Why use a standalone spyware program if Avast has built-in spyware protection?

[PiCo]

one of the few ways to get FREE real time protection from an Anti-spyware
Except Spybot's t-timer-
do you know of any others?

Spyware Terminator and BOClean!

[Rafel]

Spyware Doctor Free Basic Edition:
http://pack.google.com/intl/en/pack_inst...
Its free with Google pack, untick all boxes except Spyware Doctor. Download install, update and run.

A resource hog only with 50% of database, no thanks.

ST or CBOCLEAN are free and more lighter.

[PiCo]

In my humble opinion, Avast! + firefox + SandboxIE in real-time should be enough to take care of all spyware!

On-demand you can have everything your heart desires!
SAS
MBAM
Ewido micro scanner
SpywareBlaster
a²

 

[wyrmrider]

Hi guys great discussion and opinions

BO Clean  great program but it is not real time last time I looked- More like WinPatrol

MBAM and EWIDO great programs no W98/ME support
Ewido -AVG Anti spyware  evidently still able to get support but hard to find for new downloads
EWIDO micro scanner still available- have to check

A-Squared  good scanner  no real time in the free version

Spyware Doctor is no more of a resource hog than Counterspy or Spysweeper
all of these three go after a different market than FREE- like big on corporate support
"who's on first" changes with each round of tests
not in the same resource hog category with McAfee and Norton

I have not used Spyware terminator- still bundled with crap?
It may have real time, scanner seems to work well
as does pest patrol free  there is a version that updates but does not remove anything
real time protection works fine also supports all Windows
but am I recommending it?

Sandboxie et all
different discussion- but way to go

[Texas-Hansen]

Thanks everyone.  Informative discussion.  I note that Windows Defender has not been mentioned and I may get piled on for asking this naive question, but is Windows Defender effective as a anti-spyware program (especially since Avast has some limited component of anti-spyware running already running)?

[wyrmrider]

Windows Defender was previously called Windows Anti Spyware and was purchased from Giant by Microsoft
Giant Anti Spyware was great in its day
Sunbelt- Counterspy had a license for Giant and shared R&D with MS for a year
Counterspy is now on its own and doing quite well
the amount of R&D MS is putting into Windows Defender is unknown
(I would not rely on it as my only on demand scanner)

anybody see any tests on scan effectiveness?

If Windows Defender's real time capabilities have been retained they worked well when was Giant
so worth a try vs Spybot T-Timer and whatever Spyware Terminator has to offer- or  Spyware Doctor
I need to check these out or find where some one has

The discussion of Threat Fire, System Safety Monitor, Sandboxie also has to be done

[PiCo]

What can we discuss about SandboxIE? Plain and simple: It rules! Lol

I have been using it for about 6 months and have tested over 150 malware with it, nth ever got out. The only negative about SandboxIE, is that I have become a happy clicker.
I clcik on anything just for the fun of it, cause I knows there will be no bad consequences

[wyrmrider]

Let's talk a little more about BO Clean

Main thrust of the program is anti-trojan
it has a blacklist that it compares to programs that try to run
very effective against programs in its database
it may duplicate what is in the later AV's with spyware protection

so my statement as it scanning like Win Patrol may be inaccurate or BO clean may also have a registry scanner (for unauthorized changes)
more investigation needed

BOClean is one of the few programs whose updates are shown at spywarewarrior- updates
not a recommendation but definitely not on a not recommended list

also note that Defense Wall HIPs final is released
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewtopic.php?t=25717

[PiCo]

BOClean does a very simple and effective thing. For a malware to run and do any damage it has to be loaded in memory first!
As soon as it loads in memory BOClean interacts and snaps its neck!
So the malware hasn't got a chance to run.

This detection is signature based, so for a malware to be caught it has to be in BOClean's database, but it's a very good database in my opinion.
The only thing that bothers me about BOClean, is the fact that it could be lighter on system resources, not that it's a resource hog, but could be lighter!