper, and even the
spyware tools present in Symantec AV version 10, and the Microsoft
Antispyware Beta was by far the most functional, feature-rich, and easiest to
use. I was very disappointed, then, when Windows Defender emerged with much
of that functionality stripped away, or at least obfuscated in the interest
of simplifying things for the user.

Don't get me wrong; for most users, this is probably a blessing. The MSASW
beta 1 product gave the user a lot of information, and users generally aren't
interested in becoming spyware experts. They want a big fat button to click,
and a big green flag to tell them everything is ok.

But for guys like me, the loss of the functionality present in MSASW beta 1
is a crippling blow. I used the System Explorer, Browser Hijack reset, and
Tracks Eraser a lot, and I don't find the new interface as intuitive as the
old one. Maybe this will seem less of an issue when the research links
actually work.

I think the final product should have a Basic Mode and Expert Mode. The
former for folks who are, shall we say, "mouse challenged", and the latter
for people who work in tech support and need the ability to gather and assess
information about a potentially infected workstation.

That isn't to say that the engine itself hasn't improved. On my own
workstation, the Beta 1 product never found anything unusual, but the WD Beta
2 alerted me to the fact that my HOSTS file was hijacked. I think the work
you are doing is great.

But please don't give us another mind-numbingly useless product like
OneCare, because when it comes to spyware, less is NOT more, and if I can't
use this tool, I'll have to move on to something else.

I must also add that I think there should be an option to display the systray
icon. Believe it or not, it is comforting to the user to know that the
product is actually running. Make it a checkbox in the application's
options, and configurable by group policy.

"Greg in Alaska" wrote:

> I've been in tech support for years, so combating spyware is of special
> interest to me. I have used Adaware, Spybot, Spysweeper, and even the
> spyware tools present in Symantec AV version 10, and the Microsoft
> Antispyware Beta was by far the most functional, feature-rich, and easiest to
> use. I was very disappointed, then, when Windows Defender emerged with much
> of that functionality stripped away, or at least obfuscated in the interest
> of simplifying things for the user.
>
> Don't get me wrong; for most users, this is probably a blessing. The MSASW
> beta 1 product gave the user a lot of information, and users generally aren't
> interested in becoming spyware experts. They want a big fat button to click,
> and a big green flag to tell them everything is ok.
>
> But for guys like me, the loss of the functionality present in MSASW beta 1
> is a crippling blow. I used the System Explorer, Browser Hijack reset, and
> Tracks Eraser a lot, and I don't find the new interface as intuitive as the
> old one. Maybe this will seem less of an issue when the research links
> actually work.
>
> I think the final product should have a Basic Mode and Expert Mode. The
> former for folks who are, shall we say, "mouse challenged", and the latter
> for people who work in tech support and need the ability to gather and assess
> information about a potentially infected workstation.
>
> That isn't to say that the engine itself hasn't improved. On my own
> workstation, the Beta 1 product never found anything unusual, but the WD Beta
> 2 alerted me to the fact that my HOSTS file was hijacked. I think the work
> you are doing is great.
>
> But please don't give us another mind-numbingly useless product like
> OneCare, because when it comes to spyware, less is NOT more, and if I can't
> use this tool, I'll have to move on to something else.
>

They've said that this option will become available, although the default
will remain the present behavior.
--

"Greg in Alaska" <GreginAlaska@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9234769D-C4D4-4B6F-914A-9FDF804B34F1@microsoft.com...
>I must also add that I think there should be an option to display the
>systray
> icon. Believe it or not, it is comforting to the user to know that the
> product is actually running. Make it a checkbox in the application's
> options, and configurable by group policy.
>
> "Greg in Alaska" wrote:
>
>> I've been in tech support for years, so combating spyware is of special
>> interest to me. I have used Adaware, Spybot, Spysweeper, and even the
>> spyware tools present in Symantec AV version 10, and the Microsoft
>> Antispyware Beta was by far the most functional, feature-rich, and
>> easiest to
>> use. I was very disappointed, then, when Windows Defender emerged with
>> much
>> of that functionality stripped away, or at least obfuscated in the
>> interest
>> of simplifying things for the user.
>>
>> Don't get me wrong; for most users, this is probably a blessing. The
>> MSASW
>> beta 1 product gave the user a lot of information, and users generally
>> aren't
>> interested in becoming spyware experts. They want a big fat button to
>> click,
>> and a big green flag to tell them everything is ok.
>>
>> But for guys like me, the loss of the functionality present in MSASW beta
>> 1
>> is a crippling blow. I used the System Explorer, Browser Hijack reset,
>> and
>> Tracks Eraser a lot, and I don't find the new interface as intuitive as
>> the
>> old one. Maybe this will seem less of an issue when the research links
>> actually work.
>>
>> I think the final product should have a Basic Mode and Expert Mode. The
>> former for folks who are, shall we say, "mouse challenged", and the
>> latter
>> for people who work in tech support and need the ability to gather and
>> assess
>> information about a potentially infected workstation.
>>
>> That isn't to say that the engine itself hasn't improved. On my own
>> workstation, the Beta 1 product never found anything unusual, but the WD
>> Beta
>> 2 alerted me to the fact that my HOSTS file was hijacked. I think the
>> work
>> you are doing is great.
>>
>> But please don't give us another mind-numbingly useless product like
>> OneCare, because when it comes to spyware, less is NOT more, and if I
>> can't
>> use this tool, I'll have to move on to something else.
>>

Greg, I agree with you 100%. I am advising my clients not to move to
Defender until forced to do so. I want the functional control the system
tray icon gave me back along with all the other things now missing.

Yet another annoying issue occurs when you install Defender on a Win 2k Pro
system and you receive a GDI+ required error. One is forced to find and/or
download the gdiplus.dll and copy it to the winnt\system32 folder. Those of
you with .NET and its updates will find it on your hard drive - just search
for the file and copy it to the folder above for Win 2k Pro.

Regarding OneCare - I have coached my clients not to install it as it is
drive and resources clutter. There's enough of that stuff already.

I should note that I deal strickly with small business users that depend
heavily on their computers for conducting business. What may be good for the
home user does not normally mean that it will be good for the business user.
--
ESC = Quit F1 = Help CTRL+ALT+DEL = Bailout Calling a tech = I don''t care
how much it costs, just fix it!


"Greg in Alaska" wrote:

> I've been in tech support for years, so combating spyware is of special
> interest to me. I have used Adaware, Spybot, Spysweeper, and even the
> spyware tools present in Symantec AV version 10, and the Microsoft
> Antispyware Beta was by far the most functional, feature-rich, and easiest to
> use. I was very disappointed, then, when Windows Defender emerged with much
> of that functionality stripped away, or at least obfuscated in the interest
> of simplifying things for the user.
>
> Don't get me wrong; for most users, this is probably a blessing. The MSASW
> beta 1 product gave the user a lot of information, and users generally aren't
> interested in becoming spyware experts. They want a big fat button to click,
> and a big green flag to tell them everything is ok.
>
> But for guys like me, the loss of the functionality present in MSASW beta 1
> is a crippling blow. I used the System Explorer, Browser Hijack reset, and
> Tracks Eraser a lot, and I don't find the new interface as intuitive as the
> old one. Maybe this will seem less of an issue when the research links
> actually work.
>
> I think the final product should have a Basic Mode and Expert Mode. The
> former for folks who are, shall we say, "mouse challenged", and the latter
> for people who work in tech support and need the ability to gather and assess
> information about a potentially infected workstation.
>
> That isn't to say that the engine itself hasn't improved. On my own
> workstation, the Beta 1 product never found anything unusual, but the WD Beta
> 2 alerted me to the fact that my HOSTS file was hijacked. I think the work
> you are doing is great.
>
> But please don't give us another mind-numbingly useless product like
> OneCare, because when it comes to spyware, less is NOT more, and if I can't
> use this tool, I'll have to move on to something else.
>

Hi

> Regarding OneCare - I have coached my clients not to install it as it is
> drive and resources clutter. There's enough of that stuff already.

Sounds like a really good advice.........

One Care > severe bloatware (Njorton look alike)
WD > MS tried with reversed engineering to make in non bloaty



Well maybe this is only "theatre" from MS side........

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/security/

Another "mission impossible"......

regards
plun