Another AVG 8 observation

Annie Woughman

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Jul 26, 2008, 3:57:13 PM7/26/08

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When installing AVG 8.0.138, (minus the toolbar and email scanning) it
arbitrarilly uninstalls the AVG Anti-spyware, with the pretence that AVG 8
includes an anti-spyware function. It might have it, but it doesn't work on
the free version. I found that out by checking the history. All scans
showed no spyware found and none removed. I have since re-installed AVG
anti-spyware 7.51.43 and found and removed the usual spyware. Both programs
work great--they just have to be updated and run separately.

Victek

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Jul 27, 2008, 12:24:15 AM7/27/08

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What is the "usual spyware" is AVG AS 7.51.43 finding that AVG 8.0 does not?

Annie Woughman

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Jul 27, 2008, 2:30:59 AM7/27/08

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"Victek" <Vic...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:g6gt9k$3i0$1...@registered.motzarella.org...

Mostly tracking cookies: Atdmt, Casalemedia, Coremetrics, Doubleclick,
Hitbox, Mediaplex, Realmedia, Tribalfusion, etc. Cookies like this show up
on every daily scan, but they weren't with just AVG 8--it kept reporting
none found and none removed. After several days of running daily scans of
AVG alone, I installed AVG Anti-spyware and had 36 tracking cookies (this
was 30 minutes after the AVG Anti-virus had finished scanning.)

Beauregard T. Shagnasty

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Jul 27, 2008, 7:33:45 AM7/27/08

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Annie Woughman wrote:

Ah, as I thought when reading your original post. Cookies. Cookies
aren't malicious spyware, they are just annoying. Why not set your
browser to simply ignore them in the first place?

Use a HOSTS file as well.

--
-bts
-Friends don't let friends drive Windows

Annie Woughman

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Jul 27, 2008, 1:22:36 PM7/27/08

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"Beauregard T. Shagnasty" <a.non...@example.invalid> wrote in message
news:g6hmep$sca$1...@registered.motzarella.org...

My browser is set to block third-party cookies that do no have a compact
privacy policy, etc. but if I move it up a notch, then I am not able to
properly access my banking information or credit card sites.

> Use a HOSTS file as well.

I don't know how to do that. Can you explain it to me? Would it get around
the cookie problem at banking sites with the browser set to high?

Beauregard T. Shagnasty

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Jul 27, 2008, 6:10:39 PM7/27/08

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Annie Woughman wrote:

> "Beauregard T. Shagnasty" wrote:

>> Annie Woughman wrote:
>>> Mostly tracking cookies: Atdmt, Casalemedia, Coremetrics,
>>> Doubleclick, Hitbox, Mediaplex, Realmedia, Tribalfusion, etc.
>>> Cookies like this show up on every daily scan, but they weren't
>>> with just AVG 8--it kept reporting none found and none removed.
>>> After several days of running daily scans of AVG alone, I installed
>>> AVG Anti-spyware and had 36 tracking cookies (this was 30 minutes
>>> after the AVG Anti-virus had finished scanning.)
>>
>> Ah, as I thought when reading your original post. Cookies. Cookies
>> aren't malicious spyware, they are just annoying. Why not set your
>> browser to simply ignore them in the first place?
>
> My browser is set to block third-party cookies that do no have a
> compact privacy policy, etc. but if I move it up a notch, then I am
> not able to properly access my banking information or credit card
> sites.

Most modern browsers allow you do block by domain. If you are using
Internet Explorer, you might want to look into a modern browser. Firefox
and Opera are good choices.

>> Use a HOSTS file as well.
>
> I don't know how to do that. Can you explain it to me? Would it get
> around the cookie problem at banking sites with the browser set to
> high?

This should help:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm