Malwarebytes and Superantispyware

Hi folks,for the past couple of years I have run the free versions of Malwarebytes and Superantispyware on demand as well as the N360.I have not had a single virus or infection in that time.It was the experts on this board who suggested running these programs.I'm really just looking for an updated opinion about this.Is this still the best option or has another security program worth considering or even to replace?Thank you.

I didn't know you can run other programs with Norton 360?  I contacted customer support once about running programs like CCleaner, Malwarebyte's and Superantispyware WITH Norton 360, but they told me not to.  Not sure what's going on here. 

Hi folks,for the past couple of years I have run the free versions of Malwarebytes and Superantispyware on demand as well as the N360.I have not had a single virus or infection in that time.It was the experts on this board who suggested running these programs.I'm really just looking for an updated opinion about this.Is this still the best option or has another security program worth considering or even to replace?Thank you.

Thanks Delphinium,that's what I needed to know.Chris,the fact is that N360 can't handle everything on it's own and either can any other security.The Malwarebytes and Superantispyware that I mentioned are both the free versions and are "on demand" scanners.They do not conflict with N360 and I usually do a full scan with both on a weekly basis.Naturally Norton support will not admit to this but it is the reality.

 

Hi Chris101,

 

Any security programs that run in real time will conflict with Norton.  Malwarebytes' and SUPERAntiSpyware both have paid versions that would create problems.  The free versions only run on demand and would be safe to use.  Ccleaner and Norton 360's PC Tuneup feature are similar.

i was told by by a tech that you do not need malwarebutes or anto superspware if u are using norton 360   norton 360 it the best it scored number 1 as the all in one security suites look up at www.pcworld.com... 


blakeny1 wrote:

i was told by by a tech that you do not need malwarebutes or anto superspware if u are using norton 360   norton 360 it the best it scored number 1 as the all in one security suites look up at www.pcworld.com... 


True, PC World rated N360 as the best "ALL IN ONE Security Suite".  However MBAM and SAS are not suites.  You are comparing apples and oranges! :smileywink:

 

 


Chris101 wrote:

I didn't know you can run other programs with Norton 360?  I contacted customer support once about running programs like CCleaner, Malwarebyte's and Superantispyware WITH Norton 360, but they told me not to.  Not sure what's going on here. 



The free versions of those all only run if you command them to so they don't conflict with N360. Norton Support will have given you a safe correct answer for the majority of users.

 

Norton 360 does contain the functions that CCleaner has for cleaning up your hard drive, like deleting temp files etc, (and so does Windows itself) and iN360 has a module for cleaning up the registry as does CCleaner so it's a valid recommendation unless there is some special, technical reason for doing something one way rather than another.

 

Cleaning up the registry, whether by Norton or anything else, is a dangerous operation that is more likely to be harmful unless carried out by an expert, or under the one on one direction of an expert, to deal with a specific situation. But using it like a feather duster has resulted, in my experience in support work, in too many plaintful messages "I cleaned up my Windows and got rid of a lot of stuff that's not needed and now it won't start up -- what shall I do?"

 

MWB and SAS are useful aucilliary tools as stated here if you think something may have infected you since it is often easier to design an application to remove known infections than it is to design one to stop as yet unknown ones which is what NIS and other active security software has to do.

 

So my advice would be to concentrate on your N 360 (but don't run it's Registry Cleaner unless you have a known problem and a competent technician says to do it) and only hold CCleaner, MBW and SAS as something in reserve for use when you know they can do what needs to be done.

 

Of MBW and SAS both are good but I've read that SAS may have a more invasive side effect on the system than MBW so MBW is first choice. And the Free versions every time.

I use Malwarebytes on demand and it runs perfectly on every machine I've put it on....with no conflict whatsoever with Norton 360, which is also on all my machines.  As others have suggested, I would not purcahse the "full verstion" of MWB as it runs in the background and could very well interfere with Norton 360. 

 

Incidentally, contrary to what has already been stated,  I run Norton 360's registry cleanup in every computer I own (four of them and  I am no expert with the computers' registry) without any problems whatsoever.


nyrxman wrote:

 

[ ... ]

 

Incidentally, contrary to what has already been stated,  I run Norton 360's registry cleanup in every computer I own (four of them and  I am no expert with the computers' registry) without any problems whatsoever.



I'm glad to hear it -- my own experience did not apparently cause a problem perhaps because I followed the link to see what it had done and could see the mistake it made:

 

It found a link in the registry to a file at location that did not exist and corrected it by linking it to that file that it found at a different address ..... unfortunately that location was on a different disk drive and belonged to a different version of Windows!

 

Entries in the registry that point at something not there and found with cleaners rarely cause problem in practice because most often they are there because an application was uninstalled, removing the files but not that entry in the registry. Since the files were not there nothing was going to ask where they were, access the link in the registry and break anything!

 

But those entries are typical of things that the registry cleaners may remove and boast about how much they have cleaned out! Big Deal!

 

That was just my own personal experience and as I said it did not break anything but I do support on line elsewhere and I can assure you that time and again a problem request begins by "I cleaned up my Windows installation and removed a lot of stuff that is not needed and now .... "

 

Cricket Umpires are taught: "When in doubt, say Not Out" and that's a good policy for dealing with computers and why I say you need to know more than the utility does or you can't know whether to let it do something or not. And if it does not present you with a list of things it has found wrong and ask if you want to deal with them in the way specifically suggested then I don't want to use it.