running both Adaware and Spybot ?

[RS]

(A)
Assuming one has the latest versions .... are there issues with running both
Spybot and Adaware on the same computer ? Not at same time, but having both
installed.

(B)
Also: a friend claims he's seen Adaware "cause problems" by removing
"stuff that was needed". I have not used the latest version of Adaware (I
switched to Spybot after hearing it was more thorough), but has anyone had
recent versions of Adaware agressively remove needed stuff ?

Thanks!

-RS-

 

[Joseph Meehan]

(A)
Assuming one has the latest versions .... are there issues with
running both Spybot and Adaware on the same computer ? Not at same
time, but having both installed.

(B)
Also: a friend claims he's seen Adaware "cause problems" by removing
"stuff that was needed". I have not used the latest version of
Adaware (I switched to Spybot after hearing it was more thorough),
but has anyone had recent versions of Adaware agressively remove
needed stuff ?

Thanks!

-RS-

No real "problems" This is an issue that one may see something from the
other and report it as a possible problem. I believe that is Adaware
reporting a problem with the immune function of Spybot. You just have to
ignore that message.

 

[Jym]

I never have had a problem with running either Adaware or SpyBot. I would
have to give Adaware the edge though. Jym

 

[Squire]

Both programs have backups in case of problems, and they work well on the
same system, separately of course.

Sometimes one will catch a virus the other misses, so use them both.

 

[Squire]

I call everything a virus that invades my system.

 

[GTS]

No problem, in fact it's advisable. One often finds a few items the other
missed. It is possible for any spyware cleaner to 'cause problems'. It may
report a 'spyware' item that a particular program depends upon. It's best
to quarantine before deleting so as to be able to restore a deleted item if
desired. It's better yet to replace programs that require a spy component,
but that's an individual decision.

(This is a tricky problem for users who may not have the expertise to review
and interpret the list of items found. I've been using these programs a lot
on client's PC's and leave them present for their ongoing use. I worry
about those clients who clearly don't have the expertise to understand or
interpret reported items. There's no easy answer to this, but most of the
time it's best to quarantine and then remove all. )

 

[Yaohan Chen]

This is the wrong place to post--I suggest you find a spyware or security
related group to get more reliable answers. But:

(A) I have both AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy installed. The only
incompatibility issue I know is that AdAware may think the "dummy" files
Spybot creates in order to remove some products as the spyware themselves.
In this case you just need to ignore these detections in AdAware. So if you
run AdAware after running Spybot, let AdAware only fix any products Spybot
did not find (I would be surprised to see this happen though). Also both
programs may need you to restart the computer in order to remove spyware
currently in memory. When this happens, just for efficiency, don't run the
other remover program until you have restarted to let the first program
finish.

(B) Any version of AdAware or Spybot Search & Destroy may remove "needed"
stuff. A few shareware or supposedly "free" programs bundle spyware with
them, and will stop functioning when the spyware is removed. Also some
programs, detected as spyware or adware because they pose a privacy concern,
are "useful" for the user. For example Spybot (I don't know whether AdAware)
detects and recommends removing WildTangent, but this product supports a few
games that come pre-installed on many HP computers.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

How do you figure?

 

[John R Weiss]

(A)
Assuming one has the latest versions .... are there issues with running both
Spybot and Adaware on the same computer ? Not at same time, but having both
installed.

Works fine. They are complementary -- lots of overlap, but each has its
advantages.

(B)
Also: a friend claims he's seen Adaware "cause problems" by removing
"stuff that was needed". I have not used the latest version of Adaware (I
switched to Spybot after hearing it was more thorough), but has anyone had
recent versions of Adaware agressively remove needed stuff ?

Using the defaults, Ad-Aware is less aggressive than Spybot. However, ANY
adware remover has the ability to remove adware that is "required" for some
"free" app to run. Both Ad-Aware and Spybot have reasonable warnings, and
both can restore what they removed, if you want.