Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta 1

[Greg C]

I've been running Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta 1 faithfully
on a daily basis on my pc for several months now and I
have yet to have the app tell me that it has found any
spyware! You'd think that this would be a good thing but
I also run Ad-Aware and SpyBot spyware detector programs
on the same daily cycle and both of these apps find
instances of spyware gremlins that should be removed on a
regular basis.

Am I missing something or are there settings that are not
set properly or is the Beta 1 version simply to
underdeveloped to find the issues that the more mature Ad-
Aware and SpyBot programs do? Enquiring minds need to
know ... I'm wondering if other users of the Beta 1
version are finding similar issues or what ...

Thanks

GregC

 

[Mikolaj]

I've been running Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta 1 faithfully

on a daily basis on my pc for several months now and I
have yet to have the app tell me that it has found any
spyware! You'd think that this would be a good thing but
I also run Ad-Aware and SpyBot spyware detector programs
on the same daily cycle and both of these apps find
instances of spyware gremlins that should be removed on a
regular basis.

Am I missing something or are there settings that are not
set properly or is the Beta 1 version simply to
underdeveloped to find the issues that the more mature Ad-
Aware and SpyBot programs do? Enquiring minds need to
know ... I'm wondering if other users of the Beta 1
version are finding similar issues or what ...

Thanks

GregC

It is again the same "problem" and this means you will receive again the
same answer MSAS in is current Beta 1 release does not look for cookies
and dataminers, as the other apps do.

 

[Robin Walker [MVP]]

I've been running Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta 1 faithfully
on a daily basis on my pc for several months now and I
have yet to have the app tell me that it has found any
spyware! You'd think that this would be a good thing but
I also run Ad-Aware and SpyBot spyware detector programs
on the same daily cycle and both of these apps find
instances of spyware gremlins that should be removed on a
regular basis.

It is well documented that Microsoft AntiSpyware, in this version, does not
scan for cookies. I suspect that the "gremlins" that you see AdAware and
SpyBot finding are nothing more than cookies. If you remove all cookies
from the comparisons that you make, do you then see any difference between
the products? If so, we need to know more.

Cookies are passive text files, and have no capability of harming your PC,
Windows, or any other software or settings. Cookies pose no security risk,
and no danger to the integrity of your system.

The issue of whether or not some cookies ought to be flagged up for removal
is one related to privacy, not security. But given that a cookie cannot
contain any data about you or your PC that the source web server did not
already know, even the sensitivity about provacy might be misplaced.

 

[Fuzzy John]

The magic word here is:
Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta
Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta
Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta
Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta
Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Not really. The beta is slightly reduced in functionality from the original
Giant product, but the beta has been reviewed against other antispyware
products, and has performed well in those reviews.

And just wait for beta2!

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