GIVE SPYWARE A KICK IN THE BACKSIDE! (Ad-aware)

Name: Del_Boy

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Product:	Ad-aware
Date:	22/02/02 (4844 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free for standard version, Great support, Works brilliantly

Disadvantages: None really, The fact that it is needed in the first place!

Ad-Aware is a very useful program that aids in the detection and the removal of 'Spyware' from your computer. Spyware is often installed on your PC covertly when you install certain pieces of software. If you have one of these pieces of software, the chances are you have some spyware included on your computer:

GoZilla, Audiogalaxy, Gator, Bearshare, Limewire, Grokster, Net2Phone, Realplayer, Bonzi-Buddy etc


WHAT DOES SPYWARE DO?
=======================

It can do a variety of things, the usual thing is that it will report back statistics regarding what browser you are using, what link on a particular website you clicked, what your IP address is, etc

I honestly don't mind some types of spyware, as long as I am sufficiently notified of it before it is installed. Sadly this is hardly ever the case; instead it is put onto your computer without your prior knowledge.

Spyware installed when you are not notified of its installation on your computer is often known as foist ware.


SOME EXAMPLES OF SPYWARE AND THEIR SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS
============================================== =========

GATOR
~~~~~~

This is installed by a variety of programs, as well as being freely downloadable via itself on the Gator website. The problem with this form filling software is that it is one of the most horrid pieces of spyware around.

Gators spying abilities come in three distinct sections, first of all there is:

1. The main program function, the main programs usage is to save you time by filling out repetitive forms on websites. This feature does work, but is useless to all but the laziest of people. Anyways auto-complete has been a feature in Internet Explorer since version 5.0 and does virtually the same thing.


2. Offer companion is an installed module with Gator; this thing is what is responsible for spying on you. Its purpose is to downl
oad and display pop up ads, unfortunately just surfing the web can trigger these pop up ads. This module also reports back web browsing information, and is thought to compromise privacy in the most grandiose form by allowing transmission to their servers of your personal data


3. Trickler (fsg.exe, fsg-ag.exe, fsg*.exe)

Trickler is a small program that is put onto your computer alongside other applications secretly. This is always loaded in via the registry whenever you start your computer, and its main purpose is to covertly download gator and offer companion whilst you are unaware. It does this by downloading the file very slowly, thus the name Trickler.

TRANSPONDER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This spyware is actually very ingenious. It is installed on your computer without your knowledge and has a counter that goes up to 700 in the registry. When you are surfing the net slowly, then this counter will gradually deplete, when this happens no pop up ads will be triggered. However, if you are surfing with moderate speed, then the counter will go past 700; trigger a pop-up advertisement and then reset back to zero ready for the counter to go back to 700 again.

This is clever as if you are surfing quite quickly, opening various websites etc, when a pop-up advert appears you will automatically assume it was from a site you had just visited.

This spyware is detected by Ad-Aware, the program I am going to review now, unfortunately since this is so new, not even Ad-Aware destroys every file as of yet.

However interestingly, some anti-virus software is now classifying this as a virus, and thus will remove it.


A RECOMMENDED SITE AGAINST SPYWARE
=====================================

http://www.cexx.org

This has information on virtually every type of spyware known, alongside articles on how to get rid of them, what program installs them etc. It will also let you know of any
impending legal action against vendors of this spyware etc, all in all an invaluable asset against the spread of this, spyware plague.


ONTO THE REVIEW OF THE PRODUCT KNOWN AS AD-AWARE (100% SPYWARE FREE!)
============================================== ==========

Ad-Aware is a software utility that can be used to remove the scourge of spyware from your computer, it's quick, effective and it's free! (standard version only)


FEATURES OF PROGRAM AND USAGE OF THOSE FEATURES
============================================== ====

AD-AWARE STANDARD FREE VERSION OPTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


When a scan has been completed of the spyware, it can mark all files automatically for deletion, it will save you time to enable this option. However some words of warning if you use GoZilla:

~Aureate spyware is installed with the GoZilla application, if this spyware is then removed without you having registered the GoZilla application, then GoZilla will refuse to work again. A reinstall of the program, along with the spyware would then be needed.

This may also apply to several other programs, if worst comes to the worst though and one stops functioning, there are options to backup data before starting, then if something does go wrong - it is simple to reinstall the spyware.
~

Removing of spyware automatically is an option that I would advise against being checked; instead my advised setting is Safe Mode. This mode will always ask you for confirmation via a checklist of files before removing anything.

You also have the options to scan on Windows start up, along with the ability to create log files of any changes made by ad-aware. Very useful in the rare occasion that you may need to troubleshoot a problem.

AD-AWARE PLUS VERSION EXTRA OPTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Add scan with "Ad-Aware" to explorer
context menu ? a simple description of this option is to right click a file. You will have a selection of options; with ad-aware installed an option to scan the file for spyware will also be present on that menu. This can be useful to nip some of the more irritating pieces of spyware, such as Transponder in the bud.

Automatically remove files after rebooting, basically if a file was in use when you ran ad-aware for the first time, the program will be unable to delete it fully. This feature in the Plus version, will delete the programs as soon as windows starts up. Normally I would advise you to do two sweeps with the normal scanner in order to remove all spyware.

Playing an alarm if spyware found is also an option in the Plus version, this is the kind of option that would drive you insane though ? believe me!

Note:
~Ad-Watch~ is also included within the Plus version and is a separate program from ad-aware. This offers you real-time protection and will monitor your Internet connection, as well as your hard drive, waiting for spyware to try to install itself silently on your system. If it spots something trying to install, it will block it, and give you the option of deleting it before it makes itself at home.

SCANNING FOR FILES, AND KICKING THEIR DIRTY ROTTEN BACKSIDES OFF YOUR COMPUTER
============================================== ==============

Using this is simplicity in itself. Simply choice the directories you wise to be scanned by Ad-Aware from a selection menu on the left of the screen. It will also give you options to deep scan your registry, and to scan your memory (highly recommended and quick; this is where a lot of spyware hides and resides).

Once you click the Scan Now button, you will be treated to a screen that shows the ad-aware process in action. Alongside the bottom of this screen it will tell you about all the processes running (not all necessarily spyware, but many of them
will be). It will also tell you how many components it has found, ignored etc.

Once the scan is finished you are taken to another screen whereby you are able to remove the files that don't belong, this is done by simple tick selection boxes next to each entry. If you wish to keep a certain piece of spyware (as you know it will break an application if you remove it) then you can click on the exclude menu button to exclude certain files from future searches. You can also use the same process to back up files, simply select the files you want to back up, and select backup option.


MY FINGERS ARE HURTING, SO THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THIS REVIEW :-)
=======================================

I conclude this review by stating that if you have found yourself besieged with pop-up adverts, then this may not be, and is probably not anything to do with the sites that you are surfing. Instead spyware such as Transponder and Gator in particular are perhaps the reasons for this.

~IF this annoys you - install Ad-Aware

Do you value your privacy? Do you like potentially confidential information about yourself being sent to unscrupulous spyware vendors?

~IF this annoys you - install Ad-Aware

The program is available from:

http://www.lavasoftusa.com and is completely free. Free updates are also available from the site, and are either installable manually or you can download an auto-updater program from the same site, that does it all automatically.

Ad-Aware Plus is available for the cost of $15 from the Ad-Aware website. The advantages of the Plus version are:

~ Includes Ad-watch
~ Ad-aware plus application
~ Free lifetime updates
~ Full lifetime product support
~ Email notification on updates and new reference files
~ Support future development of Ad-aware

This program is highly recommended, I scanned for the first time in a whi
le last night and found 36 spyware files. Today I have 0.

Thanks for reading this review,

Kev

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