my anti spyware/adaware setup, should i be safe?

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KillerTomato

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 29, 2004
Messages
255
Well, I used this setup on my old comp, and I still got a spyware that wouldn't go away, no matter how many searchs I preformed. Anyways, heres the setup:
Mozzila Firefox
hijack this!
ad-aware SE
spyware search and destroy

I should be just about safe right?
 
aol spyware removal > all:rolleyes:



Throw in a good firewall and antivirus if you don't have one. The best way to avoid getting spyware is smart browsing. (other than pulling the plug)
 
My setup

Adaware Personal SE
Spyware Blaster
Spyware Guard

Spyware Count = 0
 
Adaware SE
Windows Antispyware
Spybot Search and Destroy
Firefox

I think im clean....I hope.
 
I do agree Microsoft's Antispyware is very good, but I find it most useful on users that do not know what they are doing.

Its biggest role is keeping spyware from getting on the machines in the first place.
 
UltimaParadox said:
I do agree Microsoft's Antispyware is very good, but I find it most useful on users that do not know what they are doing.

Its biggest role is keeping spyware from getting on the machines in the first place.
Click to expand...

I also think that this is true. It is very friendly to regular users. I usually like to do all the stuff myself (call me a control freak), but I love that this automatically asked me when it should auto update and when it should scan right when I installed it.

I use:

Firefox w/ Adblock
Microsoft AntiSpyware
Spybot Search & Destroy (every once in a while)
 
My opinion: grab every decent freeware anti-spyware program you can, update the definitions, and run a full scan once. Each program finds something that the others won't--for example, MS Anti-Spyware finds these two annoying SearchSquire registry entries that, even after I delete them, WILL NOT GO AWAY. Ad-aware and Spybot didn't find those.

Spysweeper is pretty good--just update its definitions, run it once, and remove it forever.

For actual spyware prevention, you'll want SpywareBlaster--it's an improved version of Spybot's immunization feature.
 
Terpfen said:
My opinion: grab every decent freeware anti-spyware program you can, update the definitions, and run a full scan once. Each program finds something that the others won't--for example, MS Anti-Spyware finds these two annoying SearchSquire registry entries that, even after I delete them, WILL NOT GO AWAY. Ad-aware and Spybot didn't find those.

Spysweeper is pretty good--just update its definitions, run it once, and remove it forever.

For actual spyware prevention, you'll want SpywareBlaster--it's an improved version of Spybot's immunization feature.
Click to expand...

I don't know... for some reason I don't think that having 20 different spy-ware removal programs is going to be a good idea. I would just get the top three at the most and make sure your browser is set to prevent spyware in the first place.

Me, I don't put so much effort into it. I run spybot, all immunizations, Maxthon (A tabbed and enhanced version of IE), and AVG and a firewall if that counts. I never had a problem with spyware.
 
I'm not advocating keeping 20 different programs. I'm saying, grab everything that even hints at being quality, and scan with it once, then uninstall it. Keep the best two, plus SpywareBlaster.
 
anyone know that site that gave a review on the best anti-spyware? Some free and some you have to buy.
 
Ran S&D, Ad-Adaware and MS. All removed. Still got pop-ups. Ran Spysweeper - found 117 traces. Cleaned them all. Ran again. Nothing. No popups. All Gone! Spysweeper is the best!
 
elation said:
Ran S&D, Ad-Adaware and MS. All removed. Still got pop-ups. Ran Spysweeper - found 117 traces. Cleaned them all. Ran again. Nothing. No popups. All Gone! Spysweeper is the best!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion, I think I'll download it. It wouldn't hurt to have an extra tool. :)
 
All of the above are good. Firefox gets you 90% of the way there alone. However, IE is needed a fraction of the time. The MS Anti-spyware beta is the best IMO for unhijacking an otherwise hosed IE setup. However, I wouldn't use more than one real-time engine at a time (duh).

Multi-level approaches seem the best.
 
KillerTomato said:
I should be just about safe right?
Click to expand...

just a few more steps

1. Unplug from internet
2. Encase in Concrete
3. Stand a 19 year old with a Rifle over it

:p :p :p


refer to the Rampant Paranoia 101 sticky

there is no such thing as "safe"
and what it actually takes to be resonably secure changes day to day

Good Luck ;)
 
Ice Czar said:
just a few more steps

1. Unplug from internet
2. Encase in Concrete
3. Stand a 19 year old with a Rifle over it

:p :p :p


refer to the Rampant Paranoia 101 sticky

there is no such thing as "safe"
and what it actually takes to be resonably secure changes day to day

Good Luck ;)
Click to expand...

Haha, great point.

One thing that I think is very important is that you must be protected at all times. From the time you first boot up a new install of Windows you MUST get some of this software installed that will stop icky things from installing themselves. An ounce of prevention definitely applies here. At some point it is just too hard to fight all the spyware when you're really infected and you should just reformat. So if you didn't do it right the first time, do it right the next time and I promise you you'll have less problems.
 
Deadlierchair said:
At some point it is just too hard to fight all the spyware when you're really infected and you should just reformat.
Click to expand...

actually I make some pretty good money rescuing peoples boxes
I take it as a personal challenge to root em all out,
of course trying to rip out an undocumented version of a Cool Websearch Trojan can be a real challenge :p
(read wholesale registry editing whacking off big nasty pieces)

and totally agree you need to get it all inplace before you go online
actually the time to infection for a box open to the internet (no firewall or NAT)
is less than the time it takes to do an express install of a service pack or even the hotfixes for the sasser & MSBlaster worms
 
my awesome anti spyware kit:
SpySweeper
MS anti-spyware
Pest Patrol 2005
CWShredder
Ad-Aware Pro
Spybot S&D
KaZaa Begone
Bazooka
Hijackthis
bugoff
CCleaner - for removing temps before scans, and fixing registry entries afterwards

Registry fixing is a big deal after a large spyware removal, alot of people arent aware of what gets left behind after a massive removal.

I always use
RegClean
CCLeaner
Norton Windoctor
and RegEdit
to fix problems with the registry after a massive virus/spyware removal.

Also remember to go to add/remove to pull stuff out, and to clean all the temp folders first...alot of spyware replicates from these locations...as well as Me/XP's built in system restore stuff hangs out in there. If you also have multiple profiles (ala XP) you must clean each profile out to ensure a full cleaning, do it in safe mode too. And also msconfig that puppy when youre done too, if youre running win2k or 2k server you can copy msconfig from the winnt\system32 folder and paste it into the same folder on the nt5(2k) machine and you will have msconfigability now.

and im sure you all know this but....disable messenger service.

the most common temp directory to clear out would be
start>run>%temp%

All of my tools are bootable from a version of BartsPE that i customized while i worked for the GeekSquad to speed up removals when I performed them on pc's every day.

I also have a batch file that will wipe out all other directories. i will post it tommorow when i get to my windows pc where i have it stored.
 
I had my recently formatted computer up and online for about 5 minutes before installing and running my spyware stuff. 206 files were found in the first run.
 
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