When to uninstall TDS?

Just wondering at what point TDS without updates should be uninstalled. Assuming you don't use some of the other toys included with the prog but only used the scanner and hook, at what point will the lack of new defs be more relevant than the protection against malware covered by existing defs. Obviously there is no definite answer but any good guesses ? Are we talking a week, a month or longer?

 

That's a great question, Beethoven. I was planning to hang onto my copy until I find a replacement, as I believe it has value even if the defs are out of date.

 

Beethoven,

I wouldn't uninstall it, some of the other tools embedded within TDS have value even with the signature database well out of date.

The best thing to consider is how frequently TDS has jumped into action. If TDS is an infrequent factor and you believe that you have adequate coverage from your AV, relax and evaluate your options by trialing or purchasing other solutions (either classical AT's or some preventative approach) at your leisure. If TDS' intervention is a common occurrence for you, I'd start active trials or purchase (BOClean has no trial) now. Stay with well regarded solutions. Those choices should be obvious from various threads throughout the forums here at Wilders.

Blue

 

I'm not uninstalling mine in the forseeable future at all. The installation itself isn't taking up any amount of space as to be worth mentioning (to me anyway) and I use the secondary tools/features more often than the regular AT scan to be honest. It's ability to scan my friends ports across the seas is probably that which I have found the most useful. I never found a trojan on my own system (although it does detect the legit RAT I use to control/access a Dutch friend's server) but I have been able to narrow down what other people should be looking for according to what ports were responding etc. This is obviously jkust my own experience, for what it may be worth in interpretation.

 

..........and just my 2 cents worth Beethoven, I concur with Blue and Detox, keep it installed unless you get another AT you are happy with.

I shall not be uninstalling in near future unless I find a replacement, because even if defs are out of date they are still very capable for those thousands of threats, also, the liklihood of 'new' stuff getting in my system personally is extremely remote [nothing is 100%] with other safeguards in place.

Cheers, TAS

 

Yep, It stays here too if only for the useful tools, also consider that many of the older Trojans will not be in the newer AT's - These older Trojans still do regular rounds and are dangerous, even without new defs it is nice to keep a tool like TDS for cleaning other PC's which I do regularly .

 

Whether you want to keep on using TDS or uninstall it is, as it has always been, completely up to you.
The only thing that is essentially changing is that there'll be no more database updates. You can still of course scan with the existing database, which covers tens upon tens of thousands of trojans. Everything else is exactly the same, fully functional and still packs quite a punch.

 

Thanks guys,

I guess you never know if you get hit by a new threat or possibly a very old one doing the rounds. While I would feel more comfortable keeping my protection up to date, I see what you mean

 

Hi Beethovan,

A good way to assess your current vulnerability (i.e. aging TDS-3 database) is to go to an AV site such as Symantec's:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html#threat_list

Which lists all recent threats. If you click on the threat, you will see whether the threat is considered High, Moderate, or Low. Symantec's list is pretty current and should give you some idea of what is happening in the virus/trojan world.

If you have a top-rated AV, you will most probably still have excellent protection even with an aging TDS-3 AT database. As a stop-gap measure, you may want to get a copy of Ewido Free which will allow you to scan for trojans on an as-needed basis.

Hope this helps,
Rich

 

Hi rich,

thanks for your input.
I am actually quite relaxed using Nod32 as my AV. I haven't had any virus or trojan on my pc for a long time and only used TDS for regular scanning and exec protection for the warm fuzzy feeling - never actually had to remove anything. Not sure yet whether I want to get a replacement or whether I decide to be less paranoid for a while