[Rhapsody]

Originally Posted by DocJohn

We're often asked what anti-virus and anti-spyware programs we recommend that are free. Here are our current recommendations:

- Spybot Search & Destroy (free)
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

Has anyone on here actually used this spyware? - I ask as I did and while it does download and run it only repairs 15 or so issues unless you purchase the full version.

[FooZe]

I've been using Spybot S&D for over 4 years. It used to find "tracking cookies" and similar stuff regularly until I set Firefox to refuse cookies from the offending domains. Now it rarely turns up anything new. By the way, it's full name is Spybot Search and Destroy. It's not a spybot -- it searches for spybots and destroys them.

Anti-spyware programs and anti-virus programs do different things so I've been using one of each. I've known people who find themselves at high risk for viruses and/or spyware to update and scan daily. I have an older system that seems to be a less attractive target, I do relatively few downloads, and I don't seem to visit many virus-infested sites, so I've been getting by OK with updating and scanning about once a week.

Does Spybot S&D have a paid version? It's been free for as long as I've known it. Safer Networking, the developer, has said they welcome donations and I've sent them a few bucks to help them keep doing their thing. I used to pay AVG (an anti-virus) for a two-year license but I'm going to let mine expire until I again have a system that they support. Avast! (another anti-virus, the one DocJohn recommends in this thread) offers a choice of free and paid versions. I haven't found any need for the paid one, especially considering how I have to keep the free one on a short leash to keep it from interfering too much with my system.

[Rhapsody]

I must be missing some thing..... so when I click on the link given by DocJohn for the Free S&D where do I go next?

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

Thanks.

[FooZe]

Originally Posted by Rhapsody

... so when I click on the link given by DocJohn for the Free S&D where do I go next?

I see what you mean -- too many choices! lol

It's typical of Safer Networking to enlist lots of other sites like SecurityWonks and Grail It to help distribute their programs and updates. Chances are, any of those links will work. Safer Networking's own servers are in Europe, probably more "hops" from here than some of the others, though European users might prefer them. I once had some updates from Grail It arrive incomplete so I've personally taken to avoiding them although they've probably been fine ever since. Meanwhile, by luck or otherwise SecurityWonks has always worked well for me so I favor them even though, for all I know, other sites are better.

I tried clicking on the SecurityWonks "Download here" button and got taken to a securitywonks.net page that features a download of Spybot S&D 1.6.2, the version I currently use. It's 15 MB, so if you don't have a fast connection better plan on having your computer tied up for an hour or two.

[Rhapsody]

I found the link to the S&D - now to get a darn connection (over in Europe) to open up for the download.