Stop Spyware and other 'bad' ware.



StopBadware.org is a new initiative aimed at stopping spyware and other deceptive software.

Google Pack "makes your computer just work"

My only problem with Google's choices is Norton. While the download includes a 6 month subscription to updates, what happens after that? Seemed like a strange choice as Norton isn't free if updates cost after a  point. Plus new Dell machines come with McAfee which also nags you to pay for updates, which makes me nutso.

Startup Inspector for Windows. Startup Inspector scans your Windows Startup Folder and Registry and provides background information about the programs it finds. Use it to remove both harmful and unnecessary programs that hog your computer and reduce system performance. Just uncheck the items you want gone, click apply and restart your computer. Startup Inspector is a free download, Windows only. Startup Inspector.

Webroot Spy Sweeper. Webroot's Spy Sweeper 4.0 cleans spyware from your Windows PC and protects against spyware installations and programs trying to plant themselves in your Windows startup.The not-free Spy Sweeper found items that my favorite free Ad-Aware missed. It monitors your hosts file for changes, blocks programs from setting themselves to start up automatically, blocks Windows messenger spam and Internet Explorer hijacking. If spyware and adware is still kicking your PC's butt even after all the free options to clean it, Spy Sweeper's worth a try. Free download for trial use, $30 for a year of updates and support, Windows only.

Microsoft One Care Beta. Microsoft is beta-testing their new OneCare Live product which is due out later this year. OneCare looks like a one-stop shop virus protection and spyware cleaner, firewall, backup utility and PC tune-up.

Download.com congratulates self for filtering spyware. This is pretty old but makes for interesting reading. CNET's Download.com has always been a dodgy place to get software, and today they've proved it. As of yesterday, Download.com started testing their software for adware and spyware - and removed nearly 600 products from their index in the process. Their former policy was to only host software which disclosed advertising partnerships during installation (you know, in those software user agreements everyone takes the time to read.) A help forum answer explains the new screening process:

Every time a new file is submitted to the CNET Download.com site through Upload.com, our editors download, install, and scan the program using up to three industry-standard anti-spyware tools: currently these include Lavasoft Ad-Aware, Webroot Spy Sweeper, and PC-Tools Spyware Doctor.

But note the fine print:

Despite our vigilance, we can't guarantee that our library is 100% adware-free. If you find a program on Download.com that contains adware, please let us know.

Well, its self explanatory. Do not download software from download.com.  Make sure a trustworthy source has determined the software first.