Another AVG 8 observation

[Annie Woughman]

When installing AVG 8.0.138, (minus the toolbar and email scanning) it
arbitrarilly uninstalls the AVG Anti-spyware, with the pretence that AVG 8
includes an anti-spyware function. It might have it, but it doesn't work on
the free version. I found that out by checking the history. All scans
showed no spyware found and none removed. I have since re-installed AVG
anti-spyware 7.51.43 and found and removed the usual spyware. Both programs
work great--they just have to be updated and run separately.

 

[Victek]

When installing AVG 8.0.138, (minus the toolbar and email scanning) it

arbitrarilly uninstalls the AVG Anti-spyware, with the pretence that AVG 8
includes an anti-spyware function. It might have it, but it doesn't work
on the free version. I found that out by checking the history. All scans
showed no spyware found and none removed. I have since re-installed AVG
anti-spyware 7.51.43 and found and removed the usual spyware. Both
programs work great--they just have to be updated and run separately.

What is the "usual spyware" is AVG AS 7.51.43 finding that AVG 8.0 does not?

 

[Annie Woughman]

What is the "usual spyware" is AVG AS 7.51.43 finding that AVG 8.0 does
not?

Mostly tracking cookies: Atdmt, Casalemedia, Coremetrics, Doubleclick,
Hitbox, Mediaplex, Realmedia, Tribalfusion, etc. Cookies like this show up
on every daily scan, but they weren't with just AVG 8--it kept reporting
none found and none removed. After several days of running daily scans of
AVG alone, I installed AVG Anti-spyware and had 36 tracking cookies (this
was 30 minutes after the AVG Anti-virus had finished scanning.)

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Mostly tracking cookies: Atdmt, Casalemedia, Coremetrics,
Doubleclick, Hitbox, Mediaplex, Realmedia, Tribalfusion, etc.
Cookies like this show up on every daily scan, but they weren't with
just AVG 8--it kept reporting none found and none removed. After
several days of running daily scans of AVG alone, I installed AVG
Anti-spyware and had 36 tracking cookies (this was 30 minutes after
the AVG Anti-virus had finished scanning.)

Ah, as I thought when reading your original post. Cookies. Cookies
aren't malicious spyware, they are just annoying. Why not set your
browser to simply ignore them in the first place?

Use a HOSTS file as well.

 

[Annie Woughman]

Ah, as I thought when reading your original post. Cookies. Cookies
aren't malicious spyware, they are just annoying. Why not set your
browser to simply ignore them in the first place?

My browser is set to block third-party cookies that do no have a compact
privacy policy, etc. but if I move it up a notch, then I am not able to
properly access my banking information or credit card sites.

Use a HOSTS file as well.

I don't know how to do that. Can you explain it to me? Would it get around
the cookie problem at banking sites with the browser set to high?

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

My browser is set to block third-party cookies that do no have a
compact privacy policy, etc. but if I move it up a notch, then I am
not able to properly access my banking information or credit card
sites.

Most modern browsers allow you do block by domain. If you are using
Internet Explorer, you might want to look into a modern browser. Firefox
and Opera are good choices.

I don't know how to do that. Can you explain it to me? Would it get
around the cookie problem at banking sites with the browser set to
high?

This should help:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm