adware/spyware/norton

Can someone please tell me the difference between adware and spyware?

I have windows xp w/Norton antivirus, when a friend recommended lavasoft and
then adware, my system was in a constant restarting screen, I did a system
restore and all is fine now, so ? can u run or install adware/spyware while
also running Norton?

Also just went from a dial up connection to dsl - my Norton is expiring this
month and my msn premium comes with mcafee antivirus so do i need to wait
till subscription runs out on Norton and then activate the mcafee ? or do i
just activate the mcafee and let the Norton subscript expire?

thanks for any help

The Lavasoft application, "Ad Aware," uses a routinely updated database of
known "adware and spyware" applications to search your system for such
applications.

Adware are generally free applications that are supported by advertising
they push to the user through their application interface. They are close
to spyware in that they usually contain some component that sends
information about what the user views online and/or any ads clicked in the
interface.

Spyware is similar but can be far more intrusive as it often sends a record
of anything you do, even things you don't do or send online, passwords,
financial records, private correspondence could all be at risk.

If your MSN Premium account actually installs McAfee Antivirus along with
its own software, then you shouldn't need Norton and you can simply let it
expire but you should remove Norton Antivirus before installing the new
software.

If McAfee is only protecting your online MSN account, essentially the online
e-mail account, then that is not enough, you won't be fully protected and
you will need to maintain either Norton or some other antivirus. The way
you'll know with regard to McAfee is if you can scan your system using their
software, it has options for updates and has an annual subscription fee (It
may apply after 6 months or a year free with your MSN subscription unless
its included in the MSN subscription) then you likely don't need Norton.

You may need to contact MSN tech support for information regarding whether
or not McAfee is only protecting your online e-mail or if it is installed on
your system Understand, regardless of what they tell you, if you cannot
use it to scan your system, then they have misunderstood and are using the
fact it protects your online e-mail account as a fact of protecting your
system. There is a difference.


--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"linda" <wizzabooo@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uTmX6jRZEHA.996@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Can someone please tell me the difference between adware and spyware?
>
> I have windows xp w/Norton antivirus, when a friend recommended lavasoft
> and
> then adware, my system was in a constant restarting screen, I did a system
> restore and all is fine now, so ? can u run or install adware/spyware
> while
> also running Norton?
>
> Also just went from a dial up connection to dsl - my Norton is expiring
> this
> month and my msn premium comes with mcafee antivirus so do i need to wait
> till subscription runs out on Norton and then activate the mcafee ? or do
> i
> just activate the mcafee and let the Norton subscript expire?
>
> thanks for any help
>
>

Thx for the info, can u tell me how I would know if my computer has spyware
etc.? Or is it enough when Norton does a scan of my computer ?


"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP Windows Shell/User)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in
message news:OLKuNRTZEHA.556@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> The Lavasoft application, "Ad Aware," uses a routinely updated database of
> known "adware and spyware" applications to search your system for such
> applications.
>
> Adware are generally free applications that are supported by advertising
> they push to the user through their application interface. They are close
> to spyware in that they usually contain some component that sends
> information about what the user views online and/or any ads clicked in the
> interface.
>
> Spyware is similar but can be far more intrusive as it often sends a
record
> of anything you do, even things you don't do or send online, passwords,
> financial records, private correspondence could all be at risk.
>
> If your MSN Premium account actually installs McAfee Antivirus along with
> its own software, then you shouldn't need Norton and you can simply let it
> expire but you should remove Norton Antivirus before installing the new
> software.
>
> If McAfee is only protecting your online MSN account, essentially the
online
> e-mail account, then that is not enough, you won't be fully protected and
> you will need to maintain either Norton or some other antivirus. The way
> you'll know with regard to McAfee is if you can scan your system using
their
> software, it has options for updates and has an annual subscription fee
(It
> may apply after 6 months or a year free with your MSN subscription unless
> its included in the MSN subscription) then you likely don't need Norton.
>
> You may need to contact MSN tech support for information regarding whether
> or not McAfee is only protecting your online e-mail or if it is installed
on
> your system Understand, regardless of what they tell you, if you cannot
> use it to scan your system, then they have misunderstood and are using the
> fact it protects your online e-mail account as a fact of protecting your
> system. There is a difference.
>
>
> --
> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
> Windows Shell/User
> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>
> "linda" <wizzabooo@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uTmX6jRZEHA.996@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > Can someone please tell me the difference between adware and spyware?
> >
> > I have windows xp w/Norton antivirus, when a friend recommended lavasoft
> > and
> > then adware, my system was in a constant restarting screen, I did a
system
> > restore and all is fine now, so ? can u run or install adware/spyware
> > while
> > also running Norton?
> >
> > Also just went from a dial up connection to dsl - my Norton is expiring
> > this
> > month and my msn premium comes with mcafee antivirus so do i need to
wait
> > till subscription runs out on Norton and then activate the mcafee ? or
do
> > i
> > just activate the mcafee and let the Norton subscript expire?
> >
> > thanks for any help
> >
> >
>
>

Norton is essentially an antivirus application. Even though some versions
included spyware and adware detection, you really need a more robust
utility, one designed specifically for the task. Ad Aware has a free
version that should suit your needs available at the link below and note,
you need to run these applications, in other words, you need to scan your
system with these apps regularly; something you should do with antivirus
software as well:
www.lavasoftusa.com

There are other stronger applications than Ad Aware but they are extremely
robust and are not for the novice as they dig deep into the Windows
registry. Even with Ad Aware, the rule of thumb you should use when it
comes to deletion of items it finds, when in doubt, don't! You can usually
search items of which you are unsure using Google which will often tell you
if the item is spyware related or if it is a system related.

As with any issue of this type, be sure your data is backed up and you
probably should make a restore point in System Restore before running one of
these applications. Start\All Programs|Accessories\System Tools\System
Restore.
--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"linda" <wizzabooo@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23htnTlZZEHA.2500@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Thx for the info, can u tell me how I would know if my computer has
> spyware
> etc.? Or is it enough when Norton does a scan of my computer ?
>
>
> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP Windows Shell/User)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in
> message news:OLKuNRTZEHA.556@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> The Lavasoft application, "Ad Aware," uses a routinely updated database
>> of
>> known "adware and spyware" applications to search your system for such
>> applications.
>>
>> Adware are generally free applications that are supported by advertising
>> they push to the user through their application interface. They are
>> close
>> to spyware in that they usually contain some component that sends
>> information about what the user views online and/or any ads clicked in
>> the
>> interface.
>>
>> Spyware is similar but can be far more intrusive as it often sends a
> record
>> of anything you do, even things you don't do or send online, passwords,
>> financial records, private correspondence could all be at risk.
>>
>> If your MSN Premium account actually installs McAfee Antivirus along with
>> its own software, then you shouldn't need Norton and you can simply let
>> it
>> expire but you should remove Norton Antivirus before installing the new
>> software.
>>
>> If McAfee is only protecting your online MSN account, essentially the
> online
>> e-mail account, then that is not enough, you won't be fully protected and
>> you will need to maintain either Norton or some other antivirus. The way
>> you'll know with regard to McAfee is if you can scan your system using
> their
>> software, it has options for updates and has an annual subscription fee
> (It
>> may apply after 6 months or a year free with your MSN subscription unless
>> its included in the MSN subscription) then you likely don't need Norton.
>>
>> You may need to contact MSN tech support for information regarding
>> whether
>> or not McAfee is only protecting your online e-mail or if it is installed
> on
>> your system Understand, regardless of what they tell you, if you cannot
>> use it to scan your system, then they have misunderstood and are using
>> the
>> fact it protects your online e-mail account as a fact of protecting your
>> system. There is a difference.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
>> Windows Shell/User
>> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
>> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>>
>> "linda" <wizzabooo@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:uTmX6jRZEHA.996@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> > Can someone please tell me the difference between adware and spyware?
>> >
>> > I have windows xp w/Norton antivirus, when a friend recommended
>> > lavasoft
>> > and
>> > then adware, my system was in a constant restarting screen, I did a
> system
>> > restore and all is fine now, so ? can u run or install adware/spyware
>> > while
>> > also running Norton?
>> >
>> > Also just went from a dial up connection to dsl - my Norton is expiring
>> > this
>> > month and my msn premium comes with mcafee antivirus so do i need to
> wait
>> > till subscription runs out on Norton and then activate the mcafee ? or
> do
>> > i
>> > just activate the mcafee and let the Norton subscript expire?
>> >
>> > thanks for any help
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>