MS Defender or another anti-spyware tool? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

ah123 · 01-10-2009, 11:39 PM

I just picked up a new PC (running Vista) for my dad - I know Vista comes with MS Defender, but I have no experience with this product. Is MS Defender enough as an anti-spam/spyware tool?

ricosuave · 01-11-2009, 07:30 AM

nah, I'd load spybot search and destroy and/or spyware terminator

photon · 01-11-2009, 09:22 AM

Defender is a tool they actually bought from someone and it's a pretty good tool, I've removed spyware that both Spybot and Ad-Aware couldn't remove or even find with it.

Also used spyware terminator before and like it, though I've never used it in a situation where I had to get rid of some spyware.

llama64 · 01-12-2009, 09:24 AM

Defender's enough for me. Spybot is good for the obsessive types or those who refuse to graduate past XP.

cKy · 01-12-2009, 10:44 AM

Super Anti Spyware.... they have a free version. I find it picks up alot of junk most others dont.

GoinAllTheWay · 01-12-2009, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photon

I've removed spyware that both Spybot and Ad-Aware couldn't remove or even find with it.

Odd to hear someone say that as I have had the exact opposite experience. WD has yet to find anything on my system but when I run AdAware, it usually finds at least one item.

I'm using it on an XP system, not sure if that makes any difference.

photon · 01-12-2009, 12:45 PM

Yeah I had my niece's computer because it was horribly infested, and there was one I just couldn't get rid of with Spybot or Ad-aware, and before I got my hands dirty I tried WD and it cleaned it right up.

I don't think any single program is really enough, testing of all of them show that there's lots each of them miss, so a combination is sometimes better (or just run a tight system and don't do dumb things is usually good enough).

I've heard good things about this one as well:

http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/

I have a commercial version of Webroot's stuff right now, but when that expires I'm going to try that.

GoinAllTheWay · 01-12-2009, 02:20 PM

Agreed, having more than one is almost required. It just struck me as odd that WD never finds anything. Kinda makes me wonder why I even have it on my system. Oh well, it runs in real time where as AdAware does not unless you buy pro. Good enough for now.