Needed: Pathetically simple replacement for SuperAntiSpyware

As the thread title suggests, I am in need of a pathetically simple replacement for SUPER AntisSpyware that I can put on my mother-in-law's computer, to keep her from screwing it up every six months and needing me to spend a weekend fixing whatever she did to it.

This weekend I am upgrading her from AVG 2009 to AVG 2011. She is familiar with AVG, and remembers to check for updates and scan with it once a month or so. The two shortcuts next to it, Glary and SAS, she never ran because she couldn't remember what they were. I've only shown them to her three times, so I guess that's understandable. rolleyes

For this time around, I am putting the shortcuts to AVG 2011 and to Defraggler in a desktop folder named "run us once a month". Then I plan to put Glary and Malware Bytes Anti-Malware in a folder named "run us once a week", to make it easy for her to remember. Initially I was going to put SAS there, but the interface to that program looks complicated, and that in itself is enough to make her forget what it is and how to use it.

So I am now looking for a similar program, that can act as a secondary scanner to MBAM, but that is so ridiculously easy to use, and that looks easy, that it won't scare her into forgetting everything I've tried to teach her about it.

Fire away!

 

I haven't actually installed AVG 2011 yet, so I hadn't' noticed that. If that's the case, that's great news! That will save me a world of pain down the road. Thanks!

 

She's not... she is however in the habit of clicking on everything impatiently without checking to see exactly what it is, opening attachment from everything and everyone, clicking on every link she sees on Facebook, and forgetting to update Windows as well as and protection apps I put on there...

...and did I mention that she also clicks on "yes, please download and fix the problem" on every single fake alert pop-up that comes on her PC? :banghead I'd be less frustrated if she at least learned from her mistakes.

 

I am actually considering doing that this time around, alternatively tell her flat out that next time I will. Especially if the problem is self-inflicted once again. There's a limit to my patience.

 

She would be absolutely furious insulted if I suggested that. LOL Might be worth it just for the entertainment value.

 

Responding kinda late here but I think the best app for this on her pc is Microsoft Security Essentials. Real time instant protection and not bloated. Simply install and let it do its thing. Gud luck.

 

I have MSE installed on one of my computers, and it requires manual updates and scans. There is no option, not that I have found anyway, that lets you schedule either of those to be done automatically. That's too complicated for this user. I need something a three-year-old with a learning disability can manage, and from my own experiences with MSE, it isn't what I'm looking for. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

 

MSE scans automatically. You set the day of the week and time.
Look under "settings"
(scan type, daily or once a week, time of the day)

 

I just did, and I didn't see it there at all. Odd. :confused How about updates?

 

I hesitate to suggest this since she is familiar with AVG and if it's doing the job don't really see a reason to change but, what about Avast? It has automatic updates and scans can be scheduled. It also has anti-spyware capability. It does take a little time to get it configured the way you want it.

Don't know if this would be useful or not but, can't Glary and Defraggler be scheduled via the Windows task scheduler? If they popped up in front of her then she might remember to use them.rolleyes

 

I did consider Avast, it's a long-time personal favorite, but in the end I went with AVG, for the reasons you mentioned. She's familiar with it, and knows how to navigate the interface. I have set it to automatically update every 24 hours and to scan once a week.

And I will look into the task scheduler for the others... though with my luck she will finally learn what I have tried to teach her about closing all pop-ups without clicking on anything, and apply that to the reminders! LOL

 

here is one that i isolated from the yahoo toolbar bundle,which I've long since deleted ,it's the smallest, fastest(about 30 sec or less),yet a fairly effective little scanner that i use,it's from the CA security Co,it actually finds things that SAS & MBAM miss,and its a one click operation(updates and scans),if you want to try it,update it first then run it,when it finds anything it'll prompt you to do a deeper scan.i have a copy uploaded here http://www.4shared.com/file/VEW0tTip/ca_yahooantispy_211_setup_en.html

 

try this direct link instead,or else you'll have to wait 20 seconds for the download to begin
http://dc200.4shared.com/download/V...11_setup_en.exe?tsid=20110404-091726-1918cffc

 

Nice try pistol, it's really only useful if you know and can check what it's picking up, in my case it flagged up registry keys that block malware and a standard Windows file. Not recommended, cleaning what it flags would leave my PC with lower protection.

 

Hi! I have been using Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner. You have to down load it off internet each time. It scans for Viruses,Cleans Temp. Repairs Registry. checks for open ports and I think Windows up dates. You could book mark the site. Then you just click full scan. It really cleaned my PC. One draw back is you have to use Internet Explorer. I use Avira. I have heard that this scanner uses MSE to scan.
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm?s_cid=sah/site/en-US/center/tuneup.htm

 

You can read about the Safety Scanner here

 

Mimsy, I'm not sure how familiar you are with group policy and command line switches, and even batch commands, but given enough knowledge, you can make about any program automatically do things. I think with this case, it'd be worth it to automate updates and scans with all of the security software incorporated on your mother in law's computer. If you don't know what you're doing, it's pretty easy to learn (I haven't messed with it much myself, but I have done it before), and that way it really doesn't matter what programs you decide to use. Corporate environments use these ALL the time to keep all of their computers running smoothly without constant attention.

Just a thought.

 

Would like to find something like SAS myself, only with faster updates.
On my cable machine, it still takes 10 minutes to update.

 

I've been following this thread a little bit and I didn't add to it 'cuz it seems that it's being handled well by "those that know", but I was absolutely MORTIFIED by this statement in post #5:

:mad :banghead :cry :crybaby :boxing :eek

Good luck Mimsy!

 

@hrlow2: it takes TEN MINUTES to update SuperAntiSpyware!!??!?!???!!!?!?!? On a PC hooked to broadband cable?? That's madness! I don't want to get off topic, but is that with the free version or the paid version? Actually, it shouldn't matter.... It doesn't take more than 10 minutes to upgrade an SP2 WinXP system to SP3 with all current updates!!! Are you sure nothing else is going on?? Again - I don't want to get off topic here, but I read post #23 after I posted above in #24 and I was astounded by the "10 minutes" statement . . . is this just an exaggeration to exemplify frustration? Or an actual time estimate??? If it's an actual more-or-less truthful statement, you may want to start a new thread or contact the folks at SAS support.....

 

I hear you there... I'm looking for a replacement for my own system, for the same reason. I put IOBit Security on the XP system, and so far it seems okay. It seems to be getting along with Avast, and not hog too much resources.

As for what this thread was originally about: I decided to go with AVG 2011, MalwareBytes Anti-malware, and Glary Utilities. I've set AVG to automatically update ever 24 hours and scan once a week, and scheduled weekly tasks to remind her to run MBAM and Glary. I also set a monthly schedule to defragment the poor abused hard-drive.

Now I just need to return the laptop to its rightful owner, along with a few pointers and instructions, and hope that it will be at least 6 months before she needs my help again.

Actually, to be entirely fair, she has gotten much better at that after I showed her some of the, ahem, "highly inappropriate" pictures that one of them downloaded to her computer... I made a point of explaining it was the tame ones too, and that I had to stare at them for hours while cleaning off the virus. LOL

 

Feel for you. Past few months, ppl I know give me a computer and say. My girlfriends son, friends nephiew, sister-in-laws brothers son, ect. Got on my computer. Yuked up. Can you fix it? Help here got them straightened out. Lord love the ppl here that take the time in malware to help you out. Something pops up and they say yes, yes!

On AVG, full program. Only thing I'd mention on my trying to get rid of uglys on one computer. It has it's own search bar in the tool bar. In Explorer's search bar, upper right. When I would try a search there. I'd get a %/ redirect. Loose the tool bar perhaps? If I used the AVG search tool bar every thing worked fine. Thinking the AVG tool bar re-directed the Explorer search. Cleaned I think, all the uglys out. It had Chrome browser installed and no re-direct so I suggested he use it.

I didn't un-install it as he paid for a full version. That said. I use Avira free, updates automaticly. I installed Zonelabs free firewall and told-showed him how to not make any program a server. And basic's on how it works. Malwarebyts-SuperAntispyware.

All you can do is suggest-show how and hope they do it.

 

to dlb:
As you can see from others, not an exaggeration.
I have 6MB cable connection with Suddenlink and updating is slow as molasses.

 

I failed to mention that i've used this program and only have it installed on Xp OS,My Apologies,and when i did install ,it was on the latest windows OS at the time(Xp MCE)Im thinking its not compatible with any later versions of win OS,,,I've never experienced the issues you mentioned,it has only removed unwanted BHO's and the grokster and Kazaa p2p entries that both U-torrent and vuze install during load-up that mbam and sas never find,so im satisfied with it and will keep using it on my machines,thanks for the info an input anyway....

 

I've got Hitman Pro for a while set up as a manual cloud second scanner. Available here at MG. I suppose it's been free so far for me because I haven't gotten any malware on it yet and therefore didn't need to register it? If interested CHECK OUT the author site first to evaluate if it's to your liking because it supposedly starts charging a yearly fee after a certain time and/or cleaning malware. My scans are still free? :confused It updates and scans in less than 2 minutes.

 

I know a few people mentioned this already, but I like Microsoft Security Essentials. Works well with Windows 7, at least in my experience: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

-- Ryan
Windows Outreach Team

 

The upcoming SUPERAntiSpyware 5.0 has significantly faster updates, faster scanner, new interface, etc.
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispyware5.html

We'll be releasing a public pre-release shortly and you and see for yourself

 

Will there still be a free version?
If not, how much?

 

Of course there will be a free version!

There will be:

SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition

SUPERAntiSpyware Professional

SUPERAntiSpyware Portable for Technicians

SUPERAntiSpyware Enterprise for Corporate Users

 

It's not just MSE's problem:

via
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20110401/tc_nf/77980

...and apparently Lizamoon doesn't do anything without human interaction. Interesting.

via
http://ai-soft.com/uncategorized/how-to-defeat-lizamoon-in-one-easy-step/

 

Thanks for the update! The slow update was my only complaint, if that is being fixed I'll happily switch back when the new version is released.