Should i switch to Ad-Aware 2007

[kristinalasay]

I'm using Ad-Aware SE Personal as my anti-spyware. When I was browsing lavasoft site I saw there a free Ad-Aware 2007. Now, since I’m only new to this Internet security thing should I switch to Ad-Aware 2007 or just remain with what I’m using right now?

[EliteKiller]

The fact of the matter is that Ad-Aware (AAW) has a really poor detection rate and only excels in detecting cookies and MRU's. This gives the end user a false sense of security. While nothing is 100% SUPERAntiSpyware (SAS) (http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html) offers a free solution that is superior in every way. If you're interested in more info on SAS you can do a forum search.

[kristinalasay]

So it means that it don't really give me a total security?
Thank you for the information.

[Tarq57]

Hi, nothing will give you 100% total security, except maybe pulling the internet connection.
A layered defence of the right applications, plus some internet savvy and common sense will give you pretty close to total security. The more critical security is, the stronger those protections should be.
IMHO AdAware is suited to those who never do online banking or store important passwords...rather average. I had the version you have, and it was OK..has some useful features, and isn't really bad. Sometime soon-ish it will no longer be supported, so it will then just become an anchor.
I installed the 2007 version and was rather disappointed. Updating problems, a lot of false positives, and most importantly to me, an extremely poor forum. Help unobtainable. It won't be on my computer again. (Was a b1tch to get rid of, too.)
I see in your profile that your homepage links to the ZA suite, which includes firewall, AV, and AS. Suites aren't personally to my taste..too many possibilities exist for a single point of vulnerability. If you are using this, are a safe user, (ie don't go to the "dark side", nor download cracks/keygens, click on any old link etc) you should be pretty good. But if you want to create a pretty good layered defence, there are many simple and often free things to do that don't need much savvy.
1) Run from a non-admin account (there is an application available that can allow the browser to run "not as admin" while you are still using an admin account.)
2) Install and periodically update SpywareBlaster, by Javacool.
3) Use Firefox as a browser, and install the NoScript add-on.
4) install a couple (or more) good freeware antispyware scanners (or the paid versions, if you want) like Superantispyware, Asquared, AVG Antispyware, update and scan with them periodically.
3a) Make sure that Windows is patched, your AV is up to date, and the firewall is on.
That's for starters. And more than adequate for most..a fairly traditional and conventional approach with a large knowledgebase.
If security is critical to you, there are other ways to explore, like behaviour and application blockers, HIPS, imaging, sandboxing, and probably a few more I don't know about. I'm not that far off being new to this security business, either. But I've been malware free for about a year.(Thanks Avast, SpywareTerminator, and Comodo firewall.)

[HAN]

I agree with EliteKiller. I no longer have Ad-Aware on my PCs. I now use SAS...

[ankupan]

SAS is really better than others.

I have KIS, but still SAS caught few spywares too.

[cheater87]

Spyware Terminator has a real time shield and HIPS (Host intruder protection) and is 100% free. You can have HIPS on or off. Or you can download Windows Defender which is also free and has real time protection.

[EliteKiller]

{QUOTE-> Or you can download Windows Defender which is also free and has real time protection. <-QUOTE}

WD is worse that AAW in the detection rate department. While there are ways to customize the WD's detection it becomes a nuisance. Even though I wouldn't touch Spyware Terminator I'm sure the real-time is more robust than WD.

[innerpeace]

{QUOTE-> I'm using Ad-Aware SE Personal as my anti-spyware. When I was browsing lavasoft site I saw there a free Ad-Aware 2007. Now, since I’m only new to this Internet security thing should I switch to Ad-Aware 2007 or just remain with what I’m using right now? <-QUOTE}
Hi, are you running Ad-Aware as your real-time protection? The free version will only do on-demand scans and will not provide real-time protection. We need a few more details to help you better. If your looking for a free real time anti-spyware program, Cheater87 mentioned 2 plus there is Comodo BOClean. Tarq57 also gives excellent advice. If your new to internet security, you should probably use 1 anti-virus, 1 anti-spyware/trojan/malware, and a good firewall as the minimum or a good security suite. Fortunately, you can get a lot of this stuff for free if need be :). I've ran a free setup for a while and still have many free security programs. If you don't mind, what version of windows are you running? What AV are your running? What firewall and or router? What other security programs do you use either on demand or real time? That should help us to be able to help you better.

For what it's worth, I uninstalled Ad-Aware when the new version became available. It wasn't the paid version so I only used it for on-demand scans occasionally. The new version adds and extra service that runs all the time even when your not scanning with Ad-Aware. The service was suppose to use a lot of memory so I got rid of Ad-Adware. That is ONLY my personal opinion of the free Ad-Aware. There are better free scanners.

[omegakilo]

Hi,
One thing I learned from WSF, is that there are much better softwares
than Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D etc, which I use to love.
You'd better get use to the flow ;)

[mercurie]

{QUOTE-> I agree with EliteKiller. I no longer have Ad-Aware on my PCs. I now use SAS... <-QUOTE}I also agree and have done away with Ad-Aware PLUS instead of updating to the 2007. I consider it to be weak, stuck in yesteryear mode without a clue. :P

I still believe Spybot is of some benefit, but agree SAS is best of the three. For free real time BOClean is the best solution, but I would still do scans with one of the others recommended here.

[the Tester]

{QUOTE-> since I’m only new to this Internet security thing should I switch to Ad-Aware 2007 or just remain with what I’m using right now? <-QUOTE}

If you want to stay with a Lavasoft program,you should upgrade to the 2007 version.They usually phase out the old version and eventually stop the updates.

If you are willing to try something different,I suggest SAS free.
A-Squared and AVG-Antispyware are good,free scanners also.

[Togg]

I dumped the 2007 free version because I couldn't see why it needed an .exe running all the time when it didn't provide any 'real time' protection. I still have Spybot because I think its 'Tools' are useful but, once I had SpywareBlaster installed, neither Spybot nor AdAware found much.

Since I upgraded to XP I have had Windows Defender (not running in real time) and BO Clean (or Comodo AntiMalware as it is now known as) and don't think I need anything else because my AV, (NOD32), provides some protection as well.

I have no idea whether the antispyware protection provided by my ISP is any good, but I don't rely on it.

[Lundholm]

Hi,

This thread gives a lot of good reasons why not to use AAW 2007.

Here's another one: AAW 2007 also launches a persistent system tray application, which I only managed to remove by using Sysinternals Autoruns, but the next time I ran AAW it was back again!

So I uninstalled AAW and installed some of the good alternatives.

[EASTER]

{QUOTE-> Hi,

This thread gives a lot of good reasons why not to use AAW 2007.

Here's another one: AAW 2007 also launches a persistent system tray application, which I only managed to remove by using Sysinternals Autoruns, but the next time I ran AAW it was back again!

So I uninstalled AAW and installed some of the good alternatives. <-QUOTE}

Isn't it something how a once very popular and support-rich product can go from Mount Etna to the depths of the Pacific?

That's what everyone has experienced of Ad-Aware who used to keep it as a mainstay on their systems.

Guess they made plenty enough revenue/popularity ratings over the early years to relax completely now ;D At least they gave some others a better reason/chance to replace them, right?

[hotasy2k]

Just ditched Adaware2007 2day ago, been using it fine since it launch, but 2 day ago suddenly keep giving me error 6000 when scanning, completely uninstalled and reinstalled still same problem, went to their support forum, what a let down, support is almost not existed there, from the forum a number of user also have the same issue as me, but no fix til now, some of them get this error since ver 7.0.1.5, but for my case is recently after i update to the current latest version.>:(
Switched to SAS and i'm happy.:)