SillyDog701

[Fulvio]

Anyone using free Ad-Aware2007?
I have preferred it over other such program. However, the last two or three updates have behaved strangely. I used to check for updates, about every two to three weeks. There was always an update, which was downloaded, installed, and verified, quite quickly.
Scan times were under 20 min.
Now, when I select to Check for Updates, I am told that it is there. But nothing happens. I check again, and I am told that the server is not responding. But, soon after that I get a message that it is checking the definitions. I restart Ad-aware, and the updates are there, and I am ready to go. Today's scan took 43 min. My Anti-Virus takes about 90 min., with other software on. Has anyone noticed anything anything this.
For your information, Ad-Aware finds little. Mostly cookies for insightexpressai.com.
Just wondering.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11pre) Gecko/20071206 Firefox/2.0.0.11 Navigator/9.0.0.5

[James]

Hi Fulvio

I'm also using Ad-aware 2007 and yes... my experience duplicates your own. I don't rely much upon Ad-aware as I did in the past having purchased CounterSpy 2.0 which was voted the most effective anti-spyware by CNET. It costs only $14.95 and as such is a real bargain. This is my mainline against the bad stuff.

But yeah... my experience with Ad-aware 2007 is the same as yours. I don't think it is as effective as it once was. They expect you to pay for the full version but with such a lousy experience with the free, there's no way I'm shelling out money for their program.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11pre) Gecko/20071206 Firefox/2.0.0.11 Navigator/9.0.0.5

[Fulvio]

They expect you to pay for the full version but with such a lousy experience with the free, there's no way I'm shelling out money for their program.

I am with you. I am using Spyware blaster, whicks the worst cookies. I don't even know if I need anything else, but I will try, first the software which is provided for free by my ISP.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11pre) Gecko/20071206 Firefox/2.0.0.11 Navigator/9.0.0.5

[profman]

I still use the older version 6 of AdAware and have had no problems with long scan times. OTOH, it seems to only pick up a suspect cookie or two in Internet Explorer and nothing from Mozilla or Firefox.

I may eventually dump AdAware.

The program, Spybot-Search and Destroy, picks up suspect cookies in Mozilla or Firefox and some suspect programs. It is a program that I will keep.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.12) Gecko/20050915

[iJohnE]

I personally do not like Ad-Aware 2007 Free, simply because it doesn't give me the full thing. I really don't like paying for software that says it works but doesn't.

So, I do use Spybot.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[richard mitnick]

I used both Ad-Aware and Spybot, but I have gotten away from them and not suffered.
I mean, all they ever found was tracking cookies.

I am running on four computers with just Windows Defender. Hard drives are capacious enough to get rid of tracking cookies only once in a while.

I follow Paul Thurrott and run Windows Defender, Windows Firewall and AVG7.5 Free anti-virus.

I have been doing this for a while with no problems.

>>RSM
New Jersey weather: soggy.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[James]

I also had used both for many years but in the past year I too had gotten away from them. Instead, I now use Sunbelt's CounterSpy which is highly rated and relatively inexpensive ($19.95). In fact, I've uninstalled Ad-aware and Spybot since CS pretty much does the job as far as I'm concerned.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11pre) Gecko/20071206 Firefox/2.0.0.11 Navigator/9.0.0.5

[Fulvio]

I was interested in Windows Defender, and, the heck with it. After making me go around in circles, it failed the installation. The Anti-Spyware which comes with Cox cable did not allow me to do anything, while I was scanning. Spybot is pretty hopeless, but I like Spyware Blaster which blocks cookies from thousands of known Spyware sites.
What do you know? On my third attempt, I saved the Defender file to my desktop, and, it ran as described. Of course, I had to go and fish out a shortcut, just in case I want to run it manually. To its credit, it found nothing of any significance, unlike Spybot which found items which were not on my computer.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9b3pre) Gecko/2007123017 SeaMonkey/2.0a1pre

[James]

Spybot was always problematic for me. I dumped it ages ago and yet when I ran Counterspy and BitDefender both found that Spybot had password protected items that should have been deleted from my computer. I found them, deleted them and then deleted Spybot manually to get rid of it once and for all. Trust me... it digs deeply into one's computer. Ad-aware never found anything of significance in the years I had it so evidently I either run a very clean computer or it isn't worth my running it. I uninstalled it as well. I only use CounterSpy now... but not in Active protection since I run BitDefender's Internet Security. I don't want a conflict.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[profman]

I just installed AdAware 2007 (7.0.2.6) and SpyBot 1.5.1.15, so I thought that I'd drop a comment or two here. The 2006 version of AdAware stopped updating after the end of December of 2007, so I was forced to move on.

1. AdAware 2007 is a bit better than I expected in terms of its installation and new interface. It automatically uninstalls earlier version of AdAware, although using Add/Remove software for removal is less complicated. Its "smart scan" is fairly fast, although the "full scan" does take quite awhile. It does call tracking cookies "infections" which I think is an exaggeration; but you can turn off cookie detection in "settings" if you like. It does appear to "nag" more for you to pay for a "pro" version.

2. The new version 1.5 of SpyBot seemed to load more slowly than version 1.4 and would mostly not run on my University computer. I had to revert to version 1.4 on that office system, but thats not bad, since an updated version 1.4 has many of the features that version 1.5 has. My advice would be to stick with version 1.4 unless you have reason to move on (like Windows Vista).

3. In reference to Fulvio's AdAware update problem, my office system, upon AdAware trying to update, threw up some sort or warning message, but still managed to install the update. My home desktop system has no such problem.

I am currently running both of these programs although that could change at any time without warning. Both programs have a few problems, but you can't beat the price.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.12) Gecko/20050915

[Fulvio]

As an update, I reinstalled Adaware 2007, and, it always throws a fit when I try to update it, but, so far, it has always done it, sooner or later. I am using, also, Windows Defender, which never found anything which is an infection. Adaware 2007, keeps bringing up a single Registry item, but cannot get any id for it.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[cg205]

I'm having similar problems. I used Ad Aware SE Free for years with no problems. When it would no longer update, I went with 2007 Free and have had nothing but problems with it. It takes repeated attempts to get it to update successfully, and when I try to scan, it almost always stops before it is finished, and absolutely refuses to complete the scan. I hate to dump it, even though I use Windows Defender and Spybot. The old Ad Aware frequently found something missed by the others.

I'd appreciate any suggestions from anyone who found a solution.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[richard mitnick]

I cannot remember the last time I used Ad-Aware. Or Spybot.

Following Paul Thurrott, I use the Windows Firewall, Windows Defender, the Microsoft anti-Spyware tool (monthly download), and my A/V from Norton, but when it is up, it will be AVG7.5 Free.

>>RSM

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[James]

Add me to this list of those who have left Ad-aware and Spybot behind. At one time I used them on a regular basis but now: CounterSpy (equivalent to Defender) and the F-Secure Security Suite. They clean me up nicely (on those occasions when I need it which is seldom).

UserAgent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)

[profman]

A new version of SpyBot, version 1.5.2.20, has recently come out and has fixed the long loading time. The older version of 1.5.1.15 seemed to take about 30 seconds to load. Version 1.5.2.20 is automatically downloaded as an update to 1.5.1.15. I had to go through a complete installation of SpyBot 1.5.2.20 over 1.5.1.15 and ended up with the installation file still on my desktop (which I promptly deleted). I then had to run Update again in order to update version 1.5.2.20. I though that all of this was a bit confusing, but the resulting SpyBot seems to behave better. I may eventually try version 1.5.2.20 on my work computer when I have a few hours to kill, since the university's network complicates matters.

The news link for this at spybot.info is called All advantages, but no handicaps: improved version 1.5.2 released.

Ad-Aware 2007 is still behaving on all of my systems.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11