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OT: Good deal on software from Ad-Aware

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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Initially Posted - 03/26/2010 : 11:40:24

I've been using Ad-Aware for years now, and they're offering a free download of their tools for one day (today). If you're interested in this, download it now: http://www.v3.co.uk/vnunet/downloads/2213414/ad-aware-plus.

It's only good till noon GMT tomorrow (27 March 2010), then the deal goes away. If you're interested, don't dawdle.

I can recommend this software for keeping ads, and malware off of your box. I have no experience with their anti virus (I use AVG), but you'll probably be able to not install it with the package. I haven't installed this yet on my machines at home, so I don't know how configurable it is.

YMMV

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2010 : 13:37:08

David, I used to use AVg but it really slowed down my pc. So I switched to Avast and love it.
Steve

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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Response Posted - 03/26/2010 : 14:27:59

Arrrgh matey.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 03/26/2010 : 15:58:36

Or you could use a Mac.

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2010 : 19:12:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Nautiduck
 Or you could use a Mac.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Better hope Macs don't get too popular! The only reason they're not attacked by viruses, malware, etc., is that there isn't the critical mass of them to make those things move around, and the corporate world doesn't use them. If the hackers turned their attention to Mac OS, you guys would have to buy all of this protection, or die!

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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Response Posted - 03/26/2010 : 19:41:21

Here's what you can look forward to if Macs ever became mainstream: [url="http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Pwn2Own-CanSecWest-2009,7322.html"]Macs hacked in 10 seconds.[/url]

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 03/27/2010 : 05:13:10

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
 I've been using Ad-Aware for years now, and they're offering a free download of their tools for one day (today). If you're interested in this, download it now: http://www.v3.co.uk/vnunet/downloads/2213414/ad-aware-plus.

It's only good till noon GMT tomorrow (27 March 2010), then the deal goes away. If you're interested, don't dawdle.

I can recommend this software for keeping ads, and malware off of your box. I have no experience with their anti virus (I use AVG), but you'll probably be able to not install it with the package. I haven't installed this yet on my machines at home, so I don't know how configurable it is.

YMMV
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I played with Adaware years ago and I personally believe that THEY TOO are malware. In recent years, I decided to run an experiment and did not renew Norton or do anything else to protect my computer. Guess what? It still works!

sten

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2010 : 07:47:47

Ad-Aware seemed sorta creepy to me, too. Why was it free? What was it really doing?

Interesting article, David... It confirms exactly what I always suspected. So much for the hilarious "PC/Mac" commercials.

I run Norton, which if nothing else, cleans out tracking cookies and such... But suspect that if we practice "abstinence" (from suspicious web links and downloads) and aren't hooked up to a static IP address, the bad guys aren't likely to find us.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/27/2010 07:54:50

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 03/27/2010 : 07:53:02

Sten, I hope you are backing up your data.

It is true that PCs are the primary targets of malware due to the fact that it gives the hackers the most damage for their effort. I manage an IT shop that support 1,500+ PCs and we spend a lot of time and money on anti-malware and security. Our anti-malware tool of choice is Kapersky.

Still, if you don't need Windows to run your apps then a Mac is a good choice. We've been using Macs at home for over ten years now, don't run any malware tools, and have never had any problems. It is a consideration and the more the world goes web-based the more it makes sense IMHO.

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2010 : 08:02:34

I guess the ultimate hack would be to get into Norton's server and modify one of their downloadable updates to record keystrokes and "call home", or plant a bot.

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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Response Posted - 03/27/2010 : 10:38:15

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Here's what you can look forward to if Macs ever became mainstream: Macs hacked in 10 seconds.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That was last year- the the hackers were given physical access and the log on password for the Mac. But it is true, "bang for the buck" is the biggest issue and Macs are hackable. The Mac OS and underlying Unix are more secure, but that only limits the pimple faced misfit's ability to simply download code snippets from a website and assemble a chicken soup worm, virus, or trojan as they can for Windows; it does not keep the knowledgeable hacker from exploiting a vulnerability. I'll add protection when I need it, but there are to many reasons to use Macs for me to ever consider going back. I does seem like the latest WinTosh 7 may be very good derivative of the Mac OS interface. Microsoft may have built their second good OS - XP was the first in my opinion.

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delliottg
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Response Posted - 03/27/2010 : 14:21:32

Dave,
I largely agree with you. I worked on Windows at MS for about 10 years. I thought that Windows 98 SE was a pretty good OS for what it was, WinME was a joke, and I was very impressed with XP. Server 2003 was a very good OS and it's follow on OS's have been similarly good. Vista I had almost no exposure to, but I was not impressed at all with what I did see. Win7 seems to be another keeper, but not so much that's I've used my MS alumni bennys to go get copies of it for our laptops.

Where I'm working now, we have six different OS's to work with, Windows XP, three different distros of Linux (Ubuntu, Arago, & and a third I'm drawing a blank on), and two versions of embedded OSs, one of which is an interface to the Ipod/Iphone. Oh, and virtual machines. It makes for an interesting day when they don't want to cooperate.

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hinmo
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248 Posts

Response Posted - 03/28/2010 : 00:54:32

I downloaded Ad-Aware some time ago. It has slowed my computer, and I can't permanently remove it. I believe it is a form of malware.

Anybody know how to really get it off my pc? I've tried the obvious

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 03/28/2010 : 05:36:35

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by hinmo
 I downloaded Ad-Aware some time ago. It has slowed my computer, and I can't permanently remove it. I believe it is a form of malware.

Anybody know how to really get it off my pc? I've tried the obvious
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yeah, that is a toughie.... For some reason they built it so you just simply can't get rid of it... Reformat and start from scratch once Adaware is on your system...

sten

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 03/28/2010 : 07:50:03

I use adaware on all my machines. It comes up on the tray as a live malware watcher. That really slows down my computer. If you right click (PC not mac) on the tray icon, you can quit the live version and the system speeds back up again.

I run the Adaware application weekly to clear out all the accumulated junk (usually cookies for advertising services, but sometimes malware). All in all, it is a plus, but like any tool, you have to know how and when to use it.

While many people believe visiting "questionable" sites can give you bugs, often commercial sites like Amazon, Yahoo shopping, West marine and others will modify your cookies so that google ads can target your browser.

For example, two weeks ago my mother-in-law wanted to know about TV stands and my wife wanted to find out about flower shops near a friend in FLA.

Don't you know since then, A/V companies in the southeast have been running banner ads on my Hotmail page? And flower shops too. After I ran adaware, they mysteriously vanished!

I also use Malwarebytes which is a funny name. I found this tool once when my computer got a bug where the browser kept opening screen after screen with 'questionable' pictures. It took over the machine and I needed to kill the browser using the task manager.

I downloaded Malwarebytes from C/Net (which is the only place I download "free" software) and it cleared matters up very handily.

I have Norton/Symantec on one PC and McAfee on my work PC, and while they are both OK, they don't get everything. Same is true of Windows Defender.

It takes many different kind of soldiers, seamen, marines and fighter-pilots to defend a country.

If you want to kill unwanted software that will just not uninstall under windows, go to C/Net and look into uninstaller 1.0.0.1

While it too may become a nuisance, it will clean out applications that you just cannot otherwise kill.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

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621 Posts

Response Posted - 03/28/2010 : 15:36:54

YMMV
[/quote]

I played with Adaware years ago and I personally believe that THEY TOO are malware. In recent years, I decided to run an experiment and did not renew Norton or do anything else to protect my computer. Guess what? It still works!

sten
[/quote]
Sten - Once again we are of the same mind. I tried a whole bunch of anti-virus/anti-spyware programs and the free ones are just ads for upgrading to the pay for service programs. And the pay for service programs aren't worth the price for a home PC. (I had Norton for many years, and malware still got through it)and they all slowdown your system. Like you I have been running "barefoot" for the past 6 months and everything seems to be running great. I do make it a habit to back everything up to an external drive on a weekly basis or more frequently if I have done some major work.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/28/2010 : 20:41:22

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave5041
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Here's what you can look forward to if Macs ever became mainstream: Macs hacked in 10 seconds.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That was last year- the the hackers were given physical access and the log on password for the Mac...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">That makes no sense. To be a contest, the Mac (and everything else) would be on a network, normally secured, to see who could break through and take it over. I've heard from several sources that Macs are vulnerable, but the risk is minimal because (1) hackers like Apple and want to break down Microsoft, and (2) a virus is most successful if it can migrate through networked operating environments that stretch over the horizon in all directions, like Windows and Microsoft networks.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/28/2010 20:42:58

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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2015 Posts

Response Posted - 03/29/2010 : 07:51:14

Ad-Aware is NOT malware. Most of these type programs run in your tray if you don't disable that function. When they run in the tray they slow your pc because they're checking every program and file you open. Spybot search and destroy is good too, but the 2 malware finding programs I've listed below are much better.

And Sten, I repair pc's on the side and let me tell you, you're a virus waiting to happen. I've seen at least 15 or 20 pc's this year and all but one were virus problems from people that thought like you. And you could go on for quite some time (or not) and have no probs, but why take the chance? (the first time you lose EVERYTHING you'll rethink this)
[url="http://download.cnet.com/Avast-Free-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10019223.html"]AVAST[/url] is great anitvirus (my fav) and it's free. [url="http://download.cnet.com/ZoneAlarm/3000-10435_4-10039884.html"]Zone Alarm[/url] is a firewall that let's nothing in OR OUT (windows can't even phone home anonymously) of your pc without your consent and it's free.
Ad-Aware is OK but [url="http://download.cnet.com/SuperAntiSpyware-Free-Edition/3000-8022_4-10523889.html"]Superantispyware[/url] is very good... and free. I also use [url="http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html"]Malwarebytes[/url] to track down and delete viruses, again free. If you keep avast and zone alarm running and then use the anti-malware programs when/if you're pc's acting funny or every couple months you'll cut out 99% of your problems.
You'll also notice all my links point to download.com. This site contains no malware and is where you want to get your freeware/shareware from. MANY great free programs there.

Edited by - DaveR on 03/29/2010 07:53:50

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