Microsoft launches Antispy Beta 1 - Works!

Infini · 07-01-2005 12:49pm #1

This was just released today on microsoft. Tested it and I works very well Worth using

You can download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=321CD7A2-6A57-4C57-A8BD-DBF62EDA9671&displaylang=en :cool:

Lump · 07-01-2005 12:52pm

I'll have a look see at it... Although I'm told now that I have installed Firefow I wont have any Spyware problems.

John

Infini · 07-01-2005 12:58pm

It's worth having it to double check. Firefox is better in many ways but it's still a program and it ain't perfect.

Lump · 07-01-2005 1:09pm

Well it appears to have worked.... found some Stuff.

John

Infini · 07-01-2005 1:14pm

It dug up stuff on my system too. Don't know where half the stuff came from even though I have Norton Systemworks 2005 installed.

seamus · 07-01-2005 1:18pm

Real-time protection is about the best thing here. That would be very useful in our place. End-users are always getting themselves infected.

Infini · 07-01-2005 1:21pm

seamus wrote:

Real-time protection is about the best thing here.

Yeah you right there. At least it prevents this Sh!te sneaking back in through the back door after you give it the boot.

jessy · 07-01-2005 1:26pm

Lump wrote:

I'll have a look see at it... Although I'm told now that I have installed Firefow I wont have any Spyware problems.

John

Not true. you'll just have far less than you would if using IE.

thejollyrodger · 07-01-2005 1:30pm

Is this software real time ?

Yes it is. doh

jessy · 07-01-2005 1:50pm

ok, just downloaded it updated it, did a system scan and it found 7 spyware threats, updated adaware and it found 38 threats, M$ still have a bit of work to do yet, Real time protection is nice.

krinpit · 07-01-2005 2:04pm

jessy wrote:

ok, just downloaded it updated it, did a system scan and it found 7 spyware threats, updated adaware and it found 38 threats, M$ still have a bit of work to do yet, Real time protection is nice.

Used here, except the other way around.

Ran Spybot (updated)
Then Ran adaware (updated)
Then, finally ran Microsoft AntiSpyware, which found 10 threats (3 of them severe, including Transponder and a Trojan downloader!).

So from this, I think it may be a good idea to use a combination of these programs.

hefty_langer · 07-01-2005 2:32pm

call me a synic but does anyone else get the impression that some of these spyware cleaning progs may just be reporting random "spyware" that isn't actually on your pc?
For example if MS reports 5 pieces of spyware and adaware only reports 3, does that make MS the better prog?
<not just MS bashing btw>

uberwolf · 07-01-2005 2:38pm

I'd be more concerned about MS refusal to rule out charging for this S/W in the future. Deliberately leaving holes to charge people to fix them. Wouldn't put it past them. Says the superior and smug feeling OS X user

krinpit · 07-01-2005 2:43pm

hefty_langer wrote:

call me a synic but does anyone else get the impression that some of these spyware cleaning progs may just be reporting random "spyware" that isn't actually on your pc?
For example if MS reports 5 pieces of spyware and adaware only reports 3, does that make MS the better prog?
<not just MS bashing btw>

I don't know about that. All I know is that Transponder was defintely the cause of Network problems we were having here (It was opening sh1t loads of concurrent connections and overflowing our firewall cache). Removing Transponder, which was found by the MS AntiSpyware program solved the problem.

<not just MS promoting btw>

seamus · 07-01-2005 3:34pm

hefty_langer wrote:

call me a synic but does anyone else get the impression that some of these spyware cleaning progs may just be reporting random "spyware" that isn't actually on your pc?
For example if MS reports 5 pieces of spyware and adaware only reports 3, does that make MS the better prog?
<not just MS bashing btw>

I doubt they do. Adaware reported 3 tracking cookies and nowt else.

MS reported VNC as a "potential threat" - it's a standard app on all our machines for our troubleshooting needs, and it also reported a little file that came with a program I installed, that Adaware nor spybot had ever spotted.

So unless it's an extremly intelligent algorithm for inventing what spyware is found on your machine, I doubt it.

NotMe · 07-01-2005 3:36pm

I've just downloaded and run it. It found 12 threats, all of them are just left over registry entries from malware removed by other ad-aware/spybot, etc. It is worth having.

Bri · 07-01-2005 3:56pm

Is there a downside to this prog? If it's real-time does that mean it will hog traffic in and out of your machine? And what exatly is real-time: regular automatic updates as opposed to telling adaware to do it itself?

Mr E · 07-01-2005 4:11pm

Well if the updates are automatic, and you can schedule scans for 2am in the morning, basically it will run by itself and notify you when it finds something.

I think the realtime protection is for stopping spyware from being installed in the firstplace. I presume it detects browser hijack attempts, etc...

Bri · 07-01-2005 4:18pm

Ah. Doubt it looks out for Firefox somehow...at least to the same degree.

aidan_walsh · 07-01-2005 4:55pm

I'm in the same boat as a lot of you, found some stuff that Adaware and Spybot didn't. Overall it looks nice, some interface issues aside.

Just hope they take the right step when it comes to licensing though...

thejollyrodger · 07-01-2005 5:21pm

I wonder how does the program work. Does it scan all incoming traffic to your computer or does it just add on to Internet Explorer? I use FireFox and was just wondering

aidan_walsh · 07-01-2005 5:28pm

The real time monitor is a seperate process that runs when you start up the computer, and is accessible in the tray. You can use that to launch the full scanner, etc.

It doesn't monitor traffic, it monitors files and processes on the computer.

Bri · 07-01-2005 6:11pm

doodle_sketch wrote:

It doesn't monitor traffic, it monitors files and processes on the computer.

Any noticable change in performance?

aidan_walsh · 07-01-2005 6:15pm

Bri wrote:

Any noticable change in performance?

None as of yet on my 2.2GHz tower or 2.0GHz lappy

Rambo · 07-01-2005 7:36pm

thejollyrodger wrote:

I wonder how does the program work. Does it scan all incoming traffic to your computer or does it just add on to Internet Explorer? I use FireFox and was just wondering

it is a add on for IE and more (does not work with firefox)
I think the system explorer is the best feature in it
you can see what processes or running it give good detail and the nasty
activeX you have install which you can remove easily

The only thing I found wrong the scroll mouse does not work in all menus
which is pain and the menu system is a little confusion

Lump · 07-01-2005 7:48pm

Well it's popped up twice warning me while I was surfing with Firefox

John

shinzon · 07-01-2005 11:35pm

crikey

I downloaded it earlier thinking it wouldnt find anything seens as i run adaware and spybot daily, but no it found 2 premium dialler trojans in my registry that neither of the other 2 ever reported

So a combination of all 3 is the way to go

Shin

Infini · 07-01-2005 11:50pm

Microsoft recently purchased GIANT the guys that created the core components for the scanner. Since the team building the program would have access to the scource code for windows its probably how the programs so effective. Also this is only the first beta so it may be even more effective by the time the program reaches it final distribution build.

Bri · 08-01-2005 12:03am

Did they finally sort out who has rights to GIANT - Something about MS not owning 100% of the company as another had a stake in it or its products?

Infini · 08-01-2005 12:09am

Not sure but they probably wouldn't have released the beta so quikly unless they hadn't.

Stephen · 08-01-2005 2:38am

Nice one, the only "threat" it found on this machine is my TightVNC client.

(pfft)

maxheadroom · 08-01-2005 3:17am

pffft - it detects emule as a "spyware bundler" beacuse it registers the ED2K links...

Ditto for DC++ & magnet reg keys.

CyberGhost · 08-01-2005 5:09am

Thanks Infini, nice find.

Infini · 08-01-2005 12:56pm

There's another thing about this. There's a network link setting on this which allows people to report what they found to a central server that anyone with the program can access to get the latest threats.

zod · 08-01-2005 9:12pm

Only valid till July - then updates will not work or it will be disabled.
Come August you will have to buy

"Microsoft AntiSpyware Version: 1.0.501
This version expires on: 31/07/2005
Current User: IT Department
Spyware Definition Version: 5678 (07/01/2005 23:20:02)"

Note there are known issues with SMS and Media center :
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/releasenotes.mspx

aidan_walsh · 08-01-2005 9:19pm

zod wrote:

Come August you will have to buy

Last I heard they hadn't decided if they were going to charge or not.

NotMe · 08-01-2005 9:28pm

zod wrote:

Only valid till July - then updates will not work or it will be disabled.
Come August you will have to buy

If that's true then I'll uninstall it in August. It would be a bit of a joke if MS charged people for a program that fixes holes in their own OS.

zod · 08-01-2005 9:53pm

In the help file :

1. USE RIGHTS. If you comply with this agreement, you have the right to install and use the software on your computer until July 31, 2005, or until the date we release a commercial version of the software, whichever date is first.

2. TIME-SENSITIVE SOFTWARE. The software will stop running on July 31, 2005. You may not receive any other notice. You will not receive any further updates when the software stops running.

3. PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE. This software is a pre-release version. It will not work the way a final version of the software will. We may change it for the final, commercial version. We also may not release a commercial version of the software.

Infini · 08-01-2005 9:54pm

NotMe wrote:

If that's true then I'll uninstall it in August. It would be a bit of a joke if MS charged people for a program that fixes holes in their own OS.

They might bundle it in as part of sevice pack 3 or include it like windows media player. It would be pointless to charge for it as they make plenty of money anyway and could well affoard to include it.

aidan_walsh · 08-01-2005 9:56pm

zod wrote:

In the help file :

1. USE RIGHTS. If you comply with this agreement, you have the right to install and use the software on your computer until July 31, 2005, or until the date we release a commercial version of the software, whichever date is first.

2. TIME-SENSITIVE SOFTWARE. The software will stop running on July 31, 2005. You may not receive any other notice. You will not receive any further updates when the software stops running.

3. PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE. This software is a pre-release version. It will not work the way a final version of the software will. We may change it for the final, commercial version. We also may not release a commercial version of the software.

Bold added by me. There is still no official decision on whether there will be a commercial version or not.

zod · 08-01-2005 10:08pm

you could be right .. it would do a lot for PR .. they might also go down the route of lavasoft and give a passive one away free and the charge for an active preventative one. This site is doing a poll and as would be expected people want the updates for free : http://entmag.com/polls/pollresults.asp

maxheadroom · 08-01-2005 10:21pm

Its not unusual for MS to time limit beta versions of its products - they're (by definition) not finished, and it forces people to stop using incomplete versions. I'd imagine that 31st July is just the expiration date for this build, and wouldn't read anything else into it.

ando · 08-01-2005 10:55pm

I have to give this one to MS, thats a very nice little program. Nicely laid out and explains in detail what spywere it finds. I run Adaware and Noadware on my machine but this app still found IST.SlotchBar Toolbar which was reported to be a severe threat. I really like the real time protect aswell, its the first antispywere app to have that option and will come in really handy in the future. If I think how many times realtime protect has saved me in the past from virus's, this will definatly be a good thing

maxheadroom · 08-01-2005 11:16pm

ando wrote:

I really like the real time protect aswell, its the first antispywere app to have that option and will come in really handy in the future. If I think how many times realtime protect has saved me in the past from virus's, this will definatly be a good thing

Spybot has had one for quite some time.

Infini · 08-01-2005 11:17pm

maxheadroom wrote:

Spybot has had one for quite some time.

But this one seems to be more powerful and effective.

elvis2002 · 09-01-2005 3:56pm

does "real time protect" mean its always running and slowing the machine down?

I havent got spyware in months though since i converted to firefox.

CyberGhost · 09-01-2005 4:15pm

lol @ converted

Infini · 09-01-2005 4:28pm

CyberGhost wrote:

lol @ converted

Hell I started using firefox after hearing about all the bloody holes in IE. Nobody's dumping their bloody ad or spy crap in my new lappy :mad: :mad:

CrowdedHouse · 09-01-2005 7:16pm

MS antispyware missed 8 bits of spy that Spyware Killer detected on my machine
Also it doesn't seem to scan cookies,have I something set wrong ?

Infini · 09-01-2005 8:18pm

Ei2JC wrote:

MS antispyware missed 8 bits of spy that Spyware Killer detected on my machine
Also it doesn't seem to scan cookies,have I something set wrong ?

This program found what norton anti-virus missed. There have been posts as well of this beta finding spyware that other programs have missed. It probably has a more powerful bloodhound function built into is as well which is why people are turning up with stuff that other scanners have missed. Also because this is a new program spyware that has been written recently may have been modified to escape detection on other scanners.

ando · 09-01-2005 8:44pm

right so are we agreed that the best way to get rid of spywere from a machine is to use a combination of Microsoft AntiSpy, Adaware and Spybot search and destroy?

Microsoft launches Antispy Beta 1 - Works!

Comments