Spyware Scanners - More Harmful Than Good?

To say I'm pissed is an understatement. I've just spent the last several days installing, configuring and setting up all my software just as it should be from my recent reformat.

At the end of all this I planned to do my usually system scan to clean out all the cobb webs (Ad-Aware, Spy-Bot, Windows Defender Beta and Norton SystemWorks 2004).

After all the scans I went back over some of my files and found some critical things missing! I noticed that Ad-Aware had deleted some of my important website URLs that it deemed "dangerous." Also, some of my important .zip files that I keep installations file of my programs were also deleted. Luckily I had them backed up on a DVD.

My point is this. I was under the impression that it's fairly necessary to run all those programs to keep things running smoothly. Does running those types of spyware removal apps do more damage than good when they start erasing not only the bad stuff that accumulates but important system files?

I plan to keep SystemWorks 2004 installed and real time protection on 24/7. Should that and a regular virus scan be enough to keep my system running smoothly?

 

They are not deleting actual critical system files. Use the ignore option to let Spybot and Adaware pass over stuff they flag but you want to keep. Just right click on anything in their threat list that you wish to spare and put it in the ignore list and it will pass over it when it scans afterward.