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I just downloaded the new Ad-Aware 6.0 and ran it right after I ran my 5.83 version and it caught several more! :) It has a different look to it but I think it is going to be a good little utility to have! Just wanted to let everyone know it is available now for downloading!
www.lavasoft.nu
Have Great Evening!
i prefer spybot search and distroy
I'm not familiar with SPYBOT.....what are the main differences in it versus Ad-aware? I've heard of it but just have never tried it.
Fred Langa, who puts out a weekly news letter called "The LangaList" has this to say about Ad-Aware...
"LavaSoft has returned from Limbo with a new site design, and a long-overdue version 6 of their Ad-Aware anti-spyware software. That's good news for those who paid good money to buy the enhanced version last year: They finally have something to show for their purchase.
I'll take a look at the new version of Ad-Aware, but I don't plan to rely on it any time soon. LavaSoft left their customers exposed to malware for some 5 months before the new version came out--- an eternity when it comes to online security threats. There are plenty of other excellent anti-spyware tools out there, free and paid ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-01-13.htm#3 ), that offer regular, frequent updates, and that have avoided the site outages and download problems that plagued Ad-Aware even when it was being updated regularly.
I'll stick with those other tools for now. An out-of-date security tool is almost as bad as no tool. Even if the new version is perfect (and it cannot be--- no software ever is), it'll be a while before Ad-Aware regains my trust."
I have to totally agree with Mr. Langa, but I am more forgiving than ol' Fred is. I still like Ad-Aware, but Langa is right about Ad-Aware leaving its customers and all.
I'll be taking a look at Spybot and see what it has to offer vs AA.
I downloaded the ad 60 yesterday and then found there was already an update. SYBOT and AD6 seem to find different things, so I plan to run both as long as they are free. :D
Fuelm@n,
I have to totally agree with Mr. Langa, but I am more forgiving than ol' Fred is. I still like Ad-Aware, but Langa is right about Ad-Aware leaving its customers and all.
What version of Ad-Aware have you been using up to this point?
Jake
Jakesterr,
I've used every version Lava-soft ever put out and I'm now currently using Ad-Aware Plus 6 which I've used for the last 2 weeks. Prior to version 6, I've used 5.83 which hadn't had any Ref updates since August of last year. I like version 6 because it's faster, has more options, it's up to date, and looks sweet.
My opinion....
I have to go along with what Mr. Langa says. I also dn/loaded the new version of AdAware. When run,it found 1 cookie from fortune city listed as a grabber. Before running it, i created a phony folder named "Lop.com". We all know "that" is a really bad one. AdAware completely ignored it!:(
Thank you,but no,,i'll use SpyBot S&D until and unless AdAware can show me more than a "nice" GUI...:p
Ridgerunr--What you report about that self-created folder "lop.com" seems a very strong recommendation for the new Ad-Aware v6. Its seems to be recognizing spyware based on malicious content of the file/folder and not its name.
I would really like to believe that Jim, and if so, i'll give adaware a run for it's money with some other false/positives and see what happens...:D It's just that my confidence in this program has lagged because of what others have already said. IMO, if your going to take the responsibility of writing and offering a spyware program,it should also include the responsibility of doing all possible to keep it up-to-date. Especially for the people who paid for it...
i just download ad-aware 6 and i like it. I stopped using ad-aware after it quit being updated.
Ridgerunr,
I did your "lop.com" folder test against Spybot, Spybot completely ignored it!:mad: I guess Spybot's not any good either!!!
I did download Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.1 http://www.soft-ware.net/download.as...spybotsd11.exe
That program is one beast of a program, I have to admit it is good. It caught things that I knew I once had that PestPatrol removed, or I thought removed, and Ad-aware 6 totally missed. Spybot removed the left overs that PestPatrol and Ad-aware missed. Looks like I'll be using all 3 programs just so I don't miss anything, but no one program is perfect! We all know that...
Gotta go, Samurai Jack is on....:p
Fuelm@n, you have to tell SpyBot what directory/file to include in the search. It suggests you include only your dn/load files. It also says not to include a complete hard drive or it may give false/positives.
Ok,,i should state i now have Win98SE that i'm running tests on. Tried XP-home for a' couple weeks and dumped it. Won't elaborate on why just now.:rolleyes: Now,,i'm gonna' re-nig just a little on smokin' AdAware 6. Here's why: I have 2 HHD's each with 4 partitions. C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J...I made another folder on J: and named it "Gator". AdAware saw it,quarantened it,and removed it.(with consent). Called it a "hijacker". Told SpyBot to look in that location also,it found nothing. Told it to check Program Files also. It found my copy of GRC's Leak test program and checked it for removal. Had to remove the "check", or this nice lil' program would be long gone.:( After letting SpyBot remove the TIF files, ran HD Valet and it found 17 entries in TIF not removed by SpyBot. And they were not ghosted cookies!
Guess it all comes down to the fact that no one program can do it all. And you have to be very careful as to what you,the user, allow them to do. ;)
spybot and ad-aware find different things. Spybot is useful for finding and deleting the evil cookies. It also finds some spyware and dialers that ad-aware doesn't. I use both of them together to make sure i get all the spyware and other evil stuff that gets on my computer or at least most of it.
Renaming a non-baddie folder to something that is normally a baddie, should be ignored, which Spybot did and apparently AA did with the LOP.com one. But AA also said the Gator one was bad and thus is a false-positive. Already some of these FP's are being addressed in the quick released updates for AA. It is good they are now fast with the updates, but not good that the product needs so many so quickly, which are not just updates to add bad guys or combat their change in tactics. This is because of the poor/non-existant beta testing they claim they do/did.
I also note that I always see where somebody said Spybot found this and that after AA was run, but I don't see anyone finding stuff other than FP's with AA after Spybot was run.
I like Spybot. I don't find it complicated like some have said, but I leave everything at default and only fix the red checked stuff. They also do not screw up your rig with corrupt updates like AA has done in the past. As long as AA keeps the updates uncorrupted, running both should be fine for those that want to. I will stick with just Spybot.
I trust the people running Spybot as well, vs AA who dumped it's users while farting with AA6 while spending most of their time defending themselves. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes of the last year and get it together. I won't hold my breath on it.
That was really my point Ghouldini, just naming a file as a baddy shouldn't create a F/P. The folder "content" is the real ticket. And i meant that Spybot actually "looked" in the GRC folder and found what is in reality a phony phone home by Steve Gibson,but it "should" look like a nasty to a program looking for that sort of thing. I didn't expect a reaction to the Gator or Lop.com folder although AA found the Gator one and reacted to it,it obviously wasn't programmed to check any code in the "contents" of the folder. So,,finding it "is" sorta' good,but automatically quarantining it is "not" good..
If i were to have a song in a folder targeted named "see ya' later alligator"(which i do,by Bill Haley and the Comets),i sure don't want a spyware program to quarantine it! :p
I'm also putting my trust in Spybot unless AA gets around to putting more effort into their program. Even then, my trust has dropped considerably...:(