spybot search and destroy can i use it with norton and should i use it?

well i was reading this post http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic2520.html and im understanding adding spybot would be a good thing to do but i also have norton 2011. so should i use spybot with norton if so will they have conflicks? or any advice on this. im lost.

As a general rule, using more than one anti-spyware program like Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, SuperAntispyware, Spybot S&D, Ad-Aware, Spyware Terminator, etc. will not conflict with each other or your anti-virus if using only one of them for real-time protection and others as stand-alone scanners. In fact, doing so increases your protection coverage without causing the same kind of conflicts or affecting the stability of your system that can occur when using more than one anti-virus. The overlap of protection from using different signature databases will aid in detection and removal of more threats when scanning your system for malware. However, competing tools may provide redundant alerts which can be annoying and/or confusing as a result of the overlap in protection.

If using multiple real-time resident shields (TeaTimer, Ad-Watch, MBAM Protection Module, Spyware Terminator Shields, etc.) together at the same time, there can be conflicts when each application tries to compete for resources and exclusive rights to perform an action. They may identify the activity of each other as suspicious and produce alerts. Further, your anti-virus may detect suspicious activity while these programs are scanning (reading) files, especially if it uses a heuristic scanning engine, regardless if they are running in real-time or on demand. The anti-virus may even detect as threats, any malware removed by these programs and placed into quarantined areas. This can lead to a repetitive cycle of endless alerts or false alarms that continually warn a threat has been found if the contents of the quarantine folder are not removed before beginning a new security scan.

FYI: mvps.org is no longer recommending Spybot S&D or Ad-Aware due to poor testing results. See here - (scroll down and read under Freeware Antispyware Products). Ad-Aware has even been placed into the Installers Hall of Shame.

Further, most people don't understand Spybot's TeaTimer or how to use it and that feature can cause more problems than it's worth. TeaTimer monitors changes to certain critical keys in Windows registry but does not indicate if the change is normal or a modification made by a malware infection. The user must have an understanding of the registry and how TeaTimer works in order to make informed decisions to allow or deny the detected changes. Additionally, TeaTimer may conflict with other security tools which do a much better job of protecting your computer and even prevent disinfection of malware by those tools.

More effective alternatives are Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and SUPERAntiSpyware Free.

• How to use Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to scan and remove malware from your computer
• How to use SUPERAntiSpyware to scan and remove malware from your computer

ok i asume malwarebytes is the top choice. how do i set it up to not interfear with norton? also do i have to temp shut off norton to run a scan with malwarebytes? i guess i kinda need a walk threw for keeping the 2 from having problems with the other.

im really sorry i feel like a big pain in the butt trying to do all this on my own not knowing much about it.

There should not be any issues with running MBAM alongside of Norton.

I recommend taking advantage of the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Protection Module in the full version which uses advanced heuristic scanning technology to monitor your system and provide real-time protection to prevent the installation of most new malware. This technology runs at startup where it monitors every process and helps stop malicious processes before they can infect your computer. The database that defines the heuristics is updated as often as there is something to add to it. Keep in mind that Malwarebytes does not act as a real-time protection scanner for every file like an anti-virus program so it is intended to be a supplement, not a substitute. Enabling the Protection Module feature requires registration and purchase of a license key that includes free lifetime upgrades and support. After activation, Malwarebytes can be set to update itself and schedule scans automatically on a daily basis. The Protection Module is not intrusive as it utilizes few system resources and should not conflict with other scanners or anti-virus programs. If you choose the free version, you can just use it as a stand-alone scanner. When installing Malwarebytes, it will create an icon in the system tray near the clock. If you right-click on the icon, a menu will open with several options including the ability to disable it from running at startup by unchecking Start with Windows.

When running a scan, its a good practice to temporarily disable all other security programs that may be running, then re-enable afterwards.

awsome every thing seems to be working great right now. so far my computer is clean as can be. thank you very much

just so i dont mess any thing up later on. will malwarebytes ever detect some thing that shouldn't be removed?

Yes, that can happen in rare circumstances but it also can occur with any anti-virus or security program you are using. When it does, you can restore the file from quarantine.

With Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, once the scan is completed, infected files marked for "Remove Selected", are copied, renamed, encrypted and password protected, then sent to the quarantine. The original file is either immediately removed or removed on reboot. While in Quarantine, the copy of the renamed original file is no longer a threat and therefore cannot do any harm. If at a later date you find MBAM removed a legitimate file (known as a false positive), it can be restored from Quarantine by clicking the Restore button. When the quarantined file is known to be malicious, you can delete it at any time by launching the program, going to the Quarantine tab, and choosing the option to delete. If it was a false positive, then you can choose the option to restore the file.

If you suspect false detections, report them to Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Support > False Positives so the Research Team can investigate and make corrections.

ok sounds good. thanks for all the great help.

You're welcome.