Re: Ad-Aware and Spyware Doctor
- From: Nick Wedd <nick@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 14:29:20 +0100
In message <gvog2m$sg8$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, VanguardLH <V@xxxxxxxxx> writes
Nick Wedd wrote:
Here is the URL I was taken to.
http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-Anni
versary-Edition/3000-8022_4-10045910.h
tml?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5
That appears to be a sanctioned download site and file from Lavasoft. I
went to http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php and clicked
on the "More Download Sites" link (since I was not interested in their
TrialPay offer). They show download.com as a sanctioned download site.
When I click on it, I am taken to web page you gave above. So it looks
like you got a legit copy of Ad-Aware Free.
One of the stupidities of download.com is that you can link to the
download page for the file but they offer no link back to the "home"
page describing the product. The home page for the download is at:
http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-Anniversary-Edition/3000-8022_4-100459
10.html?tag=mncol
It warned me of lots of cookies, and said they were harmless; a number
of things it said were probably harmless; and two it said were serious
threats. Sorry I can't remember more; I wish I'd taken a screenshot of
its report.
Cookies are just text file. Code can't run from there (unless something
else loads it but then that something else is the pest that needs to be
detected to find it).
The PUPs (Probably Unwanted Programs), or whatever they like to call
them, are typically hacker-type programs that you have installed. For
years, anti-malware products have continued alerting on Nirsoft's
utilities, especially their password viewer, despite the user must
install them and they aren't of any value except to the user that starts
those programs.
The window that appeared when I launched Ad-Aware said "FREE Update to
Ad-Aware". I realise that Ad-Aware may not have been responsible for
that window. But the word "FREE" seems clear enough. And if the update
does not actually remove what it regards as threats, it's not an update
to Ad-Aware, which does.
But you ended up installing PC Tools' Spyware Doctor, not something for
Lavasoft's Ad-Aware. The free version of Spyware Doctor won't remove
any pests that it detects hence it is lureware (or probably better
termed as baitware) and another reason why I don't care for products
from PC Tools.
I hope someone more competent than me will look into
http://download.cnet.com/. I am going to keep well away from it.
As mentioned above, PC Tools points at download.com as a mirror server
to obtain their free version of their Spyware Doctor product. So it
still comes down to what actually displayed that popup that you followed
(and why I mentioned using Process Explorer to find out who owns a
window).
I have now installed Process Explorer.
When I launch Ad-Aware, it produces a pop-up window, on which the largest text reads "FREE Update to Ad-Aware". According to PE, the associated executable is FreeUpdate.exe, which belongs Ad-Aware.exe.
If I then click on "Download now" in that pop-up window, it runs Internet Explorer, which takes me to the page http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-Anniversary-Edition/3000-802
2_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5. On that page, If I click on "Start Download", it does not start a download, it takes me to the page http://www.zoombli.com/PrimaryLanding/Sammsoft/ARO/v52/Defa
ult.aspx?Referrer=uc-C19whitegloveRVSec511-aro&utm_source=DownloadDo
tCom&utm_medium=Banner&utm_term=728x90whiteglove&utm_content=Securit
yLB&utm_campaign=AdvancedRegistryOptimizer. This seems to be different from yesterday, it is now (or claims to be) a download page for "Advanced Registry Optimizer 5".
Anyway, I have stopped trusting Ad-Aware, and will not be using it again. MBAM and SAS, recommended by Pete, both appear to work and do not make me mistrustful.
Nick
--
Nick Wedd nick@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
.
- References:
- Ad-Aware and Spyware Doctor
- From: Nick Wedd
- Re: Ad-Aware and Spyware Doctor
- From: VanguardLH
- Re: Ad-Aware and Spyware Doctor
- From: Nick Wedd
- Re: Ad-Aware and Spyware Doctor
- From: VanguardLH
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