15 replies to this topic

[MBK]

I only came across this forum recently after having the misfortune to download SpyHunter from Download.com. Some great information on these boards which l'm sorry l didn't see a long time ago. :weep:

It's been interesting looking at how Download.com market SpyHunter. I downloaded a recent version and while l usually look at the reviews posted by other users, at the time l saw it, there were no reviews listed. Apparently SpyHunter keep releasing new(?) versions so that all the negative reviews associated with the previous release are wiped.

Over the past week or so all the negative reviews which had the thumbs up rating down to 23% have been surplanted by a host of positive reviews (many of which could be seen as suspect). It's now approaching a 50% approval rating. I notice today that SpyHunter is now also a featured download on the startup download page. There must be a lot of money in spyware if SpyHunter goes to the trouble of, l assume, paying for this sort of positioning.

Anyone have any thoughts on why, with all the negative information available on the web, Download.com persist in marketing SpyHunter? Is it just about money? I thought Download.com was supposed to be one of the better download sites around, or have l been misled?

[Muriel]

Even sites with the best of intentions can be misled themselves, at times. Personally, I don't know the specifics dealing with the financial arrangements between Download.com and its clients. Just about anything can be found to download from there, so caution should always be used, regardless.

As to the money available in fighting spyware, SpyHunter is not a legitimate Malware removal tool. It and many other fraudulent programs are given out as trial versions that only scan, but don't fix any problems. The alerts they bring up are frequently false simply to get people to purchase the full version, which does nothing and can even damage systems or sometimes includes spyware itself.

I've posted elsewhere, but this list never hurts. Avoid these fraudulent programs!!
AdProtector
AdWare Remover Gold
BPS Spyware Remover
InternetAntiSpy
NoAdware
Online PC-Fix SpyFerret
Pal Spyware Remover
SpyAssault
SpyBan
SpyBlast
Spy Deleter
SpyFerret
SpyGone
SpyHunter
SpyKiller
SpyKiller Pro
SpywareNuker
Spy Wiper
TZ Spyware-Adware Remover
Virtual Bouncer
Xoftspy

[YoKenny]

Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites
http://www.spywarewa...nti-spyware.htm

Authored by Eric Howe of IE-SPYAD fame.

[julietbravo]

Hi
Regarding all the above suspect programs.
Has anyone come across 'spyware eliminator' by Aluria ?
I was really impressed as to how the program was so easy to use and the amount of stuff it could locate ( I have spybot S & D and Adaware ) and the way with just a few clicks everything that was bad was gone. It saved my hours of trawling through the registery deleting everything. I was so impressed that I bought the program. That's where the trouble started.
Load up run everything fine.
Clean up run' program corrupted'
Re-install run 'program corrupted'
They've done various patches and new editions of the program but the way things are
going I'm beginning to think I've wasted money on the purchase of the full program.
Does anyone know anything about this program ?? There's a lot of unhappy people on their forum site and apparently they're ignoring what's been posted on their forums because they're 'updating the site' and deleting what's in the forum , and have said that anything that was in the forum postings would be wiped. !!

[MBK]

In my original post l mentioned that when l first saw the ratings on Download.com that the thumbs up rating for Spyhunter was only 23%. Took a look just now and it's up to 67%. So many happy customers.

If you want a laugh then take the time to read the reviews there, most of which must have been written by the same few people. Sad thing is some people will no doubt read the reviews and be impressed by them.

[linc]

I emailed CNET and asked them why out of 73 antispyware programmes they wee featuring for download 20 of them were rogue programmes, three of them sponsored..
Some of them are the same programme with a different look and name.
Like others I always go to cnet to d/l.
Thinking it's time to say goodbye to cnet. There are some freeware sites out there that actually check the programmes they have on their site.

Got a standard reply, I'm giving them a week to see what they do..


New people are coming on the net every day and to think they will d/l a rogue programme thanks to cnet and find they are in trouble. tut. tut.

For a rspected site like this to go down hill and join other sleaze sites is terrible

I think it's called greed.

[dark_ronin]

lol go read some adaware reviews, the wrong ones are really funny

it installed GLB1A2B on my computer

i lost my internet connection

its not as good as pal spywarfinder.com, go get that instead

it hijacked my browser to www.msn.com

it broke my computer and i had to work in the registy and reinall stuff for 20 hrs

etc

[MBK]

Maybe Download.com (Cnet) are listening afterall.

A couple of days ago there were 220+ votes on Spyhunter, 66%positive, 34%negative . As mentioned before a lot of the positive comments were very suspect. Took a look today and there has been a big cleanout. Now there are only 126 votes of which 64% are now negative.

Download.com Spyhunter ratings

Maybe Spyhunter will now release another new version to wipe all the negative comments.

[H@ns]

I´m looking at Spyware Doctor at Download.com and they rated it 5 stars and 95% rating

But the rogue anti-spyware site says..

false positives work as goad to purchase (1); poor scan reporting (1); same app as Spyblocs/eBlocs, Spyinator, SpyKiller 2004, & SpywareThis

Edited by H@ns, 07 August 2004 - 12:56 AM.

[BriosCometfyre]

Ad-aware/spy sweeper/spywareblaster + the occasional peperfix/aboutbuster and cwshredder scan should keep you clean without having to use any of the potential rogue products.

[H@ns]

I only use Ad Aware, Spybot and SpywareBlaster. Nothing more. And I'm completely clean since a few months....

[malwarehater]

I´m looking at Spyware Doctor at Download.com and they rated it 5 stars and 95% rating

But the rogue anti-spyware site says..

false positives work as goad to purchase (1); poor scan reporting (1); same app as Spyblocs/eBlocs, Spyinator, SpyKiller 2004, & SpywareThis

spyware doctor not equal spydoctor
download.com said spyhunter sucks

it rated it a two star

[CyberRaptor]

I use Ad-Aware, Spywareblaster, SwatIt Trojan &Bot remover, Norton Antivirus, and the handy little program titled Anti-Virus and Trojan from this site: www.your-soft.com

Edited by CyberRaptor, 09 August 2004 - 11:53 PM.

[suzi]

I´m looking at Spyware Doctor at Download.com and they rated it 5 stars and 95%  rating

But the rogue anti-spyware site says..

false positives work as goad to purchase (1); poor scan reporting (1); same app as Spyblocs/eBlocs, Spyinator, SpyKiller 2004, & SpywareThis

Spyware Doctor is a legitimate program. It's being confused with SpyDoctor, which is on the rogues list.

http://www.spywarewa...nti-spyware.htm

See here:
http://www.spywarewa...opic.php?t=4353

[H@ns]

Thanks suzi! Didn't knew that!

Edited by H@ns, 13 August 2004 - 12:52 AM.

[wyrmrider]

When going to download.com on the right under
MORE DOWNLOADS is their
SPYWARE CENTER
that's where the good stuff is
no ads
no "reviews"

Wyrmrider