Microsoft releases (Giant Antispyware) Beta 1

[bcastner]

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

The Beta software expires July 31, 2005.

 

[GrnEyedLdy]

Bcastner,

What do you think of this software? I am assuming that after July 05, MS will be charging for this product. If I have it installed already will it simply cease to work?


Just curious...


Patty

 

[bcastner]

I bought the Giant product, and still like it quite a bit. I assume at the end of the Beta period that there will be a release product, and that the Betas will no longer receive definition updates but will receive frequent notices that the trial period has expired for the product. (This was how the GIANT product worked with its trial product).

There will then be an annual subscription fee, the amount as yet not announced. Giant was $29.95/annually.

 

[greyted]

Microsoft AntiSpyware License Agreement

Item2.

The software will stop running on July 31, 2005. you may not receive any other notice.




Ted

"The difference between a misfortune and a calamity is this: If Gladstone fell into the Thames, it would be a misfortune. But if someone dragged him out again, that would be a calamity."
Benjamin Disraeli.

 

[J741]

It's only in BETA stage at the moment, so no one can say what Microsoft will do after the BETA period expires.

I've tried it for a few days now, and it seems to be quite good. Simple enough that I think my grandparents could use it, yet robust enought that with an extra click or two advanced users can see enough technical information to satisfy most of them.

And for me, it found 14 items that the latest updates for AdAware SE v1.05 and SpyBot Search & Destroy did not find. I knew I had something before this (due to the unsolicited pop-up ads), I just couldn't find it until now.

I think that IF Microsoft keeps it clean and up-to-date, it could be a very good program for the average user. I strongly think that Microsoft should provide it for free as part of the Windows Updates process. After all, most users who are infected and affected by adware/spyware/malware aren't likely to do anything about it if it costs them money. Unfortunate but true.




My memory is not as good as it should be, and neither is my memory.

I have forgotten more than I can remember

 

[tpman]

I agree with J741. If I was using a different OS and using the MS AntiSpyware, I could see having to pay for it. But it's the holes in the OS and IE that are part or most of the problem. MS should offer to users of their OS's as a way to say, 'Sorry for the inconvenience'

 

[jaydeebe]

I ran this program an hour ago and it found an infected file zipdll.dll with commercial keylogger (Actmon). Should i be worried as i have used credit cards on this PC. Is there a way to check if it has been sending details to a specific address. Any info greatly apreciated. I have since installed zone alarm.

 

[tdelliott]

I was wondering what MS did to the beta program. I have the original Giant software on my machine at work. I haven't had any issues, however, a co-worker downloaded the beta and our security group told him to remove it. Apparently, they noticed some data being sent from his computer back through the proxy server. Do you this MS is using this product to gain information about it's users?

 

[tazuk]

jaydeebe

zipdll.dll may be a false positive. This dll is often used for zip functionality within an application. Please start a new thread (in this forum) with more details (OS, the file path zipdll.dll was located at, etc) if you are still concerned and I'll take a look when I get the opportunity.

HTH

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[eyec]

the beta has the option of sharing info with the spyware group @ MS, this could be causing the traffic. if you do not want to share your info with them you can click that option off.

i downloaded it and even with my exisitn scanner it still picked up the remnants of an old virus i thought i had cleaned.

so far i am satisfied with it, but i too agree that this should be incorporated as an integral part of the MS OS.

 

[NoobX]

I ran it, and it worked excellent! It was quick and it fully removed all the spyware and 3 different trojans! I think microsoft did a good job creating this product! All the other antispyware programs used have not yet worked for me! I to also agree that the product should be free, but microsoft needs to make a revenue somehow!

 

[eyec]

but microsoft needs to make a revenue somehow!

revenue is one thing - continuous security patches of their own product is another.

either slow down bringing products to market or provide this software (as they do now) free thru autodownload

 

[pechenegs]

I never used this product, but from what I have read on here and at other sites it is a good product?
Hopefully, Microsoft will develop this product further, will they keep on the developers of this product from the Giant team, or will they disappear and reimmerge with their own new version like the Netscape team did with Mozilla?

I hope Microsft doesn't turn this product into another one of their other products where we might need patches to patch the actual programme, before we get the downloads to scan for the spyware?

I see it a little like the former US president Warren G Harding, who was a noted orrator of his time, but a critic had this to say of him, when Harding get's a thought, it becomes a prisoner, to the extent that it becomes stifled and therefore useless as time passes!

khaz

 

[jaydeebe]

Tazuk

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=983060&page=2

cheers

 

[Wxguesser]

I like the Giant product a lot. It picks up things that Adaware and Spy Bot just plain miss. I just hope MS doesn't do their usual when they buy out a company. They will destroy it if they do. If they keep the Giant team together, they will actually have something good that will stay good. If not, it will become a bloated, over featured nightmare that no one will want but will become part of the OS. Kind of like their firewall.

JMO.

Jim W.

 

[NoobX]

I dont know much about law and ethics, but Microsoft is sued for some pretty dumb lawsuits from typical users and the government. Because of monoply issues, over charging businesses etc. I believe that this gives them the right to charge for a product that they are selling to fix there product! It is kinda like cars. Every 3 months or 6,000 miles you have to change your oil!

 

[lgarner]

And remember what happened the last time they freely bundled software with their OS.

 

[devastator]

It does pick up things that my other scanners didn't which include Ad-Aware SE, Spybot SS, Spywareblaster, Bazooka, CA Pest Patrol 5, and Prevx.

It also bundles a tracks eraser which amazingly looks like a program I paid for called, "Track Eraser Pro".

http://www.acesoft.net/

I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. ~ Baggins

 

[bygeek]

It does pick up things that others don't but there are others that pick up things that it doesn't. Just like most other spyware removal programs, you can't rely in just one. For example, I ran Microsoft on a user's system the other day, removed a bunch of stuff, then ran Ad-Aware and found an additional 500 infected registry keys, and I still had to use HijackThis to remove some stubborn issues. So even though this is a good program, it's not the end-all of spyware removal.

 

[BionicJohn]

And for me, it found 14 items that the latest updates for AdAware SE v1.05 and SpyBot Search & Destroy did not find.

Interesting. I ran AdAware on "Full system scan" and it found 11 Crtical Objects (cookies) which MS's AntiSpyware didn't find.

It's a solid weapon in the armoury against internet terrorism though.

Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.