The major problem with MS Antispyware is that it detects ALOT of false-positives; detecting even valid microsoft files and recommending their removal.
Among other things, people have lost their internet connection following the recommendations of this program.
So unless you really know what you are doing, and are able to make correct judgements as to whether detected spyware is real spyware or not - you'll likely cause yourself unnecessary misery by installing this program.
I would be very cautious about putting this software on a Dell Dimension. I installed this software on Jan 7. When I installed the antispyware application, my computer crashed immediately (XP Pro 8300 Dell Dimension). Then the darn software tried to call home. It also would not allow me to turn off the real time protection and a scan found only one false positive. When I looked carefully at it, I was appalled. It hooks extremely deeply into the system and that is most likely the reason for the problems after I uninstalled.
It was the badly integrated ASPI hook from the Microsoft application that apparently caused the problem. It is also possible that Process Guard may have contributed to the problem as it froze after the antispyware was removed.
After uninstalling and rebooting, I got a popup window immediately saying that I should cancel the software installation for my new hardware because the driver wasn't digitally signed. I had no idea what that was about so I clicked cancel and got a second error box stating that the new hardware modem could not be properly installed due to the driver not being digitally signed. I had no idea what that was about either as I had not tried to install any hardware. I clicked out of the error box only to have the other error box pop up again. I was unable to get rid of either.
In device manager, I confirmed that the Conexant 56K PCI modem was functioning correctly but I also discovered 70 instances of a second, new hardware modem installed. I also saw errors in event viewer about the incorrect installation of the new modem and an error on POST regarding allocating for PCI device.
When the Dell CD for the modem was inserted and the Dell Wizard ran and analyzed my system, it came back with a notification that I had "illegally" installed a second hardware modem that was not approved by Dell and that I must remove it before the Wizard would do further troubleshooting or anything else. I had never installed any hardware modem!
I tried system restore to the point I made just before installing the antispyware application and restore was successful but I still had the two error boxes that could not be clicked away and the 70 instances of the "new" hardware in device manager all with yellow ! At this point I called Dell Small Business tech support and spent four hours on the phone with the Dell tech.
Dell had me try uninstalling the 70 instances (took forever). That appeared to work until I rebooted and they came back. Dell then had me open the case and reseat the modem. That did not help. So, I was instructed to move the modem to another slot. That did not help. I moved it to the remaining free slot and that did not help. I put it back in the original slot and the computer would not boot. Removed it entirely and the computer booted.
Dell then said I would receive a new modem in two days and a tech would be over to install it. There was nothing wrong with the Conexant modem. My primary connection is cable modem but I use the Road Runner dialup frequently and I have never had the slightest problem with the modem and I had used it the day before I installed the MS antispyware application. So, there was no reason for it to suddenly fail. The Dell tech, I, and a friend, who is a computer hardware expert and who looked at what MS did, all think that the source of the problem was caused by uninstalling an application that did not uninstall properly due to how Microsoft designed it.
I run it on three PCs. without problems, Windows XP Pro/SP2 PWS 530, WIndows XP Pro/SP2 Iinspiron 5000, and Power Edge 1600SC WIndows 2003 Enterprise Server. Som day I will try it on my Virtual Windows ME system.
I have a Dell 2400. I'm going to wait until MS AntiSpyware is out of beta....and then see if Microsoft charges a fee to use it. Considering all the hassles spyware/adware has caused on Windows computers, Microsoft owes it to their customers to keep this program free. After all, its not like they're hurting for revenue. It would be good PR too.
However, even if this program stays free I may not use it. I already have upgraded to SP2, use Ad-Aware SE, Spybot 1.3, SpywareBlaster 3.2, CWShredder, a firewall, and an anti-virus program that scans for Internet worms. That should be enough.
Mele20 makes it sound horrible, you could probably get a law.suit of microsoft for issuing faulty software.
i am probably not going to do much, i scanned deep files, removed stuff, no prob, it was probably the modem of yours Mele.
i scanned with spybot and got 3 different problems, microsoft antispyware got none so il just use it side by side with spybot. its not that good but its a free hand, my pc's internet connection only got broken once when i downloaded AVG Antivirus which was in MAXIMUM PC mag. and seemed really good, but after i uninstalled the app. everything was fine.
I think it is nearly useless for removing spyware. Ill run a full scan with it and it says everything is clean, then Ill run spybot and it finds like 10 items it missed. However, I do like the mocrosoft one's ability to block things, I set it to notify me when some thing happens, and it tells me when a program is requesting me to change my homepage or download somrthing.
I had no problems with it until yesterday when I tried to download updates. It hung up and froze during the update and I had to do a 3 finger salute to restart the computer. I tried it once more and it did the same thing. I then uninstalled it and will wait for the bugs to be worked out.
I am pretty sure it was messing with the setting in my Norton Internet Security 2004. I have it set to prompt me on all live update downloads so that I can download them manually and know what I am getting. Yesterday, before I had the troubles described above, and before I uninstalled the beta, I had received the little Norton pop-up saying that updates were available, and I chose "no". Almost immediately thereafter was another larger pop-up (blue and white) in the lower right corner of the screen. It went by too fast to read properly, but I did make out the words that a registry change was being made. I have to assume this is an artifact of the MS beta spyware program, since I had never seen a pop-up box of that size until after I installed the beta version.
When I went to Norton to check out my live update settings, they had been changed to automatically download, which is not what I want. I have assume that the beta version made this change, and heaven only knows what else it might have done, so I will not use until it is beyond beta and all its flaws have been found and corrected. I don't want to have anything to do with a product that starts changing everything, and hangs up on update downloads. :smileyindifferent:
dalem29, I experienced the same problem, its actually not frozen, just turn off the monitor and let it 'simmer' for a while and it will update successfully. Avoid running other apps while its updating too, I think this prolongs the process :smileymad: .
100mph
1.2K Posts
0
January 29th, 2005 00:00
http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp?ICP=spyware&sLCID;us
Hope this helps!
scoobydooby
2 Intern
•
495 Posts
0
January 29th, 2005 02:00
To answer the question: pretty bad
(see user opinions at the link posted above)
The major problem with MS Antispyware is that it detects ALOT of false-positives; detecting even valid microsoft files and recommending their removal.
Among other things, people have lost their internet connection following the recommendations of this program.
So unless you really know what you are doing, and are able to make correct judgements as to whether detected spyware is real spyware or not - you'll likely cause yourself unnecessary misery by installing this program.
GreyMack
2.2K Posts
0
January 29th, 2005 07:00
Message Edited by GreyMack on 01-29-2005 01:17 AM
Mele20
140 Posts
0
January 29th, 2005 09:00
It was the badly integrated ASPI hook from the Microsoft application that apparently caused the problem. It is also possible that Process Guard may have contributed to the problem as it froze after the antispyware was removed.
After uninstalling and rebooting, I got a popup window immediately saying that I should cancel the software installation for my new hardware because the driver wasn't digitally signed. I had no idea what that was about so I clicked cancel and got a second error box stating that the new hardware modem could not be properly installed due to the driver not being digitally signed. I had no idea what that was about either as I had not tried to install any hardware. I clicked out of the error box only to have the other error box pop up again. I was unable to get rid of either.
In device manager, I confirmed that the Conexant 56K PCI modem was functioning correctly but I also discovered 70 instances of a second, new hardware modem installed. I also saw errors in event viewer about the incorrect installation of the new modem and an error on POST regarding allocating for PCI device.
When the Dell CD for the modem was inserted and the Dell Wizard ran and analyzed my system, it came back with a notification that I had "illegally" installed a second hardware modem that was not approved by Dell and that I must remove it before the Wizard would do further troubleshooting or anything else. I had never installed any hardware modem!
I tried system restore to the point I made just before installing the antispyware application and restore was successful but I still had the two error boxes that could not be clicked away and the 70 instances of the "new" hardware in device manager all with yellow ! At this point I called Dell Small Business tech support and spent four hours on the phone with the Dell tech.
Dell had me try uninstalling the 70 instances (took forever). That appeared to work until I rebooted and they came back. Dell then had me open the case and reseat the modem. That did not help. So, I was instructed to move the modem to another slot. That did not help. I moved it to the remaining free slot and that did not help. I put it back in the original slot and the computer would not boot. Removed it entirely and the computer booted.
Dell then said I would receive a new modem in two days and a tech would be over to install it. There was nothing wrong with the Conexant modem. My primary connection is cable modem but I use the Road Runner dialup frequently and I have never had the slightest problem with the modem and I had used it the day before I installed the MS antispyware application. So, there was no reason for it to suddenly fail. The Dell tech, I, and a friend, who is a computer hardware expert and who looked at what MS did, all think that the source of the problem was caused by uninstalling an application that did not uninstall properly due to how Microsoft designed it.
msgale
2 Intern
•
2.5K Posts
0
January 29th, 2005 11:00
lawnmowerguy
2 Intern
•
771 Posts
0
January 29th, 2005 12:00
I have a Dell 2400. I'm going to wait until MS AntiSpyware is out of beta....and then see if Microsoft charges a fee to use it. Considering all the hassles spyware/adware has caused on Windows computers, Microsoft owes it to their customers to keep this program free. After all, its not like they're hurting for revenue. It would be good PR too.
However, even if this program stays free I may not use it. I already have upgraded to SP2, use Ad-Aware SE, Spybot 1.3, SpywareBlaster 3.2, CWShredder, a firewall, and an anti-virus program that scans for Internet worms. That should be enough.
6r1mguy
91 Posts
0
January 29th, 2005 12:00
*gulp*
Mele20 makes it sound horrible, you could probably get a law.suit of microsoft for issuing faulty software.
i am probably not going to do much, i scanned deep files, removed stuff, no prob, it was probably the modem of yours Mele.
i scanned with spybot and got 3 different problems, microsoft antispyware got none so il just use it side by side with spybot. its not that good but its a free hand, my pc's internet connection only got broken once when i downloaded AVG Antivirus which was in MAXIMUM PC mag. and seemed really good, but after i uninstalled the app. everything was fine.
fish111
192 Posts
0
January 29th, 2005 13:00
dalem29
2 Intern
•
2.2K Posts
0
January 29th, 2005 18:00
I had no problems with it until yesterday when I tried to download updates. It hung up and froze during the update and I had to do a 3 finger salute to restart the computer. I tried it once more and it did the same thing. I then uninstalled it and will wait for the bugs to be worked out.
I am pretty sure it was messing with the setting in my Norton Internet Security 2004. I have it set to prompt me on all live update downloads so that I can download them manually and know what I am getting. Yesterday, before I had the troubles described above, and before I uninstalled the beta, I had received the little Norton pop-up saying that updates were available, and I chose "no". Almost immediately thereafter was another larger pop-up (blue and white) in the lower right corner of the screen. It went by too fast to read properly, but I did make out the words that a registry change was being made. I have to assume this is an artifact of the MS beta spyware program, since I had never seen a pop-up box of that size until after I installed the beta version.
When I went to Norton to check out my live update settings, they had been changed to automatically download, which is not what I want. I have assume that the beta version made this change, and heaven only knows what else it might have done, so I will not use until it is beyond beta and all its flaws have been found and corrected. I don't want to have anything to do with a product that starts changing everything, and hangs up on update downloads. :smileyindifferent:
Message Edited by dalem29 on 01-29-2005 01:32 PM
fish111
192 Posts
0
January 30th, 2005 01:00