is adware the same as virus protection?

Question

ok several questions sorry i am confused do i need two separate things adware and a virus protection or are they the same thing?


if not whats a good free virus software to run with adware?

i also have spybot should i get rid of spybot? and just keep adware ?

Answer 1

no you need to keep them both, they look for different types of files, but you also need an antivirus, get AVG antivirus free edition, from www.grisoft.com, it is free and works great on the viruses

Answer 2

adware and virus are different though the end point is someone putting something on your computer which does something that you may not have choosen to have happen in the first place. on the adware/spyware issue, you need to run actually several different ones in order to catch the range of attacks that are out there. lavasoft adaware, spybot and microsoft defender are all free and each works a little bit differently. on the virus side the question is freebie vs paid subscription. Norton, McAfee come with new computers but in a trial environment, if you don't pay for the virus definition updates you are not actually protecting your self. do they catch everything no, but they have the resources to keep uptodate faster than certain freebie offerings. on the free side, there is AVG, F-prot good products, have both free and paid options. again not a bad idea to run several. best thing to do is put yourself behind a router, use firewall software, and don't allow any program to install itself if you don't know what your being asked to do.

Answer 3

No, a virus is a malicious program that is inteded to do your computer harm by altering or damaging critical system files.

Adware/Spyware is a marketing "tool" used by companies to send advertisements to a potential buyer.

Spyware comes in several different forms. One of the most common forms is called a "keylogger" where the text you type in an internet search is intercepted and logged into a registry that will automatically send you annoying pop-ups and advertisements.

I personally use spybot as it is effective, easy, rated #1 by many computer magazines, and is totally free.

Answer 4

No, AdAware is NOT virus protection, it is malware and adware and some trojans detection and removal (not protection unless you purchase the premium version). To be "protection" it would need to be always on and watching for problems rather than having to be started and told to scan - the premium version is like that.

AVG is a good, free virus protection software. It IS protection as it is always on and always scanning for viruses and trojans. It does NOT look for or protect against most malware or adware.

Spybot is like AdAware - a malware and adware and some trojans detection and removal system (unless you purchase the premium version for full-time protection). You can get rid of it, or keep it and run it between AdAware runs to make sure you get everything - neither it nor AdAware find everything every time.

Answer 5

free avg is a good anti virus to have. you can get it at http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1
Hope this helps

Viruse and adware are two differnt things one is adware and has nothing to do with viruses the other is a for viruses that can damage a computer quicker then adware. If you have a lot of adware your computer OS can get damaged. Keep one anti-adware program and ditch the other. Choise the one you like the best.

Answer 6

Malware includes viruses, trojans, autodialers, keyloggers, spyware, adware and other nasty software.

To fight them you need:

1. Antivirus
Free ones include:
AVG
Avast
Antivir

2. Anti-spyware
You need to install all of these to have maximum protection. They are all free:
SpywareBlaster
Ad-Aware SE
Spybot Search and Destroy
Windows Defender
ScripTrap

3. Anti-trojan
These too are free. Use them both.
A2 (a-squared)
Ewido

4. Firewall (at least a software one but preferably also a hardware one like a ROUTER)
These are freeware:
Sygate Personal Firewall
Zone Alarm

There are guidelines on how to use and configure the above software. Failing to follow them might result in your system being compromised.

For further assistance, go to:

My Computer Headaches YahooGroup:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mycomputerheadaches/

My Computer Headaches Forums
http://mycomputerheadaches.tz4.com
(We have the guidelines on how to use most of the software above.)

Answer 7

A good free virus protection program is AVG. Adaware I believe helps to get rid of popups and the like. Spybot is good to have around also.

Answer 8

There is this program called Spy Sweeper. Its the best antispy software i have ever used.

Adware are things which advertise about some product or service through popups, automated downloads and other such irritating things.

Viruses are pieces of code which are sent by a person to cause intentional harm to the victims pc.

Answer 9

yes they are 2 different things.
adware usually removes spyware and trojans.
virus scanners take care of viruses.
for free virus scan software, go to www.download.com and search for virus software.
some give you trial versions, some may be free.
spybot is just another spyware removal tool.
if you need a couple of good ones, but they are not free (www.xoftspy.com, www.spywaredoctor.com or search on the above site as well)

Answer 10

are you saying 'Ad-aware'?

Adware is like a virus, in that it slows down your computer and gives out personal information to companies. Ad-aware is a program that finds and deletes adware.

Answer 11

If you want one complete package for adware and virus removal, you may want to look at Ewido.
http://www.ewido.net/

It's a combo antivirus/antispyware program that can be used alongside most antivirus and antispyware programs available.

Compatibility list here:
http://www.ewido.net/en/compatibility/