Best spyware cleaner

I use Spybot for passive protection. The best top-level scanner is SuperAntiSpyWare (scans the same as Spybot, but faster). The best deep-level scanner is Mal-ware Bytes.

All of them are free, but the pay versions have active scanning.

Ad-aware is a joke and has been crap since 2009. If you are going to use it, use 2008 only, the newer versions are really terrible as they don't detect anything.

Best of luck. ;)
 
I use malwarebytes, but I'm interested in hearing what everyone else is using these days as well.

I heard Spybot is not as good anymore as spyware companies pay them to not detect stuff, but I am not sure if that is even true, I only heard it. I tend to use that one as well as adaware. Some will miss what others catch.
 
Spybot is good, but it is very unoptimized for scanning at this point (goes very slow), but the passive protection is great. SuperAntiSpyWare scans for the exact same items and files, but goes about 10 times faster.

btw, don't use adaware if you can help it, it's one of the worst scanners out there, and their anti-virus portion of the program is a total joke. Both won't find/remove hardly any of the items the other scanners will pickup.
 
A mix of Spybot, Malwarebytes, and HiJackThis (just to make sure nothing dodgy is running) seems to do the job.

It is rather sad about Ad-Aware. It wasn't all that long ago that it was a key part of most anti-spyware kits.
 
No single program is the best (not saying they aren't effective).

In combination though, they are most effective. Some combinations more be more effective than others, and effectiveness may vary from time to time.

http://www.joyunbound.com/2009/07/one-fits-all-solution-for-most-viriimalwarespyware-problems/

I recommend installing Spybot as minimally as possible. No startup, no active scan, no shredder, no daily scans, no shortcuts on desktop or in start menu, etc. After installing it, run it, check for updates, immunize the machine, scan, fix found problems, and finally immunize the machine again.

Same thing for SpywareBlaster and CCleaner. Just install them with as basic and minimal as possible. I would run SpywareBlaster before Spybot first though, and make sure it covers everything (and then do Spybot). CCleaner should be run on the system every once in a while, but always as the first and last step of cleaning up an infection.

And if you are feeling up to it, I'd recommend either in combination or whatever you desire for MSE, ClamAV, and ClamWin (yes, all three).



I only install MalwareBytes when an infection occurs. I install it as minimally as possible, and utilize it during the disinfection and cleanup process. Then I uninstall it.



My disinfection and cleanup procedure goes like this:

1. ComboFix
2. CCleaner
3. MalwareBytes + Spybot + ClamWin + MSE
4. Spybot Update + SpywareBlaster Update + Re-immunization
5. ComboFix
6. CCleaner

Rarely has this ever failed me.
 
I like a combination of CCleaner, Malwarebytes, and Avira Antivir personal. Never had a single virus on my machine :)
 
1: Ccleaner in every profile.
2. Hijackthis and Combofix in Safe Mode.
3. Malwarebytes in Safe Mode.
4. SuperAntiSpyware in Safe Mode.
5. MSE full scan in regular mode.
6. Run Ccleaner again.
 
Cerulean said:
My disinfection and cleanup procedure goes like this:

1. ComboFix
2. CCleaner
3. MalwareBytes + Spybot + ClamWin + MSE
4. Spybot Update + SpywareBlaster Update + Re-immunization
5. ComboFix
6. CCleaner

Rarely has this ever failed me.
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/usr/home said:
1: Ccleaner in every profile.
2. Hijackthis and Combofix in Safe Mode.
3. Malwarebytes in Safe Mode.
4. SuperAntiSpyware in Safe Mode.
5. MSE full scan in regular mode.
6. Run Ccleaner again.
Click to expand...


Holy crap, what you are guys doing, malware testing?
 
In this day and age, you can't be faulted for being over protective.

I use Malware Bytes, CC, MSE.
 
DogsofJune said:
In this day and age, you can't be faulted for being over protective.

I use Malware Bytes, CC, MSE.
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Ok, then I have to ask: On average, say weekly, how many true pieces of malware are blocking/removing from your machines gentlepersons? Actual trojans, virus, etc? Not tracking cookies.
 
If I actually think there's something wrong I'll do Malwarebytes, Avast, CCleaner, ClamWin portable. If there's still something wrong I either find something else or resort to more drastic measures (like GParted).
 
a little off said:
Ok, then I have to ask: On average, say weekly, how many true pieces of malware are blocking/removing from your machines gentlepersons? Actual trojans, virus, etc? Not tracking cookies.
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For me it's very minimal to non existent, in fact I don't recall the last time I had issues, but then I spend more time on the Linux lappy browsing than on the Windows systems anymore.
Common sense plays a big role, but in light of recent events, caution is always prudent. Even on trusted sites.
 
Man, you guys put too much effort into this stuff, I'm a lazy bastard - if Combofix doesn't take care of it, I'll usually just reload the OS.
 
aaronearles said:
Man, you guys put too much effort into this stuff, I'm a lazy bastard - if Combofix doesn't take care of it, I'll usually just reload the OS.
Click to expand...

In the business network world....reloading an OS isn't too bad...but it's usually close to, if not over, a minimum of 2 hours. Unless they have a fat enough image for a network workstation imaging system.

But for home users, reloading an OS is more like at least a 1 day job. Backup data, ask client several more times what they think they remember they need, wipe, reinstall...good luck finding their CDs and license keys, (they almost always "borrowed" CDs for Office, Quicken, etc) reload, go on a driver hunt (cuz it's a home built cloner built of "motherboard of the month club" parts), go chase down those drivers and software for oddball hardware home users are certain to have, restore their data,

Actually I'll call using 10 antimalware programs to scrub a home users PC the easy, least effort approach. Install, update (there's about 1 minutes time), kick off a scan (walk away and do other things while it's scanning). Or often, we take it back to our office...remove hard drive..slave it to our bench rig..where we can scan it with many different programs already installed and updated on our bench PC.

What do I use for malware? Quite a few different tools (because using just one or two will be incomplete)....and sometimes it varies based on which malware I'm dealing with. But the list of good tools has already been made..and it's stickied at the top of this forum.
 
I agree with YeOlde. Business machines are simple. I deal about 75% with home user machines so you have data to backup and restore, programs to reinstall, printer and scanning software to reinstall, etc and most of the time they don't have CDs for that crap or they don't know how to do it and yeah, it's a lot of work, especially when you are swamped for work already. I can do a virus removal in 2, 3 hours fully doing my method and it rarely ever doesn't get a computer clean. I'd rather spend a day fighting with a nasty infection than reloading. It might take a day the first time, but when you run into it again, say onsite at a business, you know how to deal with it in minutes rather than hours.
 
I am a fan of Malwarebytes MSE and CCleaner.
As for removal:
1 safemode
2 Malwarebytes and/or Combofix
3 reboot to reg windows
4 Malwarebytes
5 MSE
6 CCleaner

If its 64bit I normaly skip combofix and use SuperAntiSpyware.
However, if I understand correctly Combofix works on 64bit now.
As far as reloading the OS if its a home user I will avoid it at all costs.
Bussiness clients if I cant t find the infection after about 1 or 2 hours its a clean install.
 
buckweat420 said:
Has anyone ever used this before?

http://www.superantispyware.com/
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Apparently

Red Falcon said:
I use Spybot for passive protection. The best top-level scanner is SuperAntiSpyWare (scans the same as Spybot, but faster). The best deep-level scanner is Mal-ware Bytes.
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Red Falcon said:
Spybot is good, but it is very unoptimized for scanning at this point (goes very slow), but the passive protection is great. SuperAntiSpyWare scans for the exact same items and files, but goes about 10 times faster.
.
Click to expand...
 
aaronearles said:
Man, you guys put too much effort into this stuff, I'm a lazy bastard - if Combofix doesn't take care of it, I'll usually just reload the OS.
Click to expand...

Semi agreed.
MSE usually catches stuff before it has a chance to infect. What MSE doesn't catch, Malwarebytes usually does.

I used to have like 4 apps installed (MSE, MB, SB, SAS); I've scaled back. I've seen SAS flag things that MB didn't but they were generally crap (like cookies). Now I just run MSE+MB.

If someone brings me an infected computer, one of the first things out of my mouth is "It's easier to flush and reinstall. I can scan all day, but I can't guarantee it'll catch everything." If they let me, I reformat+clean install the os because it's quicker than spending hours and hours waiting for a HD to churn through scan after scan (especially deep/full scans).
 
I prefer SuperAntiSpyware. AdAware has been useless since 2007.

Malwarebytes is ok, but it takes for bloody ever to scan.

Spybot just can't cut the mustard any more.
 
zero2dash said:
Semi agreed.
MSE usually catches stuff before it has a chance to infect. What MSE doesn't catch, Malwarebytes usually does.

I used to have like 4 apps installed (MSE, MB, SB, SAS); I've scaled back. I've seen SAS flag things that MB didn't but they were generally crap (like cookies). Now I just run MSE+MB.

If someone brings me an infected computer, one of the first things out of my mouth is "It's easier to flush and reinstall. I can scan all day, but I can't guarantee it'll catch everything." If they let me, I reformat+clean install the os because it's quicker than spending hours and hours waiting for a HD to churn through scan after scan (especially deep/full scans).
Click to expand...

Also remember you still have to deal with the potentially infected files when you're transferring your data back to the new install. May as well just do it right and remove it. If you know what you're doing you can do it just as fast, if not faster than a backup and reload.
 
TechLarry said:
I prefer SuperAntiSpyware. AdAware has been useless since 2007.

Malwarebytes is ok, but it takes for bloody ever to scan.

Spybot just can't cut the mustard any more.
Click to expand...

SuperAntiSpyWare is good, but it doesn't dig nearly as deep as malware bytes. Run both in safe mode and then immunize with spybot.

Also, adaware was ok in 2007 and 2008, but 2009 was when it really became useless.
 
Malware Bytes, Hitman Pro (good stuff - combines 4 different pieces of software), and Ccleaner is where I start. If that doesn't get it I head to ComboFix and a bootable version of Kaspersky.
 
You're pro if you pop the HDD into a workstation running Linux, and boot up into a Windows virtual machine to scan the HDD externally and do everything externally.

THEN put the HDD back into the original machine and redo all the scans from within Windows. Hah.
 
Cerulean said:
You're pro if you pop the HDD into a workstation running Linux, and boot up into a Windows virtual machine to scan the HDD externally and do everything externally.

THEN put the HDD back into the original machine and redo all the scans from within Windows. Hah.
Click to expand...

Or use OS X. I do this with flash drives with any Unix OS, works great when the person has mission critical data which needs to be recovered. ;)
 
I use a bootable USB drive (ubcd4win) which has a bunch of tools on it. Start with EzPcfix to find the registry entries that the spyware/malware is using to load and remove those, then scan with superantispyware. Reboot into windows for malwarebytes and possibly hitman pro scans.

That fixes it 95% of the time, if that doesn't work then it's reimage time.
 
people go too crazy, all you need is Combofix and TDSS Killer, followed by MBAM.

MSE doesn't do shit to an infected machine.
 
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