Giant Antispwware software

[rocksandbroncs]

I'm really upset at the situation with Giant/Microsoft vis-a-vis my anti-swpyware situation. I was going to purchase the Giant software when my 15 day free trial ran out 3-4 days ago.

Now, however, since I'm not a 'registered' user of Giant software, my 'trial' version continuously warns me that my trial has expired and that I should purchase the software so my updates remain current and so I can actually perform an action on the spyware it has found - cookies only. This option is not available to me on the Giant company website.

Additionally, Microsoft is 'proud' to direct me to their press release web page indiocating their purchase of Giant company and their AntiSpyware software. But it also states that it may be 30 days until a transitional solution is available and regrets 'any inconveniences.'

In the meantime, my spyware definitions are out of date and I can not do anytihng with the spyware found (hopefully it will remain cookies only.)

Overall, and I have only one complaint with the Giant AntiSpyware pgm - no detail here; I like the interface, the automation capabilities, and the accuracy of the actions it takes. For instance, if I download a pgm and it wants to make registry entries, Giant will tell me that the pgm is a known spyware-free application and allow it without my intervention, yet informing me what it has done. Or, if the pgm is unknown, I will be prompted as to what action to take.

Just venting and opining but the situation I have been put in is untenable, as far as I'm concerned. I will certainly avail myself of the Beta version when it is available but in the meantime, I'm just not a very happy camper.

WARNING! New virus! BILL GATES VIRUS - This dominant strain searches for desirable features in all other viruses via the internet. It then either engulfs the competing viruses or removes their access to computers until they die out.

 

[bygeek]

I know what you mean. I just discovered Giant a few weeks ago and began recommending it to my customers. Now I can't get updates for it. It's a good program - I hope Microsoft doesn't wreck it.

 

[linney]

I'm out of sync with most on this site when I say Giant AntiSpyware is a bit overrated. The trial I did with it was a little bit buggy (settings not being saved)and prone to the occasional false positives (Nic Tech BM2 and SearchSquire) which if acted on blindly may cause more harm than good. It didn't like some of the other Security Software I was running such as Script Sentry and kept telling me (falsely) something had set my IE security settings to zero. This is not to say there is no place for Giant, but the usual suspects, such as a combination of the free SpyBot S+D and Adware, do as good a job in keeping spyware off your machine, in tandem with other precautions such as the normal firewall and antivirus programs.

Despite my thoughts I intend to grab the Microsoft version when it is released and add it to my arsenal.

It is a pity that Giant (or Microsoft) couldn't include the users of the trial version in their plans for integration instead of leaving them "high and dry.

 

[linney]

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2004/dec04/12-16GIANTPR.asp

"Microsoft plans to make available to Windows customers a beta version of a spyware protection, detection and removal tool, based on the GIANT AntiSpyware product, within one month."

"Details of the Microsoft solution beyond the planned beta, including product plans, pricing and a timeline for delivery, are not yet available."

 

[gpalmer711]

I have to say that I agree with Linney on it picking up perhaps more that it should. People who read this forum regularly will know that I am a fan of the software, this is mainly due to this ability to detect spyware as it starts.

A friend of mine had a varient of the CWS malware on his machine and kept getting affected. He could find no reason for this, however once Giant was installed we worked out that it was actually embeded into notebook.exe, so everytime we looked at a Hijack This log for example he would be reinfected.

I wait with baited breath to see what MS does with the product. In the past they have done pretty good jobs of reworking software that they have brought. For example the CRM package that they purchased last year from Great Plains has been totally rewritten in .NET (the only mS package to be totally .NET), and is quite honestly one of the nicest CRM apps out there and is very versatile.

Greg Palmer
Freeware Utilities for Windows Administrators.

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk