MS Antipyware Beta? Safe? Any ACF-style alternatives?

  • Thread starter Thread starter fitwell
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fitwell

Don't know but I, like many here, don't trust MS other than in office
programs. Don't like to install and use this app but it is
recommended on this page which I got advised to on the HijackThis
forum:
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Overview.

I know many here know much about this sort of thing than I do. I'm
not having problems myself, it's my uncle who's seriously infected
with something. I did what I could last weekend but I'm going in
armed today with the tools from that page above. I'd personally
prefer to give the MS app a miss, though. What does anyone else feel;
or can they recommend something else instead of this app?
 
MS antispyware does have the best detection rate, but there are 2 other
programs, Adaware SE and Spybot search & Destroy, both excellent
 
fitwell said:
Don't know but I, like many here, don't trust MS other than in office
programs.
Click to expand...

Why? Who do you trust better? Other freeware programs that hell knows which
code it has inside, but just don't have the label MS? There is no limit to
human st...
 
Don't know but I, like many here, don't trust MS other than in office
programs. Don't like to install and use this app but it is
recommended on this page which I got advised to on the HijackThis
forum:
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Overview.

I know many here know much about this sort of thing than I do. I'm
not having problems myself, it's my uncle who's seriously infected
with something. I did what I could last weekend but I'm going in
armed today with the tools from that page above. I'd personally
prefer to give the MS app a miss, though. What does anyone else feel;
or can they recommend something else instead of this app?
Click to expand...

Actually, I highly recommend MSAS. You must remember, they bought this
from
a company which produced Giant antispyware. At the time before
acquisition it was fast becoming recognised as one of the top if not top
antispyware products.

Basically MS bought a mature product. So you see it's mostly none-MS
stuff, as far as I can tell they haven't changed it much besides tweaking
with some of the detections and branding, and dropping win98 support.

The detection might be more lenient then what I would like, but it's
still pretty good.
 
Don't know but I, like many here, don't trust MS other than in office
programs. Don't like to install and use this app but it is
recommended on this page which I got advised to on the HijackThis
forum:
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Overview.

I know many here know much about this sort of thing than I do. I'm
not having problems myself, it's my uncle who's seriously infected
with something. I did what I could last weekend but I'm going in
armed today with the tools from that page above. I'd personally
prefer to give the MS app a miss, though. What does anyone else feel;
or can they recommend something else instead of this app?
Click to expand...

It's fine. It compliments Ad-Aware & Spybot S&D.
 
Don't know but I, like many here, don't trust MS other than in office
programs.
Click to expand...

There are millions of MS haters out there that would love to see MS breach
their privacy. One slip and it will cost MS hundreds of millions in law
suits, and years to rehabilitate their reputation. For that reason, they are
probably the most trustworthy AS developer of all.

I use 3 AS programs: Spybot, Spyware Blaster, and MSAS. It's an unbeatable
combo, and MS finds more stuff than Spybot. The memory resident scanner in
the MS program is very fast and light. You never know it's there until it
hits on spyware.
 
MS antispyware does have the best detection rate, but there are 2 other
programs, Adaware SE and Spybot search & Destroy, both excellent
Click to expand...

Okay, great. I have those 2 and they are what I use and I'm more
comfortable with them. They don't go in to "validate" my windows, for
one!!!

Thanks.
 
Why? Who do you trust better? Other freeware programs that hell knows which
code it has inside, but just don't have the label MS? There is no limit to
human st...
Click to expand...

True. But I usu. do NOT try anything that hasn't been tested out
here. And it's freeware so the combination of passing ACF testers and
being freeware makes them far superior to MS.

Besides, they're the major cause of things like DRM, yet they're
turning around and getting into the anti-spyware business???!!! I
don't know. I'll let them stick to OS and office programs but will
avoid anything else they have to offer.

Just my opinion, of course. Everyone can do what they feel most
comfortable with, too.
 
Actually, I highly recommend MSAS. You must remember, they bought this
from
a company which produced Giant antispyware. At the time before
acquisition it was fast becoming recognised as one of the top if not top
antispyware products.

Basically MS bought a mature product. So you see it's mostly none-MS
stuff, as far as I can tell they haven't changed it much besides tweaking
with some of the detections and branding, and dropping win98 support.
Click to expand...

Well, sounds good (at least for now).

But what I didn't like AT ALL, was their going in to validate my
uncle's windows system. Like many here, don't like MS or anyone else,
for that matter, getting into my system esp. if it can be avoided. If
I were an expert and knew what they were doing, that would be a
different story. But I'm not, so I don't.

Thanks.
The detection might be more lenient then what I would like, but it's
still pretty good.
Click to expand...

As someone else recommended the usu. standbys of Ad-aware and Spybot,
will keep using those.
 
There are millions of MS haters out there that would love to see MS breach
their privacy. One slip and it will cost MS hundreds of millions in law
suits, and years to rehabilitate their reputation. For that reason, they are
probably the most trustworthy AS developer of all.

I use 3 AS programs: Spybot, Spyware Blaster, and MSAS. It's an unbeatable
combo, and MS finds more stuff than Spybot. The memory resident scanner in
the MS program is very fast and light. You never know it's there until it
hits on spyware.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, okay. If it catches stuff the others don't, that makes one
think twice.

But what is MS doing when it does that whole validation thing? My
uncle bought his laptop from a reputable dealer and they installed XP
(though I don't have XP so don't know how to tell which version it
is). If something were to happen and they wrecked the OS, what
worries me is that we don't seem to have a disk with the OS on it.
I'll find time this week to call the dealer to find out what gives (my
cousin got her PC from same dealer and she did get a CD), but in
meantime, I'm concerned about that whole validation thing (as many are
in this group, as well. I'm not the only one that doesn't like
anything other than pure freeware!).

Pls advise, anyone. Thanks.
 
Hmmm, okay. If it catches stuff the others don't, that makes one
think twice.
Click to expand...

You sort of lost me there. I always thought catching more stuff is more
trustworthy, not less. ;)
But what is MS doing when it does that whole validation thing?
Click to expand...

Argh... nobody likes that bloody thing. It was inflicted upon us by bloody
software pirates.

But, since the stupid validation thing has nothing to do with MSAS, I don't
hold anything against it.
I'm not the only one that doesn't like anything other than pure freeware!
Click to expand...

I'm with you. I like the "pure" stuff. But as far as I know, MSAS is pure
Freeware. No strings are attached as far as I can tell. If anyone has ran
across any restrictions or limitations, I'm sure I would have heard about it
by now.
 
You sort of lost me there. I always thought catching more stuff is more
trustworthy, not less. ;)


Argh... nobody likes that bloody thing. It was inflicted upon us by bloody
software pirates.

But, since the stupid validation thing has nothing to do with MSAS, I don't
hold anything against it.
Click to expand...

My problem is that it's not my computer, it's my uncle's. I also
don't have the CD for it. We can't find it (I was at their house
yesterday all day working on the laptop. Major infections! Anywho,
my cousin's PC was bought within month's of my uncle's and from the
same dealer and she did find her CD for XP Home so we've borrowed it
just in case. But I've heard it takes 2 or 3 hours to install XP.
We'll have no problem with the activation because I did that for my
uncle when he bought it so his laptop's serial # will be on file as
well as the activation # (<lol> we can't find that, either!). Again,
it's not my computer so that's the difficulty. I keep all my CDs and
papers together and my uncle is very meticulous but he doesn't yet
understand all the ins and outs re his PC.

What does this validation do? Does MS do any tricks with it? I can't
forget they put out Palladium and have been behind all sorts of
questionable things so until I know what I'm getting in for, have been
reluctant to use this validation thingie.
I'm with you. I like the "pure" stuff. But as far as I know, MSAS is pure
Freeware. No strings are attached as far as I can tell. If anyone has ran
across any restrictions or limitations, I'm sure I would have heard about it
by now.
Click to expand...

I also thought I saw on that page the fact the it expires in Jan 2006,
that's also what threw me off. But you say it's freeware. I'll have
to look a third time at that page. I missed something then.

Thanks.
 
True. But I usu. do NOT try anything that hasn't been tested out
here. And it's freeware so the combination of passing ACF testers and
being freeware makes them far superior to MS.
Click to expand...

I suspect you will find that a lot of 'ACF testers' will have tried and
use MSAS (except for the win98 people of course).It's not that new at
all. And on sites like Spywareinfo where the real experts in this
business hang out, MSAS is a trusted recommendation next to the other
two.

Besides the detection rate, MSAS excels with the real time protection it
provides including the 59 'checkpoints' protection that warns you of any
critical changes. It's something unmatched by either Spybot's teatimer
(which is more limited) or ad-aware which has no realtime component.

But it's up to you.
 
I also thought I saw on that page the fact the it expires in Jan 2006,
that's also what threw me off. But you say it's freeware. I'll have
to look a third time at that page. I missed something then.
Click to expand...

Q. How much does the beta of Windows AntiSpyware cost? How much will the
final release cost?
A. Windows AntiSpyware (Beta), subsequent beta versions, and the final
release version will each be available at no additional charge for
currently licensed Windows customers. Customers will be required to
validate that their version of Windows is genuine. Get more information
about the Windows Genuine Advantage program.

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/faq.mspx

But they do have this new OneCare Live thing which will definitely be not
free. It is supposed to be an all in one suite including firewall,
antivirus. I suppose the antispyware is from Windows antispyware or rather
Windows defender (new name).
 
fitwell said:
My problem is that it's not my computer, it's my uncle's. I also
don't have the CD for it. We can't find it (I was at their house
yesterday all day working on the laptop. Major infections! Anywho,
my cousin's PC was bought within month's of my uncle's and from the
same dealer and she did find her CD for XP Home so we've borrowed it
just in case. But I've heard it takes 2 or 3 hours to install XP.
We'll have no problem with the activation because I did that for my
uncle when he bought it so his laptop's serial # will be on file as
well as the activation # (<lol> we can't find that, either!). Again,
it's not my computer so that's the difficulty. I keep all my CDs and
papers together and my uncle is very meticulous but he doesn't yet
understand all the ins and outs re his PC.

What does this validation do? Does MS do any tricks with it? I can't
forget they put out Palladium and have been behind all sorts of
questionable things so until I know what I'm getting in for, have been
reluctant to use this validation thingie.


I also thought I saw on that page the fact the it expires in Jan 2006,
that's also what threw me off. But you say it's freeware. I'll have
to look a third time at that page. I missed something then.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Of course it depends on the speed of your machine, but 3 hours for XP is about right.
IIRC, you will need an individual copy of XP for each machine (e.g., unlike 98/SE which
could be put on several machines). Part of the 'validation' process is noting the machine
the XP OS is put on. At least that's the way it is with my Dell OEM version.
 
What does this validation do? Does MS do any tricks with it? I can't
forget they put out Palladium and have been behind all sorts of
questionable things so until I know what I'm getting in for, have been
reluctant to use this validation thingie.
Click to expand...

You could just do a search for MicrosoftAntiSpywareInstall.exe and
download and run it without validation. However, it sounds you will
be unhappy regardless, so maybe you should just forget it look
elsewhere.
 
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