It's Official KIS 6.0.300 Sucks

dallen,

Thanks.

I also have reached the conclusion that AdAware does nothing. Everyone, almost, when there is a problem says to scan with AdAware. If apps like Spysweeper and Ewido plus good AVs do not catch it, AdAware isn't either. It does sometimes find some cookies, but that is easily taken care of when I close my browser.

Regards,
Jerry

 

-dallen

-JerryM

----

I've slowly come to the same conclusion. I wonder how the myth of the abilities of Ad-Aware so permeated the computing masses?

 

This is not the case when you're dealing with multiple
infections.
I help at a small local library and I use there Ewido AND AdAware
AND Spybot ...
It is still useful there but in my own PC KAV is usually all that I need

 

Frank the Perv (I must say, it is difficult to say that with a straight face),
I always like to address people that I do not know with a certain level of respect. I hope you do not mind if I shorten your name to Frank, simply out of convenience and not disrespect.

Frank,
To answer your question about Ad-Aware, my opinion is that the myth (and it is a myth) of the abilities of Ad-Aware are due to the fact that Lavasoft was one of,if not the, first Anti-Spyware softwares. That warrants a level of respect. However, the management at Lavasoft is horrible. I cannot stress that enough. It is really, really bad. I know that many Wilders Securiy Forum members know my thoughts about DCS. I am not going to say bad things about them here because frankly I've said enough and been in more than my fair share of trouble for it. With all the negative things I have said about Wayne and his company let me say this. At least Wayne was honest at a time when it was not easy to be. In spite of my many disagreements with Wayne, I believe that he did have his customers best long-term interests in mind. Lavasoft on the other hand is blatantly ignoring their customers and is doing the computer security community a disservice by giving people a false sense of security by providing their customers with a grossly inadequate product. On top of that they completely disregard their service requests.

 

But it is freeware.. I always have a real tough time to swallow any complaints about freeware. Now on the other hand, if you become a paying customer, I will pay much much closer attention to opinions.

The other day a friend and I were at a function and they were handing out free chili dogs. My friend was bitching, saying the chili was too runny. My response was, shush up and eat the free food, it isn't like you dropped a 20$ bill on lunch you cheap bastage.

 

A second rate product is still second rate whether it is free or not. I do not consider that either AdAware or Spybot add anything to security. That might not have been true several years ago, but with applications such as Spyware Blaster and Spyware Guard plus dedicated anti-spyware applications, neither add anything.

I unloaded Spybot, and probably soon will do the same for AdAware.

PS. I can think of a fair number of dishes or other foods that I wouldn't eat if they paid me. Raw oysters come to mind.

Jerry

 

JerryM.....I don't want to take this thread too far off it's OT, but are you using SpywareGuard? I was wondering if it's still considered a useful product since it hasn't been updated in I think a couple of years.

 

For the record, I have the paid version of Ad-Aware, Ad-Aware Pro. Personally, I think they use the term Professional a little loosely.

SDS909,
You chili dog analogy, does make a very good point though, but JerryM's point is also noteworthy.

Moral of the story, I am a sucker and I got taken by Lavasoft. The free version is only missing the worthless Ad-Watch component and some trivial setting options.

 

Then indeed, your comments have weight to me since you paid the price of admission. I will avoid the product at this point. I actually PAID for Antivir recently, just so I could have the luxury of "Bitching" about it if there was an issue. At least my own personal justification, nothing more.

 

Yes, and the fact that it has not been updated does not make me doubt it. I realize you and others might have a different opinion, but we are free to make choices.

The fact that no spyware ever gets on my computers, I attribute to some extent to Spyware Guard and Spyware Blaster. I may be incorrect, but that is my take.

With AdAware not running in real time, it cannot do anything to keep spyware off the machine, but just finds it when a scan is run. At least I believe that to be correct. If it does anything at times other than when scanning I would like to know that.

Spyware Guard is always running. That is a difference. I admit that I do not know how SG works, and it would seem that it would need to be updated, but it is true that it has not.

Jerry

 

SDS909,
Your justification seems logical; however, I would prefer my money to a license to bitch. That may be the cheap ass in me.

JerryM,
I also use SpywareBlaster, but really have not tested to see if it is fact working to prevent spyware. In lieu of Spyware Guard (which I know nothing about) I use Webroot's Spysweeper as my only active anti-spyware program. Regarding your comments about Ad-Aware "finding it when a scan is run," my guess is that you are only picking up the MRU (Most Recently Used) items and a few session cookies or otherwise trivial cookies that could be dealt with entirely without Ad-Aware. That is my guess, correct me if I'm wrong. If that is the case, then you should also conclude that it is nearly worthless.

 

We share something in common.. I am probably one of the cheapest bastard on the planet, so much so, my Jewish friends are in awe. I would have already run a CC chargeback on Adaware if they were that problematic. Been there, done that, will do it again.

 

This attribution might be quite wrong. Usually viruses come as a bolt from blue but spyware ususally doesn,t, unless u go to risky site or try some risky downloads.
I know many people without any antispyware and free of these nasties as they do safe surfing.
BTW, it,s just my feeling that spyware guard is just a dummy guard on ur door. I don,t think it will prevent anything. I tried it against some samples( 2 or 3) and it was pretty silent.

 

Jerry

I wasn't criticizing. I'm sorry if you took it that way. Just asking a question. No offense was intended.

 

Graystoke,

I did not take it as criticism, and am sorry if my answer made you think that. I was not offended.

In fact, I do not know how SG works, and it is a reasonable question as to whether it does any thing. I do not know how to evaluate it.

One of the purposes of these forums is to examine how one is configuring his computer security. It is very valid to question why one uses a certain application, and I admit that I am not necessarily consistent.

Concerning the applications that I use, I am mostly just trying to sort through the advice and experience of others. I have very little expertise in computers. I hate to use this, but in my case it is closer to "Monkey see, monkey do."

Have a good day, and thanks for the response.
Jerry

 

Glad everything is sorted out. Have a good day also.

 

In an effort to educate myself I posted the question as to SG and SB on the Javacool forum. It was of some help.

Thanks, and have a nice evening.
Jerry