M$ Anti-Spyware

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Systemcrash9004
So FatAssBR mentioned something about MS's Anti-Spyware being relatively good and I decided to do a little comparison to see just how good this Beta release is. I compared it to Ad-Aware Professional 6.0 and this is what I found:

Ad-Aware was ran first with no deletion of the files which were found then I proceeded to run MS's Anti-Spyware

MS Anti-Spyware
Run Time: ~11 Minutes​
CPU Usage: ~25% on average while scanning local files; 100% while scanning registry which only took about 30 seconds​
Infected Objects Found: 196, with 145 of those being KaZaA related​

Ad-Aware Pro
Run Time: ~26 Minutes​
CPU Usage: ~85% on average throughout the scan, started around 100% for about 2 minutes then levelled off to finish at around 80%​
Infected Objects Found: 7, all were cookies​

* MS's Anti-Spyware has real-time spyware protection, which Ad-Aware does not incorporate into its Professional Edition.
* While scanning, MS shows you what spyware it has found and how many different signatures it has located, Ad-Aware just simply gives you a count.
*If you click on one of the objects that MS found during your scan (yes, it even works mid-scan) you can find out the severity and background information on it.
*After scanning with MS, you are presented with a nicely laid out 'plan of action screen' where it gives you an output of what spyware was found, along with background information, advice, a severity level, and a menu to let you choose what action you want to take for each specific spyware object.
*I'm not sure if you can do this in Ad-Aware, but in MS you can schedule daily scans of your computer and automatic updates of the spyware definitions.


Overall Opinion:
This is a very good beta from MS. From using it a few times I have decided that it is time for Ad-Aware to go and Microsoft to :cringe: take over more of my computer. I haven't really been able to go very indepth with MS's program, as I have been sort of strapped for time lately, but I will update this with further information as I come across it. If you have some other type of spyware protection, try this out, you will be impressed.

To Download:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/about.mspx
The only downside of this is that you must validate your windows installation, so all you hackers out there, tough luck.

Update - 24 Jan 05:
*MS's program also gives you built in process management, including startup processes and currently running processes.
*If you use MSIE you can also change IE settings from the 'System Explorer' section of MS's program.
*MS's program also allows you to manage ActiveX settings and programs installed, you can block the undesireable ones and keep the ones you want, although it only seems to be applicable to MSIE.

The only thing that I see currently that I really don't like is that I see no way to save the logs that it creates to a location external to the program itself.

Update - 13 Feb 05
There currently is a virus out targeting MS's program.
http://www.physorg.com/weblog/news1069.html
http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&gl=us&ncl=http://www.physorg.com/weblog/news1069.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/211596_msftspyware11.html?source=rss
 
Well, Microsoft bought Giant software. Giant should be thanked for their anti-spyware program. Basically it has been retagged as a Microsoft product.

The nice part about this, is that Giant's product was a pay-for product, where as with Microsoft's rebadged version, it is free.
 
VTGT07
The only downside of this is that you must validate your windows installation, so all you hackers out there, tough luck.
Click to expand...
No, you don't have to. You can click a link that takes you to the download without validating. Which is nice, 'cos I have a legal validated version and it told me I didn't. :dunce:
 
I'm running it now and I'm starting to not like it. It actually goes so far as to call DameWare utilities a spyware app. That's pure bull. All Dameware is, is an ultra-secure remote desktop program.

Edit:
It also calls MSN Plus a spyware application.

I'm smelling something *really* fishy here.
 
daan
No, you don't have to. You can click a link that takes you to the download without validating. Which is nice, 'cos I have a legal validated version and it told me I didn't. :dunce:
Click to expand...
Ah .. now that I think about it, there is a bypass link. I just went ahead a validated anyways.
 
Thanks for mentioning me VTGT07.:D

I actually found this by luck, wasn´t looking for it. And I saw some folks saying good things about it on another forum so I decided to give it a try. And I really liked it, I think it´s the best anti spyware client I have ever used, such as Ad-aware, Spysweeper, Spy Bot among others.

emad
I'm running it now and I'm starting to not like it. It actually goes so far as to call DameWare utilities a spyware app. That's pure bull. All Dameware is, is an ultra-secure remote desktop program.

Edit:
It also calls MSN Plus a spyware application.

I'm smelling something *really* fishy here.
Click to expand...
Not really, because MSN Plus comes with one of those search bars on the installer, but you can choose not to install it. And even so, MS AntiSpyware gives you the choice of ignore any files you want it to, and that´s what I did with MSN Plus, set it to "always ignore".
 
Did you run the Microsoft program first and then Ad Aware right after? That could explain the difference in number of files found.
 
icemanshooter23
Did you run the Microsoft program first and then Ad Aware right after? That could explain the difference in number of files found.
Click to expand...
I guess he didn´t delete the bad files so he could compare both softwares. :)
 
To me it looks like he did delete the files, there shouldn't be that great a difference between the two programs.
 
icemanshooter23
Did you run the Microsoft program first and then Ad Aware right after? That could explain the difference in number of files found.
Click to expand...
I ran Ad-Aware first and did nothing with the files it found, I just left them in place. I did not quarantine them or clean them or remove them or anything. Then I ran MS's program to see how much a discrepency there was and I was shocked. I then proceded to uninstall Ad-Aware. I have edited the first post to answer this problem.

So yes, you are correct FatAss, :lol:, couldn't resist that.

If you don't believe me, download MS's program and run them both :).
 
I never really liked Ad-Aware, only used for a week and uninstalled. I was currently using a program called "Scan Spyware v3.2", and it was really good, but Microsoft´s is better.

SpySweeper is really good also.
 
Updated the review .. its at the bottom of it.

If anyone can find how to save the logs that it stores internally to somewhere else I would like to know.
 
FatAssBR
Not really, because MSN Plus comes with one of those search bars on the installer, but you can choose not to install it. And even so, MS AntiSpyware gives you the choice of ignore any files you want it to, and that´s what I did with MSN Plus, set it to "always ignore".
Click to expand...
Set to always Ignore is all fine and dandy for an advanced user, but Microsoft will be directing this app to newbies and people who don't know the guts of their systems. The program found 5 things that could have *potentially* been spyware when I had installed them without the spyware options or they weren't spyware at all. It's fine that it detects MSN Plus, but it *should* be detecting the search bar that it installs. NOT the whole program. It did the very same thing to my registered copy of DopeWars and a few other games. Most people will panic at the 3 or 4 star ratings and just delete them.
 
Just did a scan with both, and I was surprised to find MS's Spyware program found much more that Ad Aware. The full time protection is a great feature also 👍. Some of the stuff it found wasn't harmful, but I could tell exactly what I needed to delete 👍.
 
I think it's crap. It found only one spyware. Ad-Awared SE Personal found 7. Plus, it was hard to use. Plus, it wouldn't let me remove the spyware it did find. I'm on a HDTV set, and the buttons to properly use this program were hidden out of sight. I give it and F.
 
Microsoft bought the program from GIANT, like toyo said. All that Microsoft have really done is slap their name on it. They haven't even altered the interface as far as I know. Oh, and I don't think the progam is that great myself. It indentifies too many false positives (Messenger Plus!, Magnet link?!). Also, Microsoft took out the cookie scanning, so it no longer searches for tracing cookies.

I also heard that they're going to charge for subscriptions. AntiSpyware = 👎 I'll stick to Ad-aware thanks. :)
 
I thought this was good after my first uses, but I kept getting saying something about allowing a change in internet security, and it never remembered my telling it to allow the changes. It got really annoying seeing this pop up every time I booted up the computer so I uninstalled it.
 
icemanshooter23
I thought this was good after my first uses, but I kept getting saying something about allowing a change in internet security, and it never remembered my telling it to allow the changes. It got really annoying seeing this pop up every time I booted up the computer so I uninstalled it.
Click to expand...
Maybe you should´ve changed some settings on it, mine works on the background all the time and I don´t get a single pop up message, you don´t even realize it´s running.
 
Well, I wasn't using it anyway, and it was just taking up memory running the the background, so I just decided to delete without trying to fix it.
 
meh works fine here... doesn't search for cookies but thats not such a big deal. It found more than any other spyware removal stuff I tried and it's the only one I could find that I trusted enough with a spyware firewall on top of the full 2003 Norton system we have and firefox. Come to think of it I need to buy Norton 2005 system....

The MSN Plus thing isnt a big deal either... I sent it to ignore each time I do a full system scan.
All in all it's good enough.
 
Very interesting. :click click: Yep, mine still works.

Someone really has it out for M$. It'll be interesting to see how they counter this.

Interesting how MS hasn't released a bulletin about this yet.

edit:

To be attacked, Toulouse said, a user would have to be fooled into opening an e-mail attachment that would then start the malicious program. He said the company had not seen any evidence so far that the attack is widespread.
Click to expand...
Taken from: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/211596_msftspyware11.html?source=rss
 
firefox.jpg


Is this for real?
 
I'm using FireFox and have not once had M$ pick it up.
 
skip0110
firefox.jpg


Is this for real?
Click to expand...

OMG !!!..

That is THE best thing EVER to be released from M$.. I still laughing while trying to type this message... Brilliant M$ - You've outdone yourself - again ! :lol:
 

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