This is related to my "Spiked add on thread". So I go to Grisoft's AVG forum, this was my first time visiting there. I read on one of the threads there that the tips & advice posted there weren't from AVG's people but were monitored & screened by them. I see this thread, http://freeforum.avg.com/read.php?4,27725,backpage=,sv= The guy explains some OK sounding stuff, but are they? He also tells of two other anti virus applets he uses in conjunction with AVG. Malwarebytes' anti-malware & spybot search & destroy, are they any good? I'm currently at a loss here as I hate to reformat my PC & lose stuff :'(
I've used both and they proved to work quite well. Just don't use an installed version and instead opt for the portable and put it in a USB stick. As far as I know, Spybot has a tendency to lag your computer at startup quite a bit. Also, as in my reply to your other thread, (which you really should only have made one) use HijackThis.
OK, I just got HijackThis & did a safe mode boot check, & yeah I don't know which to treat here. Rephrase: Duh, I recognize most of the stuff it listed, mostly apps I really use, the system bits are the only ones I don't know.
neither of the programs mentioned are antivirus apps, they are anti-malware, which although equally important, is a very different field. Both programs are highly rated in their field, although I advise against enabling spybot's teatimer application as it requires you to confirm every registry change that takes place, which gets annoying quite quickly. Hijackthis is more of a diagnostic program than an actual 'anti-X'
I don't know how often your registry gets modified, nor do I even know how often you install programs, but when a spyware or trojan enters your system, it typically modifies your registry. With Spyware's TeaTimer on, you can prevent malicious changes being made to your registry. With TeaTimer off, you're practically in an unfavorable situation in which the trojan/malware can do numerous of things to your system which will be very difficult to stop.
if you take sensible precautions you won't get malware. Javacool Spywareblaster is another good anti-malware, although it doesn't remove anything; it is aimed at preventing you getting the malware in the first place.
