How do I run the new MS antispyware tool??

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joe
  • Start date Start date
Can you say a bit more about precisely which tool you downloaded? What URL
did it come from?
 
I got it from windows auto update. The windows auto
update site. The tool was the MS Antispyware Beta
software. I downloaded it no less than an hour ago. I
don't know if this is enough info. Tell me if you need
more. Thank you. :)
 
Hmm - So you've enabled the checkbox to show you beta software, and read all
the stuff about at your own risk, etc.

I don't know. I have no idea what it does--I would expect it to launch the
installer after the download, but maybe something is broken.

I'd post in microsoft.public.windowsupdate, and see whether they can help
there.

You could also browse around--perhaps in
%windir%\softwaredistribution\download and see what you can find.
 
I got it from windows auto update. The windows auto
update site. The tool was the MS Antispyware Beta
software. I downloaded it no less than an hour ago. I
don't know if this is enough info. Tell me if you need
more. Thank you. :)
Click to expand...

Do you mean this?

http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

this downloads with auto-updates, not the anti-spyware tool. as I understand
it.

That's a malicious software removal tool, not the beta antispyware tool.
 
If you mean the malware removal tool, if it runs from
Windows updates, it just scans the PC and if it finds one
of the malwares in its database it warns you (may also
remove it, not sure); it does not actually download
anything, as far as I could tell (or if it does it deletes
itseklf after the scan). If it doesn't find anything, I
think it just tells you that.

If you want to download it, save to disk and run it
yourself, it is available from

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=890830
download and save to any convenient folder the self
extracting file Windows-KB890830-ENU.exe

You can extract the file it contains (mrt.exe) to any
convenient folder. double click on it and it will scan.
this also gives an option to see the scan results. It does
not install as such, to remove just delete the files.

As its database is to be updated monthly, you would need
to download it each month (Windows update will offer it
each month too, with the new database).
 
Near as I can tell, you're correct about the confusion in this thread--i.e.
Joe is talking about the Malicious Software Removal tool, and its behavior
is as you've specified, leading to his perplexity!
 
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