Which Anti-Spyware App Do You Prefer?

What if I download MBAM and do not pay for it? What do I lose? Will this make it just a scanner instead of real time software?

 

I know this won't be popular with the Major Geeks, but my favorite anti-spyware program is Spybot. I also use SUPERAntispyware, Iobit Malware fighter, and Malwarebytes.

Free realtime anti-spyware programs include Spyware Terminator, RegRun Reanimator, and BOClean by Comodo.

 

Although malwarebytes is not technically anti-spyware but a malware detector, I like Malwarebytes so much, I purchased over the course of quite a few years 5 licenses. I purchased the first license in 2008 after I used the program to clean off someone's computer and saw what a great job it did. She immediately purchased it and I came home and purchased a license for myself. My husband uses 4 computers and I have paid licenses on 3 of those which have internet access. It keeps him from stumbling onto sites that host malware while he searches and checks the pages of results. I fire up two of my 4 computers almost daily and I have mbam paid on both of them.

If you can save up the $$$, it is worth going from the free version to the paid version. The license IS TRANSFERABLE so if you get a new computer, you can demote the paid version to a free version by uninstalling it on the old computer then using the ID and key to activate it on the new computer.

I run SpywareBlaster on all the windows partitions.

 

In case someone is interested in purchasing MalwareBytes Antimalware PRO: (keep in mind that the price below is in Cdn $)

http://store.majorgeeks.com/?act=search&brand=152

 

Thanks everyone for your input. I bought a new Windows 8 Touchscreen laptop for a friend and when I checked out MajorGeeks for the recommended software I discovered Spybot was not currently in favor. I had loaded Avast Free, Spybot, SpywareBlaster and CCleaner on my previous computers (laptops and desktop).

On this new laptop, also loaded Avast Free, SpywareBlaster and CCleaner. But decided to go with MBAM instead of Spybot.

Windows Defender is my firewall on all of these pc's.

Thanks DavidGP for creating this thread. I did use the MajorGeeks download but it does not indicate it is free. It indicates it is Shareware costing $24.95. That was the reason I just didn't pay... assuming it would then default to MBAM Free. I hope I am correct. If not, I would appreciate someone leading me down the correct road.

Also I see that the proper way to uninstall MBAM is to use the MBAM uninstall tool which can be found at the compare link DavidGP provided.

Thanks again.

 

Malwarebytes Anti-malware IS freeware. For $25 you receive a code to convert it into the PRO version which does a few things that the freeware version does not:

1. Runs as a real-time scanner
2. Performs scheduled automatic viral definition updates
3. Performs scheduled scans

Most people in here are going to tell you not to run any real-time scanners in addition to your main antivirus program. I don't agree with them. I've been running the PRO version along side of Norton for 2 years with no problems and no significant (if any) hits to system performance. In any case, most people just run the freeware version as a stand-alone scanner and simply do the updates and scheduled scans themselves.

 

Thanks Rusty and David. I now feel good on my protection software. But I have run into one item I can't seem to figure out.

On all of my other pc's, Avast has an animated ball in the right hand tray to let you know it was running. You also right clicked on the ball to disable the program if needed. When I installed Avast on my new Windows 8 pc, that ball is not in the right tray or anywhere else that I can find. Did I not install Avast correctly?

 

I don't run Windows 8 but if the taskbar/system tray is anything like Windows 7 then you should have a small arrow in the system tray (see pic). Clicking on the arrow brings up a small window containing the user's hidden tray items. Check if the Avast orb is present in this window. If so, you can configure to unhide it by clicking on the "Customize...." button in the small window. The pic may be a bit confusing at first because I dock my taskbar on the top of the screen.

If this doesn't resolve the issue then take a look Task Manager to confirm that Avast is indeed running. If it is not running then check to see if it is in you computer's autorun list. You can do that with the following program:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/microsoft_autoruns.html

Install and run. If Avast is in the list but unchecked then simply check the box next to the Avast icon and it will autorun with the next boot.
If Avast is not running and is not in your autorun list then you probably need to reinstall it.

 

Rusty, the orb just needed to be brought down to the tray -- it was one of the hidden tray items.

Thanks again to you and everyone else.

 

There is a fairly cheap way to get Malwarebytes Pro : ChicaPC-Shield PRO for $7.99 at http://www.chicalogic.com/products/pc-shield.

I got it on a giveaway, and I can attest it simply is Malwarebytes in an authorized repackaging. It's a gimmick in that this product line is marketed as being especially suited for women. But it's the same Malwarebytes.