Ad-Aware:

I'm going to be starting from scratch on a new laptop, and I was planning on using Ad-Aware Free. I still have my old installation .exe for Ad-Aware SE Version 1.0.6 (though when I start the installed program, it says it's Version 1.06r1). But the .exe file is called "aawsepersonal.exe". It is 2.72megs.

While I can't download the definitions through the program itself (because of some server thing Ad-Aware changed), I can manually download the definitions from here: http://www.lavasoft.com/support/securitycenter/blog/

Questions:

1. Is the .exe I've still got called 1.0.6 the same thing as the version I'm using, which is called 1.06r1? (I think it is, as I don't think I ever updated the program itself through the updater within the program, but I'm not positive...)

2. Is my installation .exe the same one that's shown here:
http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=adaware

...the one listed as Ad-Aware 1.06 (3 megs), but just has a different name and slightly different size?

3. So the consensus seems to be around these parts that I'm better off just installing this old version on my new laptop than getting the new AdAware 2007, right? (I realize that's what's been said, but I want to make sure this also holds true for this 1.0.6 installation .exe I've got and if it's the same as the 3meg one at that link which is called Ad-Aware 1.06...)

Spybot:

I've still got my old installation .exe for Spybot 1.4 called "Spybot14.exe" -- Properties says it's 4.8megs. When I go to the Spybot website, it looks like it's the same file, called the same thing, and at the same size. However, I know there was a new part of the program added recently as an update (I can't remember what it was called).

4. I'm wondering if that new part is now part of the download .exe, or is it still the same file I've got (and I can just use the old installation .exe I've got now) and that new part and any other updates from the last x-number of months will show up when I update the program within the program after installing it?

5. Or should I just redownload the .exe?

Thanks!

1. aawsepersonal.exe was the last version of Ad-aware before they came out with the latest version.
When installed it will show as Ad-Aware SE Personal, Build 1.06r1
That's the one, you'll want to use.

2. I downloaded the program, and the executable is named adaware106.exe.
Can't tell if it's the same as aawsepersonal.exe, but they're the same size, 2.72 MB.

3. See #1


Regarding Spybot, I'd download a fresh copy, and install that.
It will be the most up-to-date installation.

Thanks for replies. I'll redownload Spybot and use my currect Ad-Aware SE executable ("aawsepersonal.exe") since it sounds like it's the same thing.

(And, honestly, I wasn't trying to hijack that other thread... I saw it after I started my own thread, so I thought I'd post the stuff pertaining to that thread there as well. Sorry if that wasn't kosher.)

Thanks!

I just downloaded Ad-Aware SE Build 1.06r1 from Softpedia, and the file is almost twice the size (4.62 MB).

Ad-Aware SE Personal 1.06r1 (Updated)
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Popu...-Personal.shtml

It does say "(Updated)", so maybe that's why? I know that on my current version (which is the version we were talking about further above, that was 2.72MB) the updater stopped working, and this was an issue that many people were having (I think it had something to do with IP addresses and Earthlink and servers or something). Perhaps this "Updated" version fixed that? It does say that it was uploaded to Softpedia on April 4th, 2007. But it's the same program, right?

1. So which version should I use? My old 2.72 MB version (that I can't update automatically, but have to download the updates from the Lavasoft site and put them in the Ad-Aware folder) or the "updated" 4.62 MB version that *may* have fixed that issue?

2. Would it really take another 2 MB to fix that issue...?!

3. Either way, even the "updated" version would be completely different from the Ad-Aware 2007 that is giving many users problems, right?

4. If I do use the "updated" version on the new laptop, and it's problematic (not sure what that would be though?), is it easily uninstalled and I can just install the older 2.72 MB version instead on the new laptop?

5. I downloaded it from this link:
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/AdAw...load-13916.html

...and chose the Softpedia Secure Download (RO) download link (because the US one was going REALLY slow). That's okay, right? What is "RO"?

Thanks!

1. Since your older version doesn't update, I'd try the newer version (4.62 MB)
Nothing to lose by trying it.

2. Depends on what the "issues" were.

3. The Updated version is 4.62 MB, while the new version (Ad-Aware 2007) is 17.3 MB.
That would lead me to believe, they were not the same program.

4. It would uninstall like any other program.
Either use Add/Remove Programs, or the uninstaller located in the Program Files folder, if available.

5. The little flag icon, looks like the flag of Romania.

Thanks, tg!

Well, I guess Romania should be just as safe as the US if it's through Softpedia, eh? Does it matter where around the world you download stuff from if the main/original site says it's safe/spyware-free/etc.?

As long as your AV doesn't flag it, when it's scanned after downloading, it should be OK.

Hmmm... Well, I've got AVG Free A/V right now, but I never notice that it's scanning any downloads when they're done. Does it do it and you just don't notice? Is there a setting I need to make sure I have so it does this?

Or do you just mean me manually scanning it with AVG A/V free after the downloads complete? That I do all the time!

I'm referring to, manually scanning.

Then they should be good to go!

Though I just downloaded Comodo BOClean Anti-Malware and the download says it's 1.16 MB when I right-click it. But the website says the program is 1.34 MB. Why the difference? Anything possibly the matter here?

The download itself is 1.16 the .18 MB difference is the download header info, to get it to your machine via the download process.

Roger that, thanks!

Well, although I'm almost positive that I actually did scan this two days ago when I downloaded it -- but now AVG A/V Free flags it as a trojan! Huh--?!

I don't want to double-post, so please go to this thread for details and let me know what you think:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic103489.html

Thanks!

Man, it's one thing after another...