This seems suspect to me, as far as I know it should be available in the US- which would mean that when you get to the Microsoft site it thinks you are coming from another country where it is not available. It suggests you might be connecting thru a proxy or something. Might be a good idea to run those other spyware programs.
Free Spyware Software? Windows Vista
- Thread starter OKnewguy
- Start date
ronjhall
Super Star Member
When I saw your post I went back to my post. Sure enough I am told that I am trying to do downloading from a foreign country.
Must be my Comcast.
Clicking on the
Icon in upper left corner of page took me to the correct download page.
OP
OKnewguy
Platinum Member
I appreciate the help. I have cleaned up all 3 of them and am going to leave well enough alone for now. I was pretty happy all of the machines seemed pretty clean, except for tracking cookies. I might pursue the Microsoft Essentials, if Avast lets me down in the future.
Have a Merry Christmas, Dave
Have a Merry Christmas, Dave
MossRoad
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Free Spyware Software? Windows Vista
The way the title is written, it insinuates windows vista is free spyware. Why would anyone want to install spyware on their computer?
Sorry, couldn't resist.
We have an anti-spyware package at work that consists a hardware box that scans all net traffic as well as anti-virus and spyware software on our desktops. Even with that, some stuff still gets through. Mostly by human engineering, where they get a user to click a button. Insidious stuff!
The way the title is written, it insinuates windows vista is free spyware. Why would anyone want to install spyware on their computer?
Sorry, couldn't resist.
We have an anti-spyware package at work that consists a hardware box that scans all net traffic as well as anti-virus and spyware software on our desktops. Even with that, some stuff still gets through. Mostly by human engineering, where they get a user to click a button. Insidious stuff!
GoodGuy
Gold Member
Are there any free registry cleaners/optimizers available that anyone would recommend??
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I've been playing the free software game for years. I've tried most of what's already been mentioned, but kept having issues. I'd be good for so many months, but then something would start happening to my computer. I'd search for it and not find it. I'd update the software, and some programs automatically updated every day anyway, but nothing would catch the problem. Twice I've had to take my computer in to have it done by pros. I asked them what they used and what they recomend, and they said the same stuff that I already had. I sometimes wonder if they just say that so they don't have to give up their secret software that actually works.
I was hit a few months ago, and before bringing it in again, I did a search for programs that I could buy that actually worked. Over and over again, I came up with Spyware Doctor by PC Tools. The review sites and PC magazines all rated it as the best out there with a very good support team and updates. One of the problems that the free stuff and even the other bigger names products lack is good updates when something new comes along.
I bought it and after installing it, found the problem. It fixed it and my system was back to working like new. I then went through and deleted every other program tha was on my computer that was supposed to do what Spyware Doctor accomplished.
It allows you to run it on three computers, so I gave it to my wife to run on her laptop. She wasn't having any issues, but wanted to install it just to be safe. She found hundreds of things on her system. After fixing it, she's found that her computer is running allot faster, and without any problems that she thought was just part of the way her computer worked.
To get what works, I think you have to spend the money on what really works.
Eddie
I was hit a few months ago, and before bringing it in again, I did a search for programs that I could buy that actually worked. Over and over again, I came up with Spyware Doctor by PC Tools. The review sites and PC magazines all rated it as the best out there with a very good support team and updates. One of the problems that the free stuff and even the other bigger names products lack is good updates when something new comes along.
I bought it and after installing it, found the problem. It fixed it and my system was back to working like new. I then went through and deleted every other program tha was on my computer that was supposed to do what Spyware Doctor accomplished.
It allows you to run it on three computers, so I gave it to my wife to run on her laptop. She wasn't having any issues, but wanted to install it just to be safe. She found hundreds of things on her system. After fixing it, she's found that her computer is running allot faster, and without any problems that she thought was just part of the way her computer worked.
To get what works, I think you have to spend the money on what really works.
Eddie
MossRoad
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Eddie,
I know what you mean by freeware maybe not being updated as fast as payed services. However, I can tell you from 22 years experience in IT and about 10 dealing with viruses, spyware, malware, etc... that even the payed services do not catch everything. We have some very good, very expensive services running in our organization and we still get hit. Sometimes you can clean a machine completely with one program, then run another highly touted paid service and find more things, and then run even a third program and find even more. Some of this stuff is downright insidious.
And get this... on several occasions we have had anti-virus programs get an automatic update, then get a false positive on a legitimate program and kill it! That's like getting bit in the behind by your own dog!!!
It is all quite frustrating, to say the least.
I know what you mean by freeware maybe not being updated as fast as payed services. However, I can tell you from 22 years experience in IT and about 10 dealing with viruses, spyware, malware, etc... that even the payed services do not catch everything. We have some very good, very expensive services running in our organization and we still get hit. Sometimes you can clean a machine completely with one program, then run another highly touted paid service and find more things, and then run even a third program and find even more. Some of this stuff is downright insidious.
And get this... on several occasions we have had anti-virus programs get an automatic update, then get a false positive on a legitimate program and kill it! That's like getting bit in the behind by your own dog!!!
It is all quite frustrating, to say the least.
D7E
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I always had free avg and lavasoft in the old computer for 5 years without a problem that i could'nt handle then we got a new one with vista and payed Mcafee which was forever having problems.I cleaned it out and went back to free avg and spybot and not had trouble since..
aczlan
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If you ever have to remove AVG, try the Microsoft Security Essentials that was mentioned above. It is (IMO) slightly better than AVG and on my computer was noticeably faster. See AV-Comparatives - Independent Tests of Anti-Virus Software - Main-Tests for some comparisons between various AV vendors.
Aaron Z
riptides
Super Member
You really have to practice defence in depth. No one thing on an end-point device is going to catch it all. Start by installing a good router, then firewall, then various software packages on the end points. Have good backups and be prepared for your worst case scenario.