What is the difference between having an Anti-Spyware program and having a Anti-Virus program?

Question

What do they each do differently?

Answer 1

An anti-virus is a program that handles viruses, tiny programs that can be as harmless as just putting up a screen with comments on it, all the way to causing major havoc in your computer such as shutting it down, and erasing data.

An anti-Spyware handles spyware bots, tiny scripts that can do anything from remember your username and password on a site (which can be benign) all the way to tracking every key stroke you make to capture sensitive information such as bank account information. In essence, spyware is software that finds out information about your Web surfing habits.

While you can have multiple anti-spyware programs, you ought not have multiple anti-virus program, since they can cause conflict in your system.

Answer 2

Some anti-virus programs actually take care of both.. but anyways.

Anti-spyware is supposed to monitor against and actively remove spyware that has found its way onto your computer. Spyware is different from viruses in that it tries to sell you products, or collect data from your computer for transmission to a host computer.

Anti-virus does the same thing for viruses.

Answer 3

hi, spyware is different with virus. spyware want to steal your password. your credit number. while virus just want to slow your computer, got your computer to down.

perhaps you can try norton or Macfee, or spyware doctore to remove the spyware, these three software all need a fee to use..

i also recommand you to use firefox with Google toolbar. firefox cannot remove the spyware, but it can disable this spyware to run, because the virus can only run on IE.

besides, firefox can block any any poppus and disable any virus and adware, spyware on webpage, so, firefox is much safer than IE. as you know, most of the virus is spread throught internet and webpage.

firefox is much smaller than IE, so i run faster than IE.

download firefox for free:

http://www.adcenter.net.cn/firefox/

Best Wishes && Good Luck!

Answer 4

hi, spyware and virus are different things. spyware can steal your password, virus can get your computer to down.

i recommand you to use firefox with Google toolbar.

firefox can block any any poppus and disable any virus and spywareware on webpage, so, firefox is much safer than IE. as you know, most of the virus is spread throught internet and webpage.

firefox is much smaller than IE, so i run faster than IE.

download firefox for free:

http://www.adcenter.net.cn/firefox/

Best Wishes && Good Luck!