AntiSpyware

[Malone]

I know that it is not advisable to run more than 1 antivirus program but what is the position regarding running more than 1 antispyware program?
I have SpyWare Doctor; Ad Aware & SpyBot installed.  Only SpyWare Doctor is permanently 'on' but I run the others once per week.

[FreewheelinFrank]

See here:

http://www.geocities.com/dontsurfinthenude/spyremoval.htm

Scroll down to:

Appendix: Real-time and on-demand scanners.

[DavidR]

A general rule is only one resident (on-access) application for each category of application, e.g. anti-spyware, anti-virus, etc.

There usually isn't a problem with adding on-demand scanners as many as you like within reason.

However, when I run another security based on-demand scan I always pause the Standard Shield. This is because avast also detects some spyware that the other might also detect and it could cause a conflict as each fight for control. As the other scanners opens files to scan that causes avast to also scan that file, this duplicates processing effort and overall time.

[gdiloren]

Shouldn't the resident protection of Avast detect first the spyware than the on-demand scan? If not, what kind of resident protection???

[DavidR]

It will because as the other application tries to open it avast will lock (or try to if a lock hasn't already been applied) the other application could still be fighting for control.

This is most likely to happen when an archive file is involved as the contents are unpacked to be scanned, avast by default doesn't scan archive files because they are inert and don't present a problem until the file/s are extracted and you try to run the extracted file/s.

Remember resident is on-access and until the other security software tries to access files avast will just be waiting, it is doing what it was designed for scan files as they are accessed.

[FreewheelinFrank]

Just because you can have a real-time spyware scanner running along side avast! doesn't mean you have to have one or indeed need to have one.

[DavidR]

Personally I don't have a resident anti-spyware.

[FreewheelinFrank]

Same here. Got burned once downloading a free game and learnt my lesson.

[Lisandro]

Ad Aware & SpyBot installed

AVGas and Spyware Terminator have better detection rates.
Also, SuperAntispyware could help.
All are free. ST has on-access protection.