Microsoft AntiSpyware (Beta 1)

R Dogg 56 · April 7, 2005

...from behing the shadows...

I'm currently running this program on my PC to get rid of all the d**n spyware that I have. MSN Popup Blocker appears to have been erased from the Network due to inability to control some types of popups (Possible corruption in the software). Does anyone know whether I'm wasting my time with this program, and if it is as reliable as MS says it is, how well does it work? Thanks.

...returning to lurker mode...

edit: The current results from the completed scan show 25 detected items, 57 memory processes with 1 detected item, 19,703 files with 53 detected items, and 8,567 registry keys with 552 items. Total elapsed time for scan took 9 minutes and 18 seconds. Looks like it worked out just fine.

GM-Tech · April 7, 2005

I'm currently running this program on my PC to get rid of all the d**n spyware that I have. MSN Popup Blocker appears to have been erased from the Network due to inability to control some types of popups (Possible corruption in the software). Does anyone know whether I'm wasting my time with this program, and if it is as reliable as MS says it is, how well does it work? Thanks.

I know to most, anything Microsoft is from the Devil himself, but I think this spyware thing of theirs works great. It tops Ad-Aware and Spybot by a long shot and has gotten rid of stuff those would say they did, but really didn't. The active protection is nice too.

Interestingly enough, about a month before MS's anti-spyware came out, I bought a program called CounterSpy after glowing reviews. If CounterSpy and Microsoft's Anti-Spyware beta aren't the same program, they're so close you can hardly tell the difference. Even the default of running an unattended spyware scan at 2 a.m. is the same in both. Cosmetically and their features are darn near identical.

So I'm still using Counterspy on my home computer because, well, I paid for the d**n thing and I'm not going to just toss it. But at work, I've installed MS's stuff on all the computers and I am very happy with the results.

Wingnut · April 7, 2005

R Dogg 56, try out "Hijack This".

Go to computercops.biz and they have a link for download, and a tutorial to use as well.

If you can't nail them all down, post your HJT log in a thread, and they'll help you out.

melbertbloosfan · April 7, 2005

I like it. Like GM-Tech, I was running MS Antispyware when it was Giant Counterspy. I loved it then and still think it is the best out there. In fact, it be runnin now!

Great flexibility and I haven't seen ONE popup since I installed it. I would suggest also changing to Mozilla Firefox (if you haven't already) - that also helped quite a bit.

Good luck!

MCourson · April 7, 2005

I have been using it too in conjunction with FireFox and I dont get any spyware, it works for me.

But then again I dont have any spyware problems when I boot Linux with no protection.

Wingnut · April 7, 2005

But then again I dont have any spyware problems when I boot Linux with no protection.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You don't wear a condom?

R Dogg 56 · April 7, 2005

I would suggest also changing to Mozilla Firefox (if you haven't already) - that also helped quite a bit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I will keep this in mind, but I have not had very many problems with IE. Is Mozilla Firefox free to download and install? I am not familiar with it.

R Dogg 56 · April 7, 2005

R Dogg 56, try out "Hijack This".

Go to computercops.biz and they have a link for download, and a tutorial to use as well.

If you can't nail them all down, post your HJT log in a thread, and they'll help you out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I will also keep this in mind should AS not work.

speedde423 · April 7, 2005

Mozilla firefox is free. It does keep most pop-up away, and I like the tabbed browsing a lot more than having many IE windows open at onece. Here is a link for downloading it.

MCourson · April 8, 2005

But then again I dont have any spyware problems when I boot Linux with no protection.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You don't wear a condom?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea I really need to be more careful.

R Dogg 56 · April 8, 2005

Apparently I spoke too soon. I cannot access my Hotmail account from my PC anymore. I don't know if it is a BHO (browser hijacker operation) that AS didn't take care of, but everytime I try to log into my account, the browser crashes and disappears, alomg with any other window that is in use at the time.

I have not updated to Microsoft XP Service Pack 2, so should I do this before I go to Mozilla? Also, I am not familiar with SP2, as far as how long it takes to complete, what I get or lose from it, and if I have to back up all of my files beforehand.

This is getting a little annoying

MCourson · April 8, 2005

First off, I would go FireFox ASAP.

SP2, some have ahd a few problems with it, I have seen a few that after SP2 install they had to format, but it's rare.

It is always a good idea to have a backup.

I have noticed with Microsoft's spyware it only scanned something like 20,000 files on my computer, where as Adaware scanned 200,000. Food for thought.

I used Adaware while using Firefox, never had spyware, I now use Microsoft's in conjunction with the others, still dont have spyware. I credit most of it to FireFox.

Also for you FireFox people with broadband (this is not recommended for dialup) I have found this.

Here's something for broadband people that will really speed Firefox up:

1. Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries:

network.http.pipelining

network.http.proxy.pipelining

network.http.pipelining.maxrequests

Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.

2. Alter the entries as follows:

Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once.

3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0". This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it recieves.

If you're using a broadband connection you'll load pages 2-3 times faster now.