Computer newbies: What"s spyware?...
What"s spyware?...
by helaninja - 3/3/09 7:13 PMI was gonna dl this "free" rigetery cleaner and as i was looking at the reviews i noticed that someone had said "its spyware dont dl it"... lol,so what exactly is spyware?...and does anyone know anygood registery cleaners on cnet thats anygood if that 1 does have spyware in it,oh,it was registery cleaner 4.11 is where he said it...
So,i figured if any is anygood look at the comments,glad i did too lol...
RE: What"s spyware?...
by CJ0NES - 3/3/09 8:24 PM In reply to: What"s spyware?... by helaninjaYeah, don't even touch that download. Spyware are programs designed to "spy" on your computer and retrieve any personal information about you (DOB, credit info., name, address, etc.) and send it to the person who made the spyware (hence all the ID theft cases). So, yeah don't download anything unless you're positive it's from a trusted source.
What"s spyware?...
by helaninja - 3/4/09 4:59 AM In reply to: RE: What"s spyware?... by CJ0NESahh i see,but dont cnet watch these things ,i mean this "is" their website right shouldnt they have deleted or got rid of that dl somehow letssay,,all programs that get very bad reviews to hurt the ppls pc"s...
CNET Could Do Better
by Grif Thomas
- 3/4/09 9:02 AM
In reply to: What"s spyware?... by helaninja
Unfortunately, there have been a few cases where spyware or trojans have sneeked through in one of the Download.com programs.
Still, just because a reviewer says it's spyware, that doesn't mean it is so.. Make up your own mind about these things by reading ALL of the reviews at a variety of websites..
As to "What is spyware?", see the links below for some good definitions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t%3Dspyware&i%3D51898,00.asp
As to spyware/malware detection, be sure to use a good antivirus and antispyware detection tool. They are extremely valuable for keeping your computer clean and free of "bad" stuff.
Hope this helps.
Grif
Good post, Grif, but I would add...
by Paul C - 3/22/09 2:57 PM In reply to: CNET Could Do Better by Grif Thomas
...that it's nice to have more than one antispyware program installed for running manual scans, with only one running full time in residence.
My experience remains that there are sufficient differences between the scanning methods of various of these applications that to rely exclusively on one program is to take on some excessive level of risk.
Paul
(NT) Agreed !
by Grif Thomas - 3/22/09 3:30 PM
In reply to: Good post, Grif, but I would add... by Paul C
Spyware, etc.
by barbiedoll32560 - 3/22/09 10:39 AM In reply to: What"s spyware?... by helaninjaIt's all so confusing, itsn't it?! Most of the free things out there that offer to clean your computer of unwanted spyware, viruses, etc. are NOT a good idea. Like a previous post said, a lot of them are actually spyware. Or just a scam to get you to buy something "better".....or it messes up your computer and is hard to get rid of. ONE EXCEPTION: The free AVG anti-virus is actually safe and very good. Just be sure to download from a legit source, like CNET or the actual AVG website. A friend of mine who works in computer security recommended it to me, I've used it a few months and am very happy with it. (And it doesn't seem to slow down your computer like Norton and McAfee do!) It also detects spyware and tracking cookies. However, no one program will get rid of everything!! I also use Xoftspy, which is VERY good for spyware. You pay for it, but you pay ONCE, not every year, andit is very reasonable, easy to use, and doesn't mess up your computer. You can search for "Xoftspy" and download from their website. You definitely want to keep spyware OUT of your computer, as even the less-dangerous kind can really slow things down. JUST ALWAYS BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU DOWNLOAD, LOOK IT UP AHEAD OF TIME, AS OTHER PEOPLE, ETC., AS THERE ARE SO MANY "BAD" THINGS OUT THERE.
What"s spyware?...
by techservices24 - 3/24/09 2:10 AM In reply to: What"s spyware?... by helaninjaSpyware is a software that is designed to gather the personal informations of the computer user. So, please never click on such suspicious items.
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