CAUTION: Deletes real applications in error

[AJ DiBianca]

As President of PCS (Personal Communication Systems,
Inc.) we manufacture software that is installed in
the "...Program Files/PCS" directory. Microsoft ASSUMES
that since this directory can also be created by a
program called "PC Spy" that the mere PRESENCE of this
directory indicates the presence of spyware. Wazzup with
that? How about some due dilligence in checking for the
presence of the actual executable by PC Spy before
recommending deleting all files (including TXT, DLL and
PDF files)? What if I worked for "Private Commercial
Shipping" and kept all my important documents in
the ".../PCS" directory - ZAP - gone in one fell swoop?
PLEASE MICROSOFT - FIX THIS BEFORE MORE OF OUR CUSTOMERS
CALL AND COMPLAIN THAT THE PRODUCTS THEY PURCHASE FROM US
HAVE BEEN UNINSTALLED BY YOU! If anyone with authority
reads this - PLEASE contact me directly (e-mail address removed).

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Replied in another group and via email.

 

[Jim Nugent]

PLEASE MICROSOFT - FIX THIS BEFORE MORE OF OUR CUSTOMERS
CALL AND COMPLAIN THAT THE PRODUCTS THEY PURCHASE FROM US
HAVE BEEN UNINSTALLED BY YOU! If anyone with authority
reads this - PLEASE contact me directly (e-mail address removed).

While I a agree that MSAS should be more savvy about its detections, I have
to say that any user who simply tells the program to delete everything it
found without looking at the list is too clueless to be a beta tester.

It's not that easy to do that, anyway. At the end of a manual scan, the user
is presented with a list of what has been found, details of what triggered
the find, and a dropdown list next to each offering the option to delete or
not. An unattended scan has "automatically quarantine spyware" pre-selected.

Finally, if it deletes the directory under program files, can't they just
re-install the software? You ARE following the MS guidelines to store user
data under
\Documents and Settings, aren't you?