There's a very interesting test of anti-spyware software at

http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-test-guide.htm

It looks like a pretty thorough test to me, and the forum favourites don't do too well.

The best in the test only finds 75%. Spybot S&D is often recommended, but in three tests finds only 40/134, 51/153 and 69/139 - where I went to school, that's a fail. Adaware SE does a little better, with 79/138, 70/153 and 79/138. More importantly, we often recommend running both (and I do) but they're detecting the same spyware. I only looked at the first test, but in that one Spybot only finds 2 of the 57 missed by Adaware.

HijackThis! isn't specifically tested, because it's not suitable for the average user - however, the advice in the conclusion is to learn it, or befriend someone who has. Hello, Liam

As always, prevention is better than cure - but when popular P2P software is installing more than a dozen different bits of malware I don't hold much hope for Joe Sixpack...

(oh, and for a real nasty, try CnsMin - it apparently anchors itself to a device driver and won't budge even in safe mode. If that's true, then it's looking even worse in future)

'twas only going to be a matter of time I suppose, just like AV software. Thanks for the heads-up, Evo, good to reinforce that we can never be complacent.

Hello Evo..

Always happy to help. Correct, though. HJT was originally designed as a tool for forum experts to advise others on what steps to take. If used incorerctly, you can do very bad things to a machine. If in any doubt about entries, just post up the log, and I'll be happy to take a look. Richard is also getting into HJT now, in case I'm not around.

Cheers

Liam

But Liam, I always bow to the master.

Richard

I reckon the only answer is to follow the advice that good old Richard from Naples gave someone here recently. Use a good firewall, stay away from dodgy sites, don't open unsolicited e-mails and reformat your hard drive every few weeks, then reload all your software. It only takes a couple of hours and the machine works really fast afterwards.

We must lobby for the death penalty for intruders. More sensibly though, we need to unmask those companies that pay for intruder services and blacklist them for our purchases. RealPlayer for starters, and no, I don't want a Rolex watch, painkillers, porn, mortgage advice or a loan.

Evo thanks for that link. We have now bought and installed GIANT anti spyware and are really impressed, for the first time in ages. It removed the last remnants of lop.com that had been particularly difficult to completely remove, and which both Adaware and Spybot had been unable to sort. Really appreciated the lead.

Bino's

what did you mean? Is it good / bad or indifferent?

I have just switched to AVG free V 7 on both lappy and desktop.

So far it's caught 2 viral emails ..

As this is still my learning phase with software and running systems for PC's (being a Mac user for a zillion years) .. should I not have made the move?

Hi,
I have tried to install AVG7 twice, both times it corrupted the registry, Daren't try it again

No, Voice, we are on different frequencies here. I was speaking (I think anyway, it WAS Tuesday night ) of Anti-virus software as a generic term; didn't even know there was anything called AV software. Just meant that unless such goodies are constantly updated they are rendered useless very quickly.

Sorry for confusion!

By the way, I meant to add this link to the sticky that used to be here listing really useful pieces of software, but it seems to have disappeared. I find Cookie Wall to be a terrific little program that enables you to keep the cookies you want (for autofilling of names on frequently visited sites etc) and get rid of any others. A click on the icon shows you all cookies added since last time you checked, and you either add them to the "keep" column or delete them. Simple, quick and very effective.

I hope nobody is aware of any nasties associated with it? If there are, Spybot and Adaware don\'t pick them up.

Binos .. doh .. I see AV and auto. assume that it stands for the programme I just downloaded.

HJT LOG

I downloaded a HJT thingy and ran it .. I was amazed at how quick it was.

before I post the log just willy nilly around here .. what I would like to know from one of our brains trust is ..

is it easier to just post it here or should I PM it directly to someone (or email it) .. I am of course assuming that someone would take time from their day and look at it.

thanks in advance ..

Voice - Hijack this logs are fine here, we don't get so many that it clogs up the forum. A new thread is best, so that people can ignore it if they want to - and remember to click the "disable smilies in this post" icon. Things don't work otherwise, all those icons start to appear

EVO

roger that .. looking forward to having someone read them .. the first one will be from my lappy .. the second one will be from the other halfs desktop ..

Thanks