Windows Defender

[A. Chung]

I note that my Windows Vista Home Basic is equipped with a real-time malware
protection provided by Windows Defender. Will there be any adverse effect on
my home PC if an additional real-time anti-spyware is installed as double
protection? I understand that such addition is not recommended for an
anti-virus tool.

 

[Engel]

Hello A. Chung,

Knowing your next antispyware target may help others in helping you to
answer your question.

Do you have Windows Live OneCare installed? Having that will turn off
Defender by default.
- -- ---

 

[A. Chung]

Dear Engel

I do not install Windows Live OneCare, which seems to me as a beta version
for Windows Vista. However, I have a third party anti-spyware tool which
provides me with a real-time protection as well. I wonder if more than one
malware real-time protection will do any harm to my home PC.

Regards.

AChung

 

[robinb]

Windows defender can run along side most antimalware software
I run superantispyware pro with real time protectionon a machine that has WD
I run AVG antspyware on another

I do know that Spybot Search and Destroy you need to take off tea time to
work properly with WD but that is about the only one I know of that has a
conflict with WD.
Which one are you using?
If you are not using one of the above try uninstalling that antispyware
program and see if WD begins to behave again

robin

 

[A. Chung]

Hi, robinb

I am running Spyware Terminator 2.0.1.224 on my home PC after trying
SUPERAntispyware and AVG Anti-Spyware. The latter are considered not to my
satisfaction, in particular to the scanning speed.

Regards.

AChung

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I am running Spyware Terminator 2.0.1.224 on my home PC after trying
SUPERAntispyware and AVG Anti-Spyware. The latter are considered not to my
satisfaction, in particular to the scanning speed.

I take it from the above that you are running *only* Spyware
Terminator. If that's the case, you are not adequately protected. You
need more than one anti-spyware program. Note what Eric Howes, who has
done extensive testing on Anti-Spyware products, states:

"No single anti-spyware scanner removes everything. Even the
best-performing anti-spyware scanner in these tests missed fully one
quarter of the "critical" files and Registry entries"

See http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-test-guide.htm

 

[A. Chung]

Hi, Ken

Thank you for your good advice.

In addition to Windows Defender and Spyware Terminator, my home PC has
Ad-Aware and Spybot installed. Are these sufficient to protect my home PC or
otherwise?

Appreciate if you will let me have your further assistance.

Regards.

AChung

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hi, Ken

Thank you for your good advice.

In addition to Windows Defender and Spyware Terminator, my home PC has
Ad-Aware and Spybot installed. Are these sufficient to protect my home PC or
otherwise?

Appreciate if you will let me have your further assistance.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

With four programs, you should be in good shape. But you should also
realize that software protection, no matter how many programs you run
or how good they are, is never perfect. You also always need to
practice safe hex.

 

[John]

I use winpatrol so nothing gets added without my knowledge. I used to
use defender too till it broke. Now I use avast but only to scan once a
week.

I also never open any kind of executing file from email i don't know about.

I haven't had any trouble in years using just winpatrol and some scaning
program.

I can't use programs that run continually because I am recording music.
they cause "blips" at least I haven't found one that doesn't.

John

 

[A. Chung]

Hi, John

My home PC has avast! Home Edition and WinPatrol installed too. Sometimes,
I launch free scan by TrendSecure HouseCall as a third party opinion.

Regards.

AChung

 

[Robinb]

Ken is correct,
If there was a program that got rid of all spyware well then there would be
no reason for more, but humans create programs and a lot of the time not
every program can "catch" the "baddies" at the same time or cannot fix a
problem at the same time.
That is why you need more than one.
You should only be running one as a service and on as an application
otherwise they will conflict with each other.
You should also have them set on a schedule at different times so that both
programs are not scanning at the same time- that will cause a major conflict
and most likely make one or both the programs crash or even the OS.
I cannot understand why you do not like Superantispyware. I use it and now
the company is coming out with version 4.0 which runs much faster than ever
before. I am beta testing the pro and free version now. In Vista right now
and that will change with the final release, it still acts for rights for
its update engine but as I said this will be fixed in the final release.
I like Superantispyware because it gets into the nitty gritty of Vista and
XP and finds the hidden files that most antispyware programs do not.
I use the Pro for the resident shield (this runs as an application) and to
be able to set a timed schedule. With the free you need to do manual scans,
but they both do exactly the same thing except for the reason I just gave
you.
Windows Defender runs as a service not an application. I have been beta
testing WD since its conception on XP before Vista came out. You can see me
in the newsgroup for WD.
Windows Defender has no problems with any of the antispyware programs out
there that I know of.
It runs with AVG antispyware, Ad-aware 2007, Superantispyware,
Spywareblaster, Spybot Search and destroy. (in Spybot search and destroy it
just doesn't play nice with tea timer so you would have to just not install
the tea timer)

I use:
Superantispyware Pro
Windows Defender
Spybot Search and Destroy
Spywareblaster

I personally do not use adaware-2007. AdawareSE was an excellant product
but the 2007 is very funky on xp and on vista and I do not like its user
interphase nor how it works. It has many bugs.
But AdawareSE is fased out so you cannot use it anymore because you cannot
get updates for it anymore.

Also you can only install one antivirus program. If you do more they will
surely fight with each other because they both load up on boot up and you
might find you will not- one day.

robin

 

[A. Chung]

Hi, Robin

Thank you for your details, which help me a lot.

I am not aware of SUPERAntispyware v4, but have tried its free edition
v3.9.1008. The latter scanning takes long to complete, even its fast scan.
This makes me change to Spyware Terminator v2.0.1.224, which meets my
requirements. I assume your SUPERAntispyware Pro is a paid version and
should work better than a free edition. It seems to me that money matters.

Regards.

Andrew

Ken is correct,
If there was a program that got rid of all spyware well then there would be
no reason for more, but humans create programs and a lot of the time not
every program can "catch" the "baddies" at the same time or cannot fix a
problem at the same time.
That is why you need more than one.
You should only be running one as a service and on as an application
otherwise they will conflict with each other.
You should also have them set on a schedule at different times so that both
programs are not scanning at the same time- that will cause a major conflict
and most likely make one or both the programs crash or even the OS.
I cannot understand why you do not like Superantispyware. I use it and now
the company is coming out with version 4.0 which runs much faster than ever
before. I am beta testing the pro and free version now. In Vista right now
and that will change with the final release, it still acts for rights for
its update engine but as I said this will be fixed in the final release.
I like Superantispyware because it gets into the nitty gritty of Vista and
XP and finds the hidden files that most antispyware programs do not.
I use the Pro for the resident shield (this runs as an application) and to
be able to set a timed schedule. With the free you need to do manual scans,
but they both do exactly the same thing except for the reason I just gave
you.
Windows Defender runs as a service not an application. I have been beta
testing WD since its conception on XP before Vista came out. You can see me
in the newsgroup for WD.
Windows Defender has no problems with any of the antispyware programs out
there that I know of.
It runs with AVG antispyware, Ad-aware 2007, Superantispyware,
Spywareblaster, Spybot Search and destroy. (in Spybot search and destroy it
just doesn't play nice with tea timer so you would have to just not install
the tea timer)

I use:
Superantispyware Pro
Windows Defender
Spybot Search and Destroy
Spywareblaster

I personally do not use adaware-2007. AdawareSE was an excellant product
but the 2007 is very funky on xp and on vista and I do not like its user
interphase nor how it works. It has many bugs.
But AdawareSE is fased out so you cannot use it anymore because you cannot
get updates for it anymore.

Also you can only install one antivirus program. If you do more they will
surely fight with each other because they both load up on boot up and you
might find you will not- one day.

robin

 

[Robinb]

the difference between the Pro and the free is only that it runs in real
time and you can schedule scans and it has a few more tweaks you can do but
that is about it, and in this case it is more convienance than money because
the pro and free scan the exact same things.
I like the pro because i do not have to remember to do a scan, I can set it
up to do it. If it finds stuff you still need user intervention to complete
the process or you can let it quaranteen everything without you looking at
what is there. I like to know what it is quarantining just in case it takes
out something I really need in a legitimate program.

On the superantispyware forum you can get tech support for both free and pro
http://forums.superantispyware.com/
3.9 does take a bit longer to scan but 4.0 in a quick scan is much better.
Most antispyware programs when doing a full scan can take up to an hour
depending how big your HD is. The bigger the HD the longer the scans.
If you already trialed an older version of the pro you cannot trial this new
version. You will have to purchase it but you can try the free one and see
if you like it and always purchase the pro right from the program.
If you are concerned about about Superantispyware asking for permisson to do
its update from Vista, wait until the final is out because that will be
fixed in the final but again it is an excellant program.

robin

Hi, Robin

Thank you for your details, which help me a lot.

I am not aware of SUPERAntispyware v4, but have tried its free edition
v3.9.1008. The latter scanning takes long to complete, even its fast
scan.
This makes me change to Spyware Terminator v2.0.1.224, which meets my
requirements. I assume your SUPERAntispyware Pro is a paid version and
should work better than a free edition. It seems to me that money
matters.

Regards.

Andrew

 

[Robinb]

also for an fyi- i was a bit incorrect and checked this out
the final will be out soon and the issue with the permissons of allowing
superantispyware update will be fixed in 4.1 which will be released AFTER
the final of 4.0 goes out -They have some other Vista items that will be
addressed in 4.1 which will be likely a month or so after 4.0 ships - They
can only pack so much into each release and want to be able to properly test
the Vista stuff.

Other than that as said I am now beta testing the pre release for vista and
see no problems with this.
To get around it now all you need to do is uncheck in the preferences- check
for updates on startup and you will not see this issue.

robin