I gave up on getting Spyware Doctor to work. There must have been an update that Microsoft did that I installed that is keeping it from working properly. Finally got it all the way uninstalled (no traces left

I downloaded Counter Spy (have used it in the past) as a replacement but got an error that Windows Defender had turned off. Error code is 0x800106b5

I started Windows Defender and it stopped half way through a scan and said it was off and that I would manually have to restart it or restart Vista.

I don't know if there has been much of a comparison between the two. Would I do better to leave Windows Defender not open and use Counter Spy or should I dump Counter Spy and look further for some assitance on malware and spyware.

Does anyone have any other software on their machine that is working properly?? Let me know. Thanks!

JazzMahn

I personally would choose Webroot SpySweeper. That is the only 'certified for Vista' antispyware program I know of that works without problems and error messages. Its not free, but it does the trick!

Kim Kommando has a special on her site offering two years for the price of one. It is $39.95 but if it is the only Vista Certified program, I am going to get it. Windows Defender didn't like Counter Spy.

Thanks for the reply. I've already removed Counter Spy from my system.

I have Webroot Antispyware plus Anti-virus. It works beautifully....but I don't have Windows defender running!

Jacee,

I can understand that. I suppose Windows Defender does help in looking for malware and spyware but I don't think it is well enough developed to be of much assistance. I know you can turn it off. If it doesn't conflict with Spy Sweeper, I will probably keep it on. Otherwise, I will turn off Windows Defender!

For what it is worth -

I believe that both Sunbelt Software's CounterSpy and Microsoft Defender have their roots in Giant Software's Anti-spyware program and for a while both were using the same spyware pattern file database.

Either one running as your real time spyware protection should be OK, but no matter what you use as your primary, you still should conduct frequent scans using some other anti-spyware programs, too. No one program is 100% effective.

Just my fwiw.

John you're right. I also have SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard. They're free and both work with Vista too.

SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/products.html
Spyware Guard is a real-time malware scanner
SpywareBlaster tutorial:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/Usi...ware-tut49.html
SpywareGuard tutorial:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/Usi...kers-tut50.html

How much protection is too much protection? I don't know the answer to that, but non of these apps have conflits with each other or Vista.