anti-spyware, how often run?

[George]

I'm working to get acquainted with anti-spyware and so forth, am using a
WinXP-pro PC and just installed Adaware, for starters. Wondered if some
MVP's or other pro's could help with these...

1) How often should I run the anti-spyware?

2) Why is it that after I first installed and cleaned the system (it found
19 items)... a week later it found something like 8 items...some of which
looked like some of the same?

3) It looks like Adaware has a "real time" version that detects cookied and
other things as they try to appear...how important would it be to get that
version vs. the free version?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I'm working to get acquainted with anti-spyware and so forth, am using a
WinXP-pro PC and just installed Adaware, for starters. Wondered if some
MVP's or other pro's could help with these...

1) How often should I run the anti-spyware?

2) Why is it that after I first installed and cleaned the system (it found
19 items)... a week later it found something like 8 items...some of which
looked like some of the same?

3) It looks like Adaware has a "real time" version that detects cookied and
other things as they try to appear...how important would it be to get that
version vs. the free version?

There are no hard and fast rules, and a lot depends upon your own
computing habits. For instance, if you make a habit of down-loading and
trying a lot of different freeware and shareware programs, more frequent
maintenance would be wiser than if all you did was word processing,
e-mail, and light Internet browsing. On the other hand, if you have any
peer-to-peer sharing software, like Kazaa or Morpheus, installed, I'd
strongly recommend very frequent - as in several times a day - scanning
for malware.

Myself, I generally run through a monthly maintenance regimen that
includes a full virus scan (even though I've a scheduled scan happening
weekly - I like to occasionally watch the process to ensure that it's as
thorough and well-behaved as it seems), ad- and -spyware scans using
Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy (to which I'll add Microsoft's new
AntiSpyware application, now that it's in public beta testing), cleaning
up temporary files & cookies, defragging the hard drive, and testing my
firewall against a couple of the web-based testers.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Dan]

Spyware Blaster is great as well. I also use SpySweeper (paid version) by
Webroot which helps keep my system clean. I would stay away from dangerous
file-sharing programs like Kazza and Morpheus. I used to try the "free"
trial versions of Yahoo games but I will stear clear of them in the future.
(just extra safety on my part) I am looking forward to Microsoft's
antispyware software when it is released as a regular program.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi George,

Ad-aware Personal Edition finds and removes spyware and the like, it
does not prevent it.
There is no one tool that I know of that removes all known spyware.
Here is a combination that works very well. There is an update feature
in each of these utilities and it should be used before they are run
to keep up to date. After these utility are run, re-run them in a week
and see what they pick up. If you continue to have problem I would
suggest going to the Security Forum at http://forum.aumha.org/ before
purchasing any additional software.

Ad-aware removes most spyware and sometimes has to be run more than
once to do so.

CWShredder should also be run.

Spybot Search and Destroy is more powerful and there is a slight
chance of problems. Using WinXP create a restore point first and see
the Parasite Fight link below.

SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean spyware – it prevents it from
ever being installed. SpywareBlaster is a non memory resident utility.
It works by setting a "kill bit" for the CLSIDs of spyware ActiveX
controls, it prevents the installation of any of them from a webpage.
In my opinion SB should be installed every Windows based computer it
was designed to run on!

CWShredder http://aumha.org/downloads/cwshredder.zip

Spybot-S&D! http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Spywareblaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/

For more information:
The Parasite Fight:
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

Cleaning a Pest-Infested Computer:
http://rgharper.mvps.org/cleanit.htm

 

[Al Smith]

I'm working to get acquainted with anti-spyware and so forth, am using a

WinXP-pro PC and just installed Adaware, for starters. Wondered if some
MVP's or other pro's could help with these...

1) How often should I run the anti-spyware?

Whenever you get the urge. That is to say, run it whenever you
feel it would be a good idea to check your drive out for spyware,
or if you have a suspicion that spyware might have been installed.
If you want a time schedule, how about once every two weeks?

2) Why is it that after I first installed and cleaned the system (it found
19 items)... a week later it found something like 8 items...some of which
looked like some of the same?

Because you are not practicing safe and secure computing. The same
sloppiness that allowed the spyware to get onto your computer in
the first place is allowing it to re-install itself.

3) It looks like Adaware has a "real time" version that detects cookied and
other things as they try to appear...how important would it be to get that
version vs. the free version?

I recommend against allowing a spyware removal program to run
full-time at boot. It's not something that anybody needs running
in the background all the time. It should be configured not to
start at boot, and not to "phone home" over the Internet for
updates or whatever. Just run it every week or two, or whenever
you feel you might have spyware on your machine.

 

[Kelly]

Generally a system user knows when to say when. As Bruce stated, it depends
on your surfing habits. There isn't any harm in running them (I recommend
three) each night; however, not needed.

On a safety measure, again, purely depending on your surfing habits, once
every three days to a week. As for pay version(s), the option is included
to have it run upon wake, etc.

--
All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com