Anyone using Microsoft Anti-Spyware Beta?

JayC · Apr 8, 2005

If your computer is 2 years old and you haven't done a reformat of the HDD, then I HIGHLY doubt you are spyware/adware free. When you start MS Anit-Spyware, click Scan Options under the Run Quick Scan Now button. Have it do a full system scan. Also, download and install SpyBot Search & Destroy (I love saying that! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) and Lavasoft's Ad-Aware. I use all three and it seems all three will find something the other doesn't. Well, actually the MS spyware program never finds anything, but then again I run Spybot and AdAware before running MS's program. I probably should let it do a full system scan, but I'm too impatient to wait for a full system scan. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

getut · Apr 8, 2005

Keep in mind that there are now "rootkits" out that sit at the kernel level. To make an analogy its like a country getting reports back from one of their spies, but sending the report back with a double agent. The double agent delivers the report, but removes anything from the report that is actually useful.

It is very difficult to remove rootkits. Most of the time a reformat is needed. Antivirus or spyware detection software does NOT detect the presence of a rootkit. Rootkits can even hide their network activity and the fact that they are spewing SPAM email. You would actually have to sniff the network from a known uninfected PC, or check the logs of an SPI firewall.

There are rootkit detectors available on the internet, but they are rootkit specific. Package A detects rootkit A but not rootkit B, etc. etc. etc.

frank_f15 · Apr 8, 2005

i just did as you suggested and ran a full system scan. took 8 min 46 sec and it found nothing. I have never reformatted the HD . I also never download anything free, I.E. free screen savers, free smily faces, ANY FREE PROGRAMS.