Concurrent Anti-Spyware

[Iain]

Whilst I'm aware that running dual anti-virus programmes concurrently
are forbidden, does the same hold true for anti-spyware?

 

[peter]

no

pk

 

[Charlie42]

Whilst I'm aware that running dual anti-virus programmes
concurrently are forbidden, does the same hold true for
anti-spyware?

It's not forbidden, but you shouldn't run two anti-virus programs (or
two firewalls for that matter) at the same time, since they may conflict
and even cause crashes.

As for anti-spyware, it's the other way around. No single anti-spyware
program has a good enough detection rate, it is therefore recommended to
run at least two, hoping that the second program picks up what the first
didn't and vice versa. Conflicts are not a big issue with these
programs.

Charlie42

 

[GTS]

There's no harm, in fact it's advisable, to run occasional scans with
multiple spyware tools. Running multiple resident programs, however, may
cause conflicts and performance problems.

 

[Hank Arnold (MVP)]

Whilst I'm aware that running dual anti-virus programmes concurrently
are forbidden, does the same hold true for anti-spyware?

Not at all. I'd be careful about running multiple programs monitoring
real time (mostly because of the resources used), but scanning for
spyware with multiple scanners is not only allowed, it's still
considered a "best practice"...

--

Regards,
Hank Arnold
Microsoft MVP
Windows Server - Directory Services

 

[Straight Talk]

Not at all. I'd be careful about running multiple programs monitoring
real time (mostly because of the resources used), but scanning for
spyware with multiple scanners is not only allowed, it's still
considered a "best practice"...

No. It's considered "nonsense" - like any "scanning" for malware in an
up-and-running environment is.

 

[Doug]

No. It's considered "nonsense" - like any "scanning" for malware in an
up-and-running environment is.

Your advice is therefore?

 

[Straight Talk]

Your advice is therefore?

Simple. Don't install it in the first place.

 

[Doug]

Simple. Don't install it in the first place.

Please clarify. If by "it" you refer to the malware, it installs itself
unbidden! How should I keep it out? If by "it" you refer to anti-spyware
software, are you saying that its use is a bad idea and that spyware should
be left unmolested? Or is it that periodic manual purges are OK but that
spyware blocking in real time messes up the up-and-running environment?

 

[Straight Talk]

Please clarify. If by "it" you refer to the malware, it installs itself
unbidden!

Of course it (malware) doesn't. It just doesn't magically appear.

How should I keep it out?

By not installing all kinds of crappy software from questionable
sources and by running not inherently broken software like IE.

Malware is primarily caused by user's lack of knowledge/care and buggy
software.

BTW, how bad is the malware-situation on Vista anyway?