Microsoft Anti Spyware

**bias_hjorth** · 03-01-2005, 11:04 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Way to go Microsoft

Adaware
SPY bot

Seeing them beeing dead in 2 years cause the Microsoft editions beats the crap out of them in terms of features.
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**snq** · 03-01-2005, 11:59 AM

It doesn't look like a typical MS product, this is weird

They even used InstallShield for the installer. I'm in shock

**bias_hjorth** · 03-01-2005, 12:01 PM

Could be duo to its beta stage.. But it sure is very good - Without doubt the best anti spyware i´ve used.

**snq** · 03-01-2005, 12:45 PM

The only spyware it found on my sys was VNC which I actually use.. But I'm on a quite fresh XP SP2 install and don't download too much crap so I didn't expect to find any real spyware anyway.

**trakslacker** · 03-01-2005, 05:21 PM

the reason that the M$ antispyware beta looks different than the norm, install differently, and actually works well is because its not really a Microsoft product. The program is actually from a company called Giant, which Microsoft bought out on December 16, 2004. Giant Antispyware is/was the absolute best spyware solution available, IMO. All M$ have done is slapped their name on it and put it up for download. That bullseye is/was even the Giant Company logo.

However, I'm very glad that Billy bot and Co. didn't mess around with it, b/c then it probably wouldn't work.

Oh, and expect Microsoft to charge for this service(I'd guess $20-30/yr) once it goes public, so enjoy the beta while you can.

**sjohnson** · 03-08-2005, 03:35 PM

Nah, Gates has stated it will be free for "genuine Windows users."

One link, http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1765389,00.asp

Google on "Microsoft antispyware Gates" for many more links to the same.

**Disposibleteen** · 03-08-2005, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by sjohnson

Nah, Gates has stated it will be free for "genuine Windows users."

One link, http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1765389,00.asp

Google on "Microsoft antispyware Gates" for many more links to the same.

good call, i think most people around here judge microsoft too harshly

**sjohnson** · 03-08-2005, 07:11 PM

Giant is great, MS hasn't messed it up. I like it. The MS beta has replaced Ad-Aware in my stable of antispyware programs, due to Ad-Aware selling out to WhenU :grr:

**NeGe0** · 03-08-2005, 07:13 PM

From what I heard is that if you change some of your folders names in Program Files, the MS antispyware will detect the exe files in there as spyware. I didn't try it but it's what I heard.

EDIT - this is what I found from the thread I remember reading..

Heres how to create spyware in 2 easy steps!

1.) Create a directory under program files called cw3
2.) In this directory place ANY file!

Voilla MS-Antispyware now sees it as spyware!

Basically this spyware programs detection system is as sophisticated as a list of directories. If a file is in the same directory as one of those listed, it instantly becomes spyware! There seems to be no analysis of the file what so ever.
THIS is why ms-antispyware has more false alerts than any other program i have tried!

This can also be proved with anyone with msn plus. In the default install directory, MS Antispyware picks up the files themselves as spyware. Change the directory and all of a sudden, the files are no longer spyware! if it wasnt for the fact that it finds all the registry keys, it would miss it completely!

Nice to see that you can beat MS-Antispyware jus by changing the directory name.

**sjohnson** · 03-08-2005, 07:42 PM

You can rename any program, and most antispyware programs will pick it up - *IF* that name is one the spyware programs use. But cleaning spyware means much more than name detection. Registry entries, DLL's, browser settings - to name a few.

Nice to see someone try to beat a good spyware program with a trivial example

**sjohnson** · 03-08-2005, 08:18 PM

Eric Howes of the University of Illinois recently did a test of AS products. You can read more about the testing at http://windowssecrets.com/050127/. The testing was slashdotted, so references are all over the 'net. Giant did best. MS has'nt had Giant long enough for even the doomsayers to be able to claim they've ruined it.

**Franky 4 Finger** · 03-09-2005, 09:35 AM

i like it

**pelikan** · 03-20-2005, 10:53 AM

It works good. I didn't like having to disable a startup item after installing it. Also, it leaves a process running after you do a scan. But it does a good job.