**Important** I advise to stop using Ad-Aware

[Sonar5 3]

Hi All,Many of you have taken my advice to use Ad-Aware Software to remove spyware. I am now rescinding my advice for the time being. They have admitted that their engine no longer can be kept current of the latest mutations.(Last Ad-Aware Ref File Update 9/24/2002)I am recommending Spybot Search and Destroy. (FREEWARE)Available Here:http://security.kolla.de/Once Ad-Aware comes out with a newer version, I'll check it out and advise, so until then, I suggest you remove it for the time being and switch over to Spybot Search and Destroy.If you have it, do this.1) Run Ad-Aware2) Get Spybot S&D3) Tell me how many new instances Spybot picked up that LavaSoft did not.Story Link:http://www.spywareinfo.com/newsletter/arch...02/12252002.php***************************Here is my new sig...You Like it? :-lol :-lol.http://home.attbi.com/~sonar5/sig1.jpg.Here are Picture Galleries of My Trip out west in 2002..Gallery #1 Pima Air & Space Museum + AMARC (Boneyard) at Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona. (over 240 Pictures)http://www.pbase.com/sonar5/pimaamarc

[Sonar5 3]

Lavasoft's response can be found here:http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=1868Regards,JoeHere is my new sig...You Like it? :-lol :-lol.http://home.attbi.com/~sonar5/sig1.jpg.Here are Picture Galleries of My Trip out west in 2002..Gallery #1 Pima Air & Space Museum + AMARC (Boneyard) at Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona. (over 240 Pictures)http://www.pbase.com/sonar5/pimaamarc

[Guest]

I switched over to Spy-Bot a while ago. I don't even try Ad-Aware anymore. Thought they were a bit behind the times. This just confirms it.Thanks Joehttp://www3.telus.net/dport1/Radar_small.gifRC3 - Just gotta' have it!http://www3.telus.net/dport1/Radar_small.gifhttp://www3.telus.net/dport1/dansig.jpg

[Guest Barney1]

Actually, there's nothing wrong with using more than one program with respect to computer security including anti-virus, anti-trojan, etc.No single program can ever be as up-to-date as is required to defend against _all_ attacks or perils; it just is not possible and that includes commercial software as well. Just because Ad-aware hasn't been updated is no reason to dis-continue its use; however, it would be wise to use another program beside it and Spybot is a definite accompaniment. Using Ad-aware in its current configuration, no matter how out of date, is preferrable to no defense at all.

[Sonar5 3]

Hi All,As a follow-up, so me will be wondering what spyware is. here is a primer for you:Quite simply spyware are little programs sometimes installed on your system without your knowledge or even sometimes without your permission.Some of these programs collect information about your browsing habits, computer configurations, etc... and send that info back to the requestor.Some of these will direct pop-up ads when you visit web sites, where if the spyware was not installed, you would never have had the pop-up ad.It can be quite a complicated issue. For example, when I pull my Yahoo email, my pages load very slowly, because I don't allow any of the ads to load up, and I suspect there is a delay set up in their software because yahoo keeps making requests of my machine, and my machine keeps saying no.The first step is education. I would not run out and start using these programs as my post was simply telling people that already use Ad-Aware to try S&D for now. Those that use it hopefully read the instructions that come with the programs.Here is some info to get you started. For Now, if you really want to try it out, download the Spybot Search & Destroy program, run it, but don't fix anything just yet. After the program does its search, it will show you a window where you can obtain definitions of the different spyware installed. read them, and do a google search on a few to learn what they do.Then it is up to you to decide if you want to keep that spyware on your system or not.Cexx is the best resource for learning about spyware, IMHO. Start there:Go Here:http://www.cexx.org/problem.htmThen Go Here:http://www.cexx.org/adware.htmRemember, you are commiting to really learning your computer and how to control what goes in and what info is allowed out. It takes time, and cannot be learned overnight.Best of Luck,JoeHere is my new sig...You Like it? :-lol :-lol.http://home.attbi.com/~sonar5/sig1.jpg.Here are Picture Galleries of My Trip out west in 2002..Gallery #1 Pima Air & Space Museum + AMARC (Boneyard) at Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona. (over 240 Pictures)http://www.pbase.com/sonar5/pimaamarc

[Guest]

I would be very careful with making any advice of this kind. I am very doubtful about that article.For one, Ad-Aware has, which all of you seem to agree with (?), been a very good piece of software. Now they seem to be a bit delayed with v6, and people claim it would be "dangerous" using the old, not so up-to-date version.Second, (if I am not thinking of another anti-spyware program) I've learned by own experienced that SpyBot generates more alarms than Ad-Aware, but all or most of these extra alarms were false ones. A good example of one of those incidents is a simple, small Pascal program I made myself which didn't touch the border of, nor had any relationship with spyware whatsoever. Still, this DOS application on a few kilobytes was reported as such! (Some other software was falsely reported as well.)I wouldn't consider SpyBot a quality software for this very reason. If I am correct here, SpyBot if anything turns out to be the "dangerous" software. That wouldn't make me too comfortable with it.I am willing to accept new facts if they come up, but I'd just like to share my warning for this warning as seen on:http://www.spywareinfo.com/newsletter/arch...02/12252002.php(Same link as Sonar5 gave us.)Last, I cannot say what posts have been deleted in the support forums. The posts might have contained anything, who knows? As long as I'm not shown this evidence I'm simply going to favour Ad-Aware.If someone likes to use SpyBot, OK. I still have my opinion about it, though. Whatever you do, there's no reason whatsoever to delete Ad-Aware as I see it, as pointed out in this thread already.Dave (David Vuorio)

[Sonar5 3]

Hi Dave,The Fact remains that they will never update version 5.83 ever, ever again. They are building a new engine. Also, the User has the right to verify every program before they delete it. Yep, that's in there too.So, my advice stands. Why carry a program that is outdated, won't be updated again, and there is a more consistent program available.The Ad-Aware won't be updatable, you will have to download a whole new program.If it didn't like your pascal program, all you had to do was exclude it, if it isn't spyware, that is.Ad-Aware WAS a very good software program, and I have stated I will try it again once they come out with their new engine. So what should we do, Dave, let spyware run rampant on our system until lavasoft updates. Should we be loyal, or should we take responsibility for our own information and system.As to your program. Who knows. Is it available? perhaps you can contact the Author of S&D and inquire as to why it alarms on that. Maybe there is something in your code that can be cleaned up a bit. The possibility exists, does it not?I am not slamming Lavasoft, but I am switching until they release their new version. (Which is already late, BTW)Thanks for the response, :-)Joe Here is my new sig...You Like it? :-lol :-lol.http://home.attbi.com/~sonar5/sig1.jpg.Here are Picture Galleries of My Trip out west in 2002..Gallery #1 Pima Air & Space Museum + AMARC (Boneyard) at Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona. (over 240 Pictures)http://www.pbase.com/sonar5/pimaamarc

[Guest]

Hi Joe,I didn't imply any need to be loyal to a certain company or software. I just don't like SpyBot at the time being.Regarding my Pascal program: it's among hundreds of other programs written several years ago, so I don't quite feel for digging it up right now. Fact remains, though, that there's nothing wrong with that program of mine. The last thing I'll do is to ever so slightly modify any software to please misbehaving antivirus or anti-spyware software.The one fact you mentioned about Ad-Aware 6 is interesting, as I have not heard that yet: that it won't be easily updatable. If this is really what they have been planning, it gives a very different perspective of the situation.Given that Lavasoft starts with that trend, I might become pro-SpyBot. Who knows. However I think there's no need to panic while waiting to see the new version of Ad-Aware.I think the tone is very important here, to make sure not to make people stop using Ad-Aware altogether and forever, just due to a little gap in the production (although it's possible LavaSoft is focusing at a paying market, I'll wait and see if so is the case). I'm mostly critical to the article you referred to, and the fact that you recommend a removal instead of a complement with other anti-spyware software.Anyway, there is a tool to give you protection from spyware. That application is called ZoneAlarm and is a very good free firewall from ZoneLabs ( www.zonelabs.com ). I hope everyone has a firewall of any sort, if not it's strongly recommended you download one now. It will virtually make your computer totally safe from intrusions if you configure it right. (Note: A computer can never be totally safe, but I'm not going into a more advanced discussion right now as it'd be a very long one.)Spyware will also be efficiently blocked given that the firewall behaves and is configured properly. So far, I don't remember having experienced any bugs in ZoneAlarm. It is a very straightforward program and works just as it should. Personally, I prefer more advanced firewalls. I've tried some free ones for Windows but it ended with going back to ZoneAlarm due to bugs in the other ones. (In Linux I've set up a quite complicated firewall, however.)The good thing with most firewalls is that they block all traffic automatically, unless allowed. This gives it is not limited to block only the spyware it knows. Instead, it blocks everything but the programs you allow access.In fact, this is how I found out about the spyware coming with Roger Wilco. It tried to access the Internet each time I started Windows. By the way Ad-Aware reported it as spyware, if that makes anyone happy.Dave (David Vuorio)

[Guest BrianC]

FYI, AdAware Plus 6.0 is out. I got my upgrade notification earlier this week. http://lavasoft3.element5.com/news/20030127.jspThis version is for paid Plus customers. I didn't look hard for information about the update to the free version.

http://brianc.vip.warped.com/kpwk_sig.gif

[Sonar5 3]

If you click over to their download page, the Freeware version has a dead link with a pop-up stating it will be released sometime in February.So the only free version they currently have is 5.83 with a 9/24/2002 sig file.Payware is available now, though.Regards,JoeHere is my new sig...You Like it? :-lol :-lol.http://home.attbi.com/~sonar5/sig1.jpg.Here are Picture Galleries of My Trip out west in 2002..Gallery #1 Pima Air & Space Museum + AMARC (Boneyard) at Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona. (over 240 Pictures)http://www.pbase.com/sonar5/pimaamarc