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Two Reviews of Microsoft AntiSpyware

Posted by michael on from the unsolved-problem dept.

jasondubya writes "PC Magazine released their review of Microsoft's Anti-Spyware Beta 1. While they agree with most that it has great potential, it has yet to take over their top spot. In an informal test, it removed about two-thirds of the spyware detected and blocked about fifty percent of the threats they attempted to install. After removal, they ran Webroot's Spy Sweeper 3.0. It was able to detect '900 traces of 48 distinct threats still present, including two keyloggers and three Trojans.' With that, it looks like Microsoft still has work to do before they are on top of the market." Several other readers sent in link to Mossberg's review in the WSJ.

8 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. I've used it by ikkibr · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've used it and ...
    I liked it! It scanned like 500 spywares in my computer, all of them due to Internet Explorer Bugs(hey, i've used it only for 2 days since I formated my computer). The software is fast, gives information about the spywares and asks you what you wanna do. If I had to rate it I would give 9/10.

  2. My experiences in brief... by ZiZ · · Score: 5, Informative

    MS AntiSpyware is /extremely/ fast - faster than anything else I've tried - but didn't catch any advertisement cookies in Mozilla Firefox and only caught a very small number of them from IE. It also complains loudly about a number of things I use on a regular basis - FTP server, VNC, even a copy of SoftICE (which, yes, I use legitimately to debug device drivers). Could be good with some work, though.

    --
    This flies in the face of science.
    1. Re:My experiences in brief... by Harker · · Score: 3, Informative

      I ran it with similar results. RealVNC was detected, but the default was to ignore it, so at least it realizes that this app could be legitimate.

      It also searches based on text strings, such as file and folder names. I have two bookmarks for crack sites in my IE bookmarks. The scanner reported the folder name, as well as one of the two sites listed as high warnings, recommending removal.

      It is very fast, and I noticed no slowdown of my machine when it ran the other night, regardless of being online playing world of warcraft at the time.

      I do have to question the applications trying to reach the internet while doing nothing else thoguh. My Sygate firewall reported it trying to access the internet several times. There is no option for scheduling updates or even to stop it from doing so, or to schedule it for a set time.

      All in all, it's become a good addition to my spyware arsinal. I will even reccomend it to clients, if they wish some sort of real-time protection.

      I have not yet tried installing any spyware infested applications to see how it handles them. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will detect and prevent (or at least offer to prevent) such installations.

      Eric the Grey

      --
      When VCR's are outlawed, only outlaws will have VCR's.
  3. For the pirates... by StevenHenderson · · Score: 4, Informative
    Just an FYI to all the pirates out there:

    Even though it says you need to "validate" Windows, it prompts you after you click the download link, and then you can click "no." Good news for me^H^Hthe pirates out there with illegitimate XP copies.

  4. For a more unbiased approach..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    While these articles are mostly true, they seemed still to be biased against microsoft. Although i value /. and go along with its beliefs against a certain company, there are more balanced views out there...

    http://www.flexbeta.net/main/articles.php?action =s how&id=84

    In the articles here, they only say that some stuff was not removed by antispyware. But they never said if microfsoft antispyware picked up stuff others missed. Article above does this test.

    -SystemERRor

  5. Re:I like it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    "[Few] seem aware that chopsticks originated in American mining communities" because it didn't - chopsticks have been in use in China for at least 4000 years.

    Get a clue.

  6. It's not bad... by gordgekko · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm not the world's biggest fan of Microsoft -- I've pretty well shorn myself of everything but XP and Word -- but I have to admit that it's not bad. Caught some minor stuff after I hadn't done a scan with Ad-Aware in a while and cleaned them up. Not the best, nowhere near the worst.

    Interestingly, one service still says "GIANT Antispyware Data Service". I guess they didn't rebadge it all yet.

    --
    You want to know who isn't running Firefox 2.x? They spell it "definately" and "rediculous".
  7. My problem with this review..... by King_TJ · · Score: 3, Informative

    I have to say, I'm basically at a loss to explain why there's been a lot of positive press about Webroot's Spy Sweeper 3.0 recently. This PC Mag. review is just the latest in "shoot-outs" and reviews I've read that gave Spy Sweeper top (or near top) honors.

    My personal experience, doing on-site PC service calls for a living, is completely different. I've cleaned literally hundreds of spyware infested PCs for customers in the last year or so, and I *often* find they have Spy Sweeper already installed and running, despite all their problems.

    People occasionally ask me if Spy Sweeper is "any good" since companies like Gateway like to try selling it to them over the phone when they call with problems. I've been advising to save the money and skip it.

    It may have a nice interface and claimed "feature set" - but from what I've observed, it doesn't really seem to be that effective at keeping spyware out, or detecting it after the fact.

    In the past, I've been an advocate of the SpyBot and Ad-Aware SE combo, but the new Giant/MS Anti-Spyware solution has done an impressive job for me so far. Just last night, I had a PC that both SpyBot 1.4 beta (w/latest update sigs) and Ad-Aware SE with latest update sigs. reported completely clean of spyware problems. Despite that, ads were randomly popping open in IE windows every 15 seconds or so. MS Anti-Spyware completely cleaned it up.