What the hell happened to SuperAntiSpyware? Is it still worth installing?

One thing that bugs me about SAS is that the portable version is not portable! When you launch the exe file it actually runs the installer and installs it.

 

Really! Whoa that's not good. A portable version which is actually an installer. Very bad.

 

I was thinking of using SAS, after reading this, oh gosh..

 

Yes, you're not exactly missing much (if anything) by not installing it. But, to be fair it is free and on occasion does find threats, so I wouldn't entirely rule out installing it.

 

The screen shot on the URL page shows Name: SAS_8394814.COM
Why SuperAntiSpyware shows a .COM file on the screenshot when you actually get an .EXE file doesn't seem right.

There is a difference between the .COM file and the .EXE file.
EXE will install into your Programs Files while the COM does not install anything in your Start Menu or in Program Files. At least it didn't for me. (version 5.7.1014)

I'll probably end up removing it since MBAM and Hitman Pro I favor more.



http://www.superantispyware.com/portablescannerhome.html

 

Last time I review and use SAS approx a year ago after that I moved to MBAM PRO.

SAS unnecessarily consume CPU where MBAM is very lightweight.

 

Too bad SAS draws some negative reviews now, but some formerly useful security apps, and especially in the AS department, eventually run out of thr steam that drove their popularity only to resurface again to achieve another day.

Example? Webroot SpySweeper. = USELESS

Now? WSA = TOPS

So while SAS may generally become discounted now and relegated by some as "useless", in comparison to it's competitors, IMO it is by no means reserved for the rubbish bin just yet.

 

Internet Explorer no longer dominates the web like it used to. Because of this SAS has been rendered obsolete.

 

What has SAS got to do with IE?

 

Because spyware infections were due in no small part to earlier versions of IE and it dominated the market as well.

 

*bump update?*


Cleaning some old programs off my PC just wondering is SAS still worth keeping/using?? or should i un install it, what's the consensus nowadays?

 

Still bad. Did the worst by far on the latest MRG.

http://www.mrg-effitas.com/mrg-effitas-project-37-mrg-effitas-time-to-detect-assessment-q4-2013/

 

The good part about it is its PUP detector and uninstaller option it gives you before scan. It detects PUPs and asks you if you want to uninstall them.

 

As I mentioned earlier, it's a good cookie and data miner detector and remover. You don't have to remove all that it finds if you don't want to. Ccleaner does the same.

 

Thanks, wow not good

 

There is a difference between the .COM file and the .EXE file.
EXE will install into your Programs Files while the COM does not install anything in your Start Menu or in Program Files. At least it didn't for me. (version 5.7.1014)

 

That's something new to me. Thanks for the info..

 

When I go to the download page for the portable version, and click on download, I get a .exe download - which as you said if the full installer. Where can I download the actual portable version?

 

People seem to be expecting SAS to have 90%+ detections. That's not what the product is designed to do. It's a supplement to your existing protections.

On HerdProtect, SAS does pretty well - and detects stuff other products miss. You can quite easily monitor this yourself. 11,000 out of the last detection stack isn't amazing, but individually it picks up stuff other things miss.

http://www.herdprotect.com/knowledgebase_detections.aspx?engine=superantispyware

Quite often SAS picks up things others miss due to it's reasonably good heuristics, and adware database.
http://www.herdprotect.com/rphelperapp.exe-5f443e175475b8f360f72ceeec4790b3fe4b300e.aspx

Now if they didn't steal away my lifetime licenses...

 

SuperAntiSpyware Portable or Tech Edition if not mistaken requires a license (Get Quote)
It's listed as: SUPERAntiSpyware Portable Scanner Technicians Edition

The scanner does not need to be uninstalled and leaves nothing installed on the system.


SuperAntiSpyware free edition:
It's listed as: SUPERAntiSpyware Portable Scanner Personal Edition
The program installs easily and is available to scan your computer at anytime!



The free edition listed on their site is not portable...IMO! (.exe file)

 

It's highly misleading of SAS to list a free portable version, when they no longer have a free portable version.

However this is not totally unexpected considering the "limited time" specials on the purchase of SAS which never expire which Nick has been running for years, and he sees no problem doing so, even though it is highly misleading.

 

This program has been bad for a while. Can't remember the last time I installed it. Better alternatives are available.

 

SAS has gone downhill. It's clear how ineffective it is. No improvement just made things worse for SAS. No visible effort from the SAS team to make SAS better fueled frustrations among users. Now everyone seemed to have accepted the facts and there is no reason to beat a dead horse.

 

The SAS_(random number).com extract file does put entries into the Windows registry.
Also AppData and temp folders.

I ran a system snapshot at install so I don't know even if this qualifies as portable.
It didn't however install entries to Program Files or Start Menu.

If I remember correctly though the free SAS_(random number).exe file is the full installer
and adds more entries than the .com file.

CCleaner will list it under Utilities for cleaning.

As far as how effective SUPERAntiSpyware free is...never found anything not even a cookie.
Then again,none of my other OD scanners find anything either.

 

I just found this post about the portable edition: