Alternatives (if any) to Ad-Aware?

[Justin Thyme]

Greetings:

Are there any good alternatives to Lavasoft's Ad-Aware?

When my paid subscription expired I responded to Lavasoft's invitation for
its free version, and nothing's been the same since.

First, clicking on the free offer simply hung the computer. After trying
again with the same or similar result I attempted to uninstall the entire
program and start from scratch. Guess what? Add/Remove programs didn't
list Lavasoft or Ad-Aware and its own Remove Software went just so far and
then stopped cold. In desperation I did my own search-and-destroy all
programs I could find with Lavasoft or Ad-Aware in their names.

Then I went to Lavasoft's home page and downloaded Ad-Aware 2008 Free, which
seemed to go okay but now it nags me every time I try to run the program to
upgrade to Ad-Aware Plus or Pro. I'm getting tired of fighting Lavasoft,
and I wonder if there's any reasonably acceptable free alternative.

How say you?

Ken Bland

 

[philo]

Greetings:

Are there any good alternatives to Lavasoft's Ad-Aware?

When my paid subscription expired I responded to Lavasoft's invitation for
its free version, and nothing's been the same since.

First, clicking on the free offer simply hung the computer. After trying
again with the same or similar result I attempted to uninstall the entire
program and start from scratch. Guess what? Add/Remove programs didn't
list Lavasoft or Ad-Aware and its own Remove Software went just so far and
then stopped cold. In desperation I did my own search-and-destroy all
programs I could find with Lavasoft or Ad-Aware in their names.

Then I went to Lavasoft's home page and downloaded Ad-Aware 2008 Free, which
seemed to go okay but now it nags me every time I try to run the program to
upgrade to Ad-Aware Plus or Pro. I'm getting tired of fighting Lavasoft,
and I wonder if there's any reasonably acceptable free alternative.

How say you?

Ken Bland

I used to run Ad-Aware and have also tried similar software.

Most of the time, after very lengthy scans...all it did was delete a bunch
of tracking cookies.


So what I do now is simply use Cookie Monster


http://www.ampsoft.net/


It has the ability to preserve cookies that you want to keep...
then in about 2 seconds will clear all others.

It's freeware and for me it works great and I find it a great time saver

 

[Joan Archer]

I stopped using Ad-Aware after the SE version finished, I now have
SuperAntiSpyware installed on all 3 of my machines, WinME, XP and Vista, you
could also look at another one that is very good and that's Malwarebytes, I
run that one sometimes on the XP machine which my husband uses.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I stopped using Ad-Aware after the SE version finished, I now have
SuperAntiSpyware installed on all 3 of my machines, WinME, XP and Vista, you
could also look at another one that is very good and that's Malwarebytes, I
run that one sometimes on the XP machine which my husband uses.

If I understand you correctly, you use only SuperAntiSpyware. If
that's the case, I urge you to use or two other anti-spyware programs
too. None of them is good enough to protect you adequately, and having
at least two or three gives you much better protection.

 

[Bob Harris]

Spybot Search & Destroy is free and fairly easy to use.

It provides real-time protection (immunization), as well as the ability to
scan on demand.

Further, it provides a hosts file which short-circuits many popup
advertisements. That is generally good, but can cause a few (very few)
websites to behave strangely. That can be fixed by commenting-out the
website in the hosts file. A "#" in column one of a line makes it a comment
in the hosts file.

http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html

 

[Justin Thyme]

Greetings:

Are there any good alternatives to Lavasoft's Ad-Aware?

[Truncating my own message inquiry]


My thanks to those of you who responded. I guess I thought Ad-Aware was a
lot more important that you seem to think, and I used it (read: put up with
it) to keep the baddies away. And thanks for the mention of two programs,
SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes, which I had never heard of. I'll check
'em out.

Ken Bland

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Greetings:

Are there any good alternatives to Lavasoft's Ad-Aware?

[Truncating my own message inquiry]


My thanks to those of you who responded. I guess I thought Ad-Aware was a
lot more important that you seem to think, and I used it (read: put up
with it) to keep the baddies away. And thanks for the mention of two
programs, SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes, which I had never heard of.
I'll check 'em out.

Ken Bland

Malwarebytes is the best of the bunch presently..


--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

 

[~~Robert]

Well, I have continued using Ad-Aware SE, after reading of some
dissatisfaction with the newer version. I have used it since it was
the current version; but, it is available from sites that offer legacy
software.

The only downside is that it will not Update definitions. However,
there are sites which will allow the Download of the entire current
Zipped Definitions file, which can be extracted to the Ad-Aware Folder
in Programs, replacing the previous File.

The most current Definitions we have found are on the MajorGeeks site.
Aside from the slight inconvenience, it works as always.

I have been using Avast! anti-virus free version, which includes real
time anti-spyware scanning. Since doing so, my need for spyware scans
has decreased markedly.

~~Robert

 

[Justin Thyme]

I'll check 'em out.

Malwarebytes is the best of the bunch presently..


--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

Thank you, Mike. Based on these two recommendations for Malwarebytes I
downloaded and installed it -- no trouble whatever. I ran the free variant
to get acquainted with the program before spending any money on it, and I'm
impressed. The pay-for version appears to be a lifetime subscription,
something I like very much.

Ken Bland

 

[Shenan Stanley]

<snipped>

Thank you, Mike. Based on these two recommendations for
Malwarebytes I downloaded and installed it -- no trouble whatever. I ran
the free variant to get acquainted with the program before
spending any money on it, and I'm impressed. The pay-for version
appears to be a lifetime subscription, something I like very much.

The truth be told, you shouldn't need an AntiVirus or AntiSpyware
application at all with just the use of common sense.

Also - there is no one AntiSpyware application out there that comes close to
fixing everything, and even further from blocking everything.

Spyware/Adware/Malware such as that changes very quickly and easily and can
be found on sources you might trust otherwise. Even the definition of such
changes slightly depending on whom is telling it (to be expected, really.)

So while it is nice that you have MalwareBytes installed and running
resident - don't go out thinking "I'm covered", because you aren't. It's a
good start and will cover up for some lack of usage of your common sense -
but it is not - by far - a substitute for common sense. ;-)

 

[Peter Foldes]

Shenan

The truth be told, you shouldn't need an AntiVirus or AntiSpyware application at
all with just the use of common sense.

Cannot agree with you more on the above lines you posted.

 

[Justin Thyme]

Reflection at the bottom:

<snipped>



The truth be told, you shouldn't need an AntiVirus or AntiSpyware
application at all with just the use of common sense.

Also - there is no one AntiSpyware application out there that comes close
to fixing everything, and even further from blocking everything.

Spyware/Adware/Malware such as that changes very quickly and easily and
can be found on sources you might trust otherwise. Even the definition of
such changes slightly depending on whom is telling it (to be expected,
really.)

So while it is nice that you have MalwareBytes installed and running
resident - don't go out thinking "I'm covered", because you aren't. It's
a good start and will cover up for some lack of usage of your common
sense - but it is not - by far - a substitute for common sense. ;-)

You get no argument from me, Shenan. Though I have avast!, Spybot S & D,
Malwarebytes, and of late, Ad-Aware, they never caught anything of
consequence in years -- a tracking cookie occasionally -- but nothing
serious. I do not download movies, music, play on-line games, am very
cautious with attachments and links, I mainly use this computer to
correspond with friends, write letters, do a lot of research, and (blush)
sometimes play Free Cell.

I appreciate your comments.

Ken Bland

 

[Gerard Espinas]

Greetings:

Are there any good alternatives to Lavasoft's Ad-Aware?

When my paid subscription expired I responded to Lavasoft's invitation for
its free version, and nothing's been the same since.

First, clicking on the free offer simply hung the computer.  After trying
again with the same or similar result I attempted to uninstall the entire
program and start from scratch.  Guess what?  Add/Remove programs didn't
list Lavasoft or Ad-Aware and its own Remove Software went just so far and
then stopped cold.  In desperation I did my own search-and-destroy all
programs I could find with Lavasoft or Ad-Aware in their names.

Then I went to Lavasoft's home page and downloaded Ad-Aware 2008 Free, which
seemed to go okay but now it nags me every time I try to run the program to
upgrade to Ad-Aware Plus or Pro.  I'm getting tired of fighting Lavasoft,
and I wonder if there's any reasonably acceptable free alternative.

How say you?

Ken Bland

Hi,

I been using Spybot - Search and Destroy.

 

[Justin Thyme]

Ken Bland

Hi,

I been using Spybot - Search and Destroy.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Gerard Espinas
"What Are Your Most Common Computer Problems?"
http://ebizac.com/x/t.php/7233


Thank you, Gerard. I also use Spybot Search and Destroy, but I'm not sure
that it checks for all the same things that Ad-Aware does. Following
another suggestion I am presently trying Malwarebytes' anti-malware. It's
much simpler than Ad-Aware to download and install, and without
complications. There are free and pay-for versions.

Ken Bland