SD Free On Demand

[TerryWood]

Hi

I just want to set up SD 5 Free as an on demand scanner. I don't want the tray icon either. I just want to minimise resource useage.

With the tray icon I have not had much success. When I remove it from MSConfig Startup it keeps resurrecting itself

Can anyone help

Thanks

Terry

[mjq424]

Hi
Spyware Doctor 5 uses services to run, it is not simple to remove! You have to go through an entire shutdown - reboot cycle to stop it from running. If you are looking for an on-demand scanner, I suggest either using Spyware Doctor 4.1 (see here (http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/version4)) or AVG Antispyware (see here (http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-spyware/us/frt/0))

[tig2020]

Hi
Spyware Doctor 5 uses services to run, it is not simple to remove! You have to go through an entire shutdown - reboot cycle to stop it from running. If you are looking for an on-demand scanner, I suggest either using Spyware Doctor 4.1 (see here (http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/version4)) or AVG Antispyware (see here (http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-spyware/us/frt/0))

It would be nice to have that capability with SD 5. It would be very nice. :)

[Cutter]

It would be nice to have that capability with SD 5. It would be very nice.

I agree, like with my three year old laptop, really old which wouldn't be able to cope with anything running in the background let alone swd5 it would be nice to just do a scan close it and carry on.

Cutter.

[TerryWood]

When I started this thread little did I know what I was letting myself in for.

Originally I had the free version 5 of SD and it is quite a resource hog. That said it found only three items noteworthy of removal after a full scan.

After posting in this forum I took the advice of mjg424 and downloaded version 4.1.

What I did not know or appreciate was that this version is not free. So the the full scan only identifies spyware, it does not remove it. Seems queer in that you go backwards and have to pay (for what you don't need to get what you do need) yet version 5 has a freeware offering which is what I don't need.

The real kicker though for me and what many in this forum should consider is this:

Version 5 found and removed 3 medium risk spyware

30 minutes later after having installed SD 4.1 IT FOUND 633 SPYWARE ITEMS

So I ask the question how can that be? Are all my other scanners that incompetent. AVG A/Spyware, SuperAntispy, Spyware Terminator etc when none of these found anything.

Is Spyware Doctor V5 a much worse version than 4.1.

Or is PC Tools guilty of insidious marketing practice and pressurising people to buy on the basis of what the SD scanner "HAS FOUND"

I leave you to make your own judgement.

I then checked a number of so called "found" items - Thing was, they were not there where the scanner said they were.

So what did I do, I dumped Spyware Doctor and labelled it a rogue product.

Sorry I do not like companies who do what is described above.

Terry

[mjq424]

Hi
I apologise, I assumed you were actually using the true free version of Spyware Doctor 5 not the Google Pack version.
To be honest, you dont really need much more scanning after AVGAS and SuperAntiSpy have gone through it all, they are pretty thorough.

[TerryWood]

To MJG 424

To be clear, I was not having a "dig" at you its my responsibility to understand what I am getting. You were just being helpful. MY MAJOR GRIPE is with PCTools for the waste of my time with poor marketing.

Thanks again for your help

Terry

[Chippa]

To MJG 424

To be clear, I was not having a "dig" at you its my responsibility to understand what I am getting. You were just being helpful. MY MAJOR GRIPE is with PCTools for the waste of my time with poor marketing.

Thanks again for your help

Terry

Can you provide a screenshot of what SDv4 picked up as opposed to SDv5.

Cheers,
Chippa

[Reodor]

To MJG 424

To be clear, I was not having a "dig" at you its my responsibility to understand what I am getting. You were just being helpful. MY MAJOR GRIPE is with PCTools for the waste of my time with poor marketing.

Thanks again for your help

Terry


I would not agree in the expression : Poor marketing.
But more in the way a bit cloudy in honest consumer information!;)

[TerryWood]

Hi

To Chippa.

Sorry I could not provide you with the information you request. Simply because I stripped SD 4.1 off my computer. I am not going to indulge in crusades against PCTools, neither am I going to give credibility to a product or company that preys on the vulnerability of those who seek an honest product and honest advice. I have done "My Bit" in alerting the forum.

Besides if anyone else is concerned they have the option of downloading SD 4.1 and trying it themselves. One of the surprising things is that Gizmo of Techsupportalert rates Spyware Doctor. So it is most surprising that the company needs to utilise such dubious marketing tactics.

To Reodor

Point taken

Regards

Terry

[tom.tdw]

the reason for the difference in the no of items detected could be that while v5 lists the NO of types of infection sd4 lists the NO of infected files

another difference is that while the google pack version automatically removes cookies (silently as noone cares about them) v4 makes a big fuss about it

also the google pack version isn't always uptodate so v4 might have a relitivly new FP in it

anyway if pctools wanted to use scare tactics why only do it on an old version?

[TerryWood]

Nothing to do with that.

Simply fly marketing.

I checked the so called spyware identified and that on my machine. It was not on my machine.

If you read the various forums it appears that PCTools has a bit of a reputation.

Thats why I am worried that they have taken over Cyberhawk. A super product.

I hope it's not *******ised in the same way as SD.

Terry