I tried Giant’s spyware removal tool once, and I liked it. It found and removed stuff that Ad-aware, and Spybot could not. I would’ve kept Giant, but I just couldn’t justify the cost at the time.

Ah, but the question for me is will the Microsoft software have the inbuilt capability to disable competing software on the PCs it’s installed on…

I wonder about some kind of network setup, allowing for the employer’s own spyware to NOT be detected.  Or maybe MS will sell MS Spyware to their business clients along with the Anti-spyware, to keep tabs on the employees who think they’re not being spied upon.

Dunno, but quite a few of us are rather upset that Giant was sold to M$. I happen to use Giant Antispyware as my main spyware cleaning tool (along with CWS Shredder, Hijack This, Pest Patrol Corporate, Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware Pro SE) and am not at all thrilled at the prospect of M$ turning a good program into yet another botched bloatware piece of crap.

Actually, if M$ is smart they’ll just make this a division of their company and let them continue to do what they do best without insisting that they add anything the group doesn’t feel is necessary to it. If it’s a good enough product that M$ felt it was worth buying the company then you’d think they’d recognize that the folks involved in it are doing a good job. If M$ is supportive and gives these folks only what they ask for then it could continue to be a great product.

if M$ is smart

Uh-oh, I feel the monkeys getting ready to take flight…

I don’t think it’s possible for a company that big to not have at least one exec who just absolutely MUST fuck with an acquisition.  Having worked for a small software company with a strong, high end product sold to a large software firm, execs get their nipples hard by thinking about all the redundancies they can eliminate. Even if it fucks things up, like it did us.

Our clients LOVED our tech support b/c they would help with ANY computer problem(hey, they pay at least a few grand every year for the software).  It went to India. 

One could hope, Les, but I don’t think it’ll happen.

Also, Microsoft is quite well-known for tampering with anything they get their mitts on. Still a sham that we have to pay for programs to remedy problems caused ultimately by them and their programming skills, or lack thereof to begin with

Just tried it!

(You also need to see the video. Is the “Stupid woman” in it related to “Stupid Evil Bastard”?)

It’s nice. The UI has some rough edges, but it’s easier to use than SBS&D, my previous choice. I’d certainly recommend it to non-techie types.

And good for Microsoft for doing something about spyware!