Well, I am not an expert, but they should be along later. :emotion-5:
I have the same programs you do with the exception of the Webroot Spy Sweeper. You might check out A Squared Anti Malware. I use the free version on my Vista computer, but last August Emsi offered essentially the whole paid version for a year as a special, for free, so that is on the XP computer I am now writing on. The paid version has background guard (realtime protection), but the free version does not have this, and a few other features.
I see no problems with either version or an excessive use of resources, so you might check it out.
I have trialed many anti-malware programs, including the paid versions of MBAM and a2 anti-malware (both excellent programs, which I still keep for backup scans) but ultimately I have always returned to Windows Defender as my sole resident anti-malware on my XP MCE system.
I believe WD is a much-overlooked program. Not only is it free, but it has guaranteed compatability with your Windows OS. In choosing it, I was persuaded by the arguments Of Bill Castner, an MVP over at aumha's forums:
"Defender benefits from the feedback of 100s of millions of computers: scanned monthly by the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) (700 million every Month), by OneCare installations, and by Forefront installations, as well as others running Windows Defender (~ 35 million computers) who participate in SpyNet. This means that alone of the anti-malware utilities, Windows Defender has the largest base of actual incident as well as heuristically determined anomalies on which to develop its definition and other updates. There is not a competitive product that can match the reporting base of Defender." From: http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?p=199980#p199980
WD has never let me down. I really see no need to purchase any other alternative.
Thanks dalem29 and joe53 for your comments. You have answered my question. I will decide in the near future whether to keep Spy Sweeper. I probably won't keep it. I use great caution when I surf the Web.
dalem29
2 Intern
•
2.2K Posts
0
May 18th, 2009 10:00
Well, I am not an expert, but they should be along later. :emotion-5:
I have the same programs you do with the exception of the Webroot Spy Sweeper. You might check out A Squared Anti Malware. I use the free version on my Vista computer, but last August Emsi offered essentially the whole paid version for a year as a special, for free, so that is on the XP computer I am now writing on. The paid version has background guard (realtime protection), but the free version does not have this, and a few other features.
I see no problems with either version or an excessive use of resources, so you might check it out.
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/
joe53
2 Intern
•
5.8K Posts
0
May 18th, 2009 16:00
I'm no expert either, but here are my thoughts:
I have trialed many anti-malware programs, including the paid versions of MBAM and a2 anti-malware (both excellent programs, which I still keep for backup scans) but ultimately I have always returned to Windows Defender as my sole resident anti-malware on my XP MCE system.
I believe WD is a much-overlooked program. Not only is it free, but it has guaranteed compatability with your Windows OS. In choosing it, I was persuaded by the arguments Of Bill Castner, an MVP over at aumha's forums:
"Defender benefits from the feedback of 100s of millions of computers: scanned monthly by the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) (700 million every Month), by OneCare installations, and by Forefront installations, as well as others running Windows Defender (~ 35 million computers) who participate in SpyNet. This means that alone of the anti-malware utilities, Windows Defender has the largest base of actual incident as well as heuristically determined anomalies on which to develop its definition and other updates. There is not a competitive product that can match the reporting base of Defender."
From: http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?p=199980#p199980
WD has never let me down. I really see no need to purchase any other alternative.
Evermore
2 Intern
•
338 Posts
0
May 19th, 2009 06:00
Thanks dalem29 and joe53 for your comments. You have answered my question. I will decide in the near future whether to keep Spy Sweeper. I probably won't keep it. I use great caution when I surf the Web.