ms antispyware real time protection vs. spyware blaster

[Eric]

Hi everyone. I have heard and read about a program
called "spyware blaster" and how it prevents spyware and
other junk from actually entering the computer. I also
believe ms antispy does this. Which one is better, and
is there a need to have both installed? I currently have
ms antispy and am happy with it, have had no spyware, or
other junk on my computer. Thanks for your opinions.
Eric

 

[Andre Da Costa]

Its hard to determine MSAS a winner since its still in beta and development
progresses. I say the more AntiSpyware utilities installed, the better.
--
Andre
Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
FAQ for MS AntiSpy http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/FAQ_MSantispy.htm

 

[Ron Chamberlin]

Hi Eric,
One should use the program they are most comfortable with. We can't tell
you what to run, or which is better. That's entirely up to you.

Ron Chamberlin
MS-MVP

 

[Bill Sanderson]

A recent review in a magazine I read recommended running multiple
antispyware products. Part of the reasoning is that there's no
industry-standard set of definitions for spyware, nor complete agreement
about exactly what constitutes it, or how to handle it. Microsoft
Antispyware in the current builds, doesn't selectively scan for and remove
cookies. Many other antispyware products do. You need to decide for
yourself about whether cookies are a significant privacy issue for you.

 

[Alan]

DO NOT use Spyware Blaster, it's listed under
spywarewarrior.com's "Rouge/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products
& Web Sites" (http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-
spyware.htm) page.

I used it in the past, before I found out about the above
page, and it tried to add 180solutions.com and 008i.com
to IE's list of Trusted Sites. The first one is
definately adware, and the later is a search site. I
think that the creators of this application might have
been paid by some companies to "look the other way" and
not flag these things. Luckily, MSAS' Real-time
Protection realized what was going on, and I was able to
block the changes that Spyware Blaster was trying to make
to IE's Trusted Sites list.

Alan

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Alan - I think you are mistaken here:

If we are talking about SpywareBlaster, as obtained via this link, among
others:

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/

This is a highly reputable, low-footprint and efficient product--not unique
in he industry, but best and it's particular approach--which is killing
activex controls via the kill bit in the registry.

This is one antispyware product I continue to run even with Microsoft
Antispyware. You update the defs, run it (seconds) and it is done. very
low impact on your system. I'm not sure it is really doing anything for me
that Microsoft Antispyware wouldnt't do, but I do know it isn't taking much
in the way of resources, and I like the ability to turn Flash on and off.

--

 

[Alan]

The way he worded it was spyware blaster, not
spywareblaster. Spyware Blaster is listed in
spywarewarrior's rouge list, and it plays off
SpywareBlaster's name.

Alan

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Gotcha--and perhaps I was mistaken about which he meant, too!

--