When I run my Windows Defender Scan, it never finds anything. If I run Ad
Aware or Spybot immediately after, they find all sorts fo thing that need to
be cleaned up. I am set up for automatic updates, so the program is current
- what is wrong here? What is this program supposed to be doing, besides
taking up space??

Windows Defender does not scan for cookies. Spybot and Ad-aware do. Also
Ad-aware may list MRU's in the system registry. If Spybot and Ad-aware are
detecting other things than listed above. please post what other items are
being detected.

"carolcaslow" wrote:

> When I run my Windows Defender Scan, it never finds anything. If I run Ad
> Aware or Spybot immediately after, they find all sorts fo thing that need to
> be cleaned up. I am set up for automatic updates, so the program is current
> - what is wrong here? What is this program supposed to be doing, besides
> taking up space??

"carolcaslow" wrote:

> When I run my Windows Defender Scan, it never finds anything. If I run Ad
> Aware or Spybot immediately after, they find all sorts fo thing that need to
> be cleaned up. I am set up for automatic updates, so the program is current
> - what is wrong here? What is this program supposed to be doing, besides
> taking up space??

As Mr Cat says, AdAware and Spybot will diligently pick up tracking cookies
and thereby seem to be doing a lot. But if tracking cookies are the only
things they're finding, then you have nothing to worry about - Defender is
doing exactly what it's designed to do, and in your case, finding nothing.

Leaving aside the cookie issue, you might find this information helpful: I
have several antispyware scanners: AVG, Defender, AdAware, Spybot, a-squared,
and SuperAntispyware. AVG, AdAware, and a-squared have all, at some time or
another, detected spyware, or traces of spyware, on my computer. But every
one of those detections has subsequently turned out to be a false positive.
All this time, Defender has simply been doing its job correctly - reporting
nothing, because there was nothing to report. I've never experienced a
Defender false positive response.

If you, like me, use the internet sensibly, with a firewall and up-to-date
antivirus software in place, and a few good antispyware programs, then, quite
simply, your machine probably isn't infected. I don't say this to encourage
complacency, but rather as an antidote to the paranoia we often tend to
succumb to. As Bill Sanderson wisely reminded me recently - spyware doesn't
travel through the air into your computer!

Thank you - I think I understand what you are saying... so running the Quick
Scan daily is doing the job for me and I shouldn't worry about it... just run
the Spybot or AdAware periodically to clean up the 'other junk'. Thanks!

"Alan D" wrote:

>
>
> "carolcaslow" wrote:
>
> > When I run my Windows Defender Scan, it never finds anything. If I run Ad
> > Aware or Spybot immediately after, they find all sorts fo thing that need to
> > be cleaned up. I am set up for automatic updates, so the program is current
> > - what is wrong here? What is this program supposed to be doing, besides
> > taking up space??
>
> As Mr Cat says, AdAware and Spybot will diligently pick up tracking cookies
> and thereby seem to be doing a lot. But if tracking cookies are the only
> things they're finding, then you have nothing to worry about - Defender is
> doing exactly what it's designed to do, and in your case, finding nothing.
>
> Leaving aside the cookie issue, you might find this information helpful: I
> have several antispyware scanners: AVG, Defender, AdAware, Spybot, a-squared,
> and SuperAntispyware. AVG, AdAware, and a-squared have all, at some time or
> another, detected spyware, or traces of spyware, on my computer. But every
> one of those detections has subsequently turned out to be a false positive.
> All this time, Defender has simply been doing its job correctly - reporting
> nothing, because there was nothing to report. I've never experienced a
> Defender false positive response.
>
> If you, like me, use the internet sensibly, with a firewall and up-to-date
> antivirus software in place, and a few good antispyware programs, then, quite
> simply, your machine probably isn't infected. I don't say this to encourage
> complacency, but rather as an antidote to the paranoia we often tend to
> succumb to. As Bill Sanderson wisely reminded me recently - spyware doesn't
> travel through the air into your computer!

"carolcaslow" wrote:

> Thank you - I think I understand what you are saying... so running the Quick
> Scan daily is doing the job for me and I shouldn't worry about it... just run
> the Spybot or AdAware periodically to clean up the 'other junk'. Thanks!

Would you just check to see if Defender's real-time protection is switched
on? Double-click on the Defender icon to open up the main panel, then click
on Tools; then click on Options; then scroll down until you find a little box
labelled 'Use real time protection'. Make sure that's selected.

So you now have Defender's real-time protection; and the daily scan. But
it's always a good idea to have several antispyware programs - because some
may detect things that others miss. So yes, definitely keep scanning
regularly with AdAware and Spybot, but bear in mind that it's to be expected
that they will pick up tracking cookies (which you can remove if you want),
whereas Defender deliberately ignores them.

Good luck!

Yes. Also follow Alan's advice.

"carolcaslow" wrote:

> Thank you - I think I understand what you are saying... so running the Quick
> Scan daily is doing the job for me and I shouldn't worry about it... just run
> the Spybot or AdAware periodically to clean up the 'other junk'. Thanks!
>
> "Alan D" wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > "carolcaslow" wrote:
> >
> > > When I run my Windows Defender Scan, it never finds anything. If I run Ad
> > > Aware or Spybot immediately after, they find all sorts fo thing that need to
> > > be cleaned up. I am set up for automatic updates, so the program is current
> > > - what is wrong here? What is this program supposed to be doing, besides
> > > taking up space??
> >
> > As Mr Cat says, AdAware and Spybot will diligently pick up tracking cookies
> > and thereby seem to be doing a lot. But if tracking cookies are the only
> > things they're finding, then you have nothing to worry about - Defender is
> > doing exactly what it's designed to do, and in your case, finding nothing.
> >
> > Leaving aside the cookie issue, you might find this information helpful: I
> > have several antispyware scanners: AVG, Defender, AdAware, Spybot, a-squared,
> > and SuperAntispyware. AVG, AdAware, and a-squared have all, at some time or
> > another, detected spyware, or traces of spyware, on my computer. But every
> > one of those detections has subsequently turned out to be a false positive.
> > All this time, Defender has simply been doing its job correctly - reporting
> > nothing, because there was nothing to report. I've never experienced a
> > Defender false positive response.
> >
> > If you, like me, use the internet sensibly, with a firewall and up-to-date
> > antivirus software in place, and a few good antispyware programs, then, quite
> > simply, your machine probably isn't infected. I don't say this to encourage
> > complacency, but rather as an antidote to the paranoia we often tend to
> > succumb to. As Bill Sanderson wisely reminded me recently - spyware doesn't
> > travel through the air into your computer!

Yes, thank you - I have Real Time Protection on and Daily Quick Scan on. I
think I got it now! Thanks!

"Alan D" wrote:

>
>
> "carolcaslow" wrote:
>
> > Thank you - I think I understand what you are saying... so running the Quick
> > Scan daily is doing the job for me and I shouldn't worry about it... just run
> > the Spybot or AdAware periodically to clean up the 'other junk'. Thanks!
>
> Would you just check to see if Defender's real-time protection is switched
> on? Double-click on the Defender icon to open up the main panel, then click
> on Tools; then click on Options; then scroll down until you find a little box
> labelled 'Use real time protection'. Make sure that's selected.
>
> So you now have Defender's real-time protection; and the daily scan. But
> it's always a good idea to have several antispyware programs - because some
> may detect things that others miss. So yes, definitely keep scanning
> regularly with AdAware and Spybot, but bear in mind that it's to be expected
> that they will pick up tracking cookies (which you can remove if you want),
> whereas Defender deliberately ignores them.
>
> Good luck!

Most cookie "issues" can be eliminated by using the tools in your browser. In
Internet Explorer open Tools>Internet Options>Privacy>Advanced. Check
"Override automatic cookie handling", check"Accept first party cookies",
check"Block third party cookies" and check "Always allow session cookies".
--
Jim


"Mr Cat" wrote:

> Yes. Also follow Alan's advice.
>
> "carolcaslow" wrote:
>
> > Thank you - I think I understand what you are saying... so running the Quick
> > Scan daily is doing the job for me and I shouldn't worry about it... just run
> > the Spybot or AdAware periodically to clean up the 'other junk'. Thanks!
> >
> > "Alan D" wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > "carolcaslow" wrote:
> > >
> > > > When I run my Windows Defender Scan, it never finds anything. If I run Ad
> > > > Aware or Spybot immediately after, they find all sorts fo thing that need to
> > > > be cleaned up. I am set up for automatic updates, so the program is current
> > > > - what is wrong here? What is this program supposed to be doing, besides
> > > > taking up space??
> > >
> > > As Mr Cat says, AdAware and Spybot will diligently pick up tracking cookies
> > > and thereby seem to be doing a lot. But if tracking cookies are the only
> > > things they're finding, then you have nothing to worry about - Defender is
> > > doing exactly what it's designed to do, and in your case, finding nothing.
> > >
> > > Leaving aside the cookie issue, you might find this information helpful: I
> > > have several antispyware scanners: AVG, Defender, AdAware, Spybot, a-squared,
> > > and SuperAntispyware. AVG, AdAware, and a-squared have all, at some time or
> > > another, detected spyware, or traces of spyware, on my computer. But every
> > > one of those detections has subsequently turned out to be a false positive.
> > > All this time, Defender has simply been doing its job correctly - reporting
> > > nothing, because there was nothing to report. I've never experienced a
> > > Defender false positive response.
> > >
> > > If you, like me, use the internet sensibly, with a firewall and up-to-date
> > > antivirus software in place, and a few good antispyware programs, then, quite
> > > simply, your machine probably isn't infected. I don't say this to encourage
> > > complacency, but rather as an antidote to the paranoia we often tend to
> > > succumb to. As Bill Sanderson wisely reminded me recently - spyware doesn't
> > > travel through the air into your computer!