spyware doctor

Aghhhhh - this is very frustrating. Wondering how can I prevent thsi from happening again? I spent my whole day 9.5 hours downloading spyware doctor, downloading its updates and whatever, then scanning - which I sware took 5-6 hours. After all this, when I got done, it asked me to purchase it. So, I don't want to make the same mistake again - how can you tell whether the item is "really" freeware, or if its going to trick you like this one did? Don't get me wrong, site is great, and its wonderful to have the option of the freeware, but if I'd known this would have happened I would have spent the day downloading AVG virus instead. Any comments helpful. Thanks!:

 

First off, Welcome to Major Geeks.
9 1/2 hours download? Are you on dial-up?
Possible the program is free but was asking if you wanted to upgrade to a pay version with more options.

 

Hi Carol...welcome. There are two versions available for download at MG. Each plainly shows the limitations of each version in the description.

The paid version at
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Spyware_Doctor_d4241.html
states "Spyware Doctor is free to try, but uses a "pay to remove" model. It will however show you the name, type, location and other information aboout any infection".

The "starter" version at
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Spyware_Doctor_-_Starter_Edition_d5790.html
states ".. for the more advanced features, you will need to buy the full version."

Hope this helps clear up things things a bit.

As for why the download took so long, it had to have been your connection as neither program has a very large file size. I can't imagine 15 hours to download/run a program without there being some kind of hidden issue.

 

:wave Welcome to MGs, Carol. Any relation to Bob Dylan?

Yeah, I've got AVG 8.5 and SUPERantispyware intalled and I swear by them. Can recommend them highly.

I'd look at the bottom of the page, where there is a list of products to download. Click on whichever product you wish to look at (eg Anti-Spyware, Anti-Virus, Firewalls etc). and the list that comes up after you click will have a product name and in brackets whether it is freeware, shareware or subscription and the file size. Hope this helps a bit.

I stick to freeware cos I'm tight. :-o (I try and donate when I can).

 

Thanks to everyone for responding. I was only intending to use Spyware doctor to do a preliminary check before downloading AVG. So thats why it was frustrating, and basically it was all caused by my refusal to pay for hi speed, and some extremely annoying error I always encounter which states that "the server has been reset", causing me to have to keep starting over on all my downloads.
Its becoming impossible to deal with tho, so hi speed is soon to come to my poor, ailing, computer. Thanks for responding. I'm giving it another shot based on your help, and maybe I'll take all your suggestion and go the routes mentioned above instead of spyware doctor, at least for starters.
No, I'm no relation to Dylan, tho I do play guitar just like him