[yeppers]

On Dell computer's website, www.dell4me.com/security, Sunbelt Software's "PestPatrol" is endorsed to thwart spyware. Has anyone tested this software? Is it better than using the combination "Adaware" and "Spybot S&D"? After updating and successfully cleaning my system using both lavasoft Adaware and Spybot S&D; I downloaded and ran the free "online PestPatrol scan" and found 96 detected pests.
The Sunbelt software bundle is listed at $45.00?
Is PestPatrol anti-spyware software any good? Strengths? Weaknesses?

[jargonize]

it's good software.

[past tense]

check out this thread for more PP reviews http://forums.techguy.org/t227649&hi...estpatrol.html

[yeppers]

Thanks PT,
I read the reviews from the link that you listed. I'm still not convinced that there is any single silver bullet out there for reliable spyware removal and prevention. Do you use a single software application or a cocktail combination? I'd like to slay this dragon. Spending way too much time trying to stay ahead of spyware. Never dreamed that it would be easier to remove and/or prevent viruses.

[past tense]

your welcome,i use the multi layer defense.i found my spyware/adware problems ended once i switched to mozilla browser with javascript disabled and only taking session cookies.so think about switching browsers before shelling out cash for pest patrol.

[yeppers]

I'll give mozilla a test drive. Thanks.

[mach9]

Had it for over a year. Recently uninstalled it. Lots of false positives. Ask Hewee. He recently had a scare with their full of false positives online scan. I believe flrman1 said he was not a fan and Winchester brought up the false positives issue. Spy Sweeper has not missed a beat, at least for me. Hope alot post on this so you can get a really good sampling of users. Good luck.

[mach9]

Agree with yeppers Mozilla and or Firefox. I personally think the layered approach works best. Besides Ad-Aware and Spybot, be sure to use SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard. For Trojans, TDS-3, but thats similar to HJT in that you have to interpret the results and know what to delete. It finds the double file extensions of my iPAQ software suspicious. (Occasionally a send the scores to the website is analogous to what spyware does), and recently a bug in the downloaded update sent unsuspecting souls on a deletion rampage of needed system files with a susposed embedded trojan in them. Have to know what you are doing with TDS-3, as with HiJackThis.

[yeppers]

I'd like to limit my anti-spyware cocktail defense to three applications. I'm already using and impressed with lavasoft adaware and spybot S&D.
Which of these applications should I choose for my third component?
SpySweeper
SpywareBlaster
SpywareGuard

[Dark Star]

Originally Posted by yeppers

Which of these applications should I choose for my third component?
SpySweeper
SpywareBlaster
SpywareGuard

SpywareBlaster for sure and I'd suggest using SpywareGuard too.

SpywareGuard runs in your startups, it has to in order to protect the browser. SpywareBlaster does not run in your startups and therefore uses no system resources. These will prevent bad things from happening.

adAware and spybot S&D will locate and eradicate any bad things that did happen.... you have both and they're the right two to have.

SpySweeper.... Here you'll get varied opinions, some users claim that it's found things that other apps have missed so it's good to keep that in mind however I'm reasonably sure that you'll get along just fine without it ... It's top heavy with all of the "features" and while it may do a great job sweeping for malware it does take forever-and-a-day to complete it's sweep.

That's just my opinion... your actual milage may vary.

Regards,

DS

[hewee]

SpySweeper.... Here you'll get varied opinions, some users claim that it's found things that other apps have missed so it's good to keep that in mind however I'm reasonably sure that you'll get along just fine without it ... It's top heavy with all of the "features" and while it may do a great job sweeping for malware it does take forever-and-a-day to complete it's sweep.

I feel the same way. Got "a² free" and it takes forever to scan and eats up all your memory so your using your swap file and then it slows down more because of that. One nice thing is you can pick the drives, folder for it to scan. So if you did find something and wanted to rescan you could speed up the scan by not having to scan every thing again.

But I have the free a² free and would not buy the a² personal.

[mach9]

yeppers:
SpywareGuard is free and no issue of maintenance. It helps prevent drive-by active X installations. It has updates rarely, if at all. It's just there in the background, doing its work. SpywareBlaster helps prevent dangerous downloads. It's free and essential. It installs with SpybotS&D.Blocks noxious sites from IE and Mozilla/Firefox. Slightly over 3000 blocks. These two are essential, along with Ad-Aware and Spybot. Spysweeper is fine, but $ and fact it generally duplicates the main preventatives, Ad-Aware and SpybotS&D, make it less important. Read the stickys in the Security forum for the rock solid advice of the experts.

[yeppers]

Thanks. I'll give spywareBlaster and spywareGuard a test drive.

[Gigi2000]

Try Spy Sweeper. You can try it free from http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php
and it is award-winning software. Effectively and safely detects and removes spyware from your PC to protect you from identity theft, browser hijackers, hackers, keyloggers and Trojans.

It was recommended to me by a pro-tech and it found spyware Pest Patrol never found. When you dl it, be sure to get the update right after (it will automatically offer it for your free test) and I think you'll be surprised and please, especially if you suspect spyware is causing you problems. Worth the $29.92 if you buy it because it alerts you as you browse.

[p_g_scott]

spyware guard and spyware blaster are good preventions, ad-aware is my absolute favorite for detect repair. Have never had it remove anything that I had to restore...

Spyware blaster/guard combo is great for preventing unwanted browser and homepage hijacks and preventing many spyware nasties.

Ad-aware professional's AD-WATCH is good equivalent of the same type of prevention for hijacks/homepage/search alterations. not free, but it reduces number of programs that have to keep updated... well worth the upgrade in my book.