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   MSGID: 1928.consprcy@1:2320/105 2dc4fa33   
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   PID: Synchronet 3.21a-Linux master/123f2d28a Jul 12 2025 GCC 12.2.0   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.28-Linux master/123f2d28a Jul 12 2025 GCC 12.2.0   
   BBSID: CAPCITY2   
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   FORMAT: flowed   
   RR>> What is a good free tool to detect and remove spyware these days?   
     >> Way back when it was SpyBot - Search and Destroy, but looking at that   
   packa   
     >> again the free version seems to be cumbersome and in the end largely   
   useles   
      
   MP>Hopefully someone else will answer as my experience with owning a Windows   
     >machine is several years old now.   
      
   MP>> -- You also have to love the fact that Microsoft has left access to   
     >> notifications largely open and I find people left and right who are taken   
   b   
     >> the random "McAffee" or other anti-virus warnings that their system is   
     >> infected.  They don't even have these packages installed on their systems.   
      
   MP>I saw similar things to this in the past.  In some cases, it was something   
     >that persisted after a "free trial" came installed on a new system and was   
     >later removed after the trial was over.  I have also seen them come up as   
     >browser pop-ups initiated on websites and, as you pointed out, sometimes   
     >just randomly.   
      
   It looks like these programs are still available for Windows 11.   
   The computer I use daily, I let the Windows Defender and Firewall   
   do what it can but to those I added 2 other services I've used   
   for decades, and I've not had a virus on my computers since 1999..   
      
   Spyware Blaster modifies your Registry blocking the places   
   where Viruses and such install their commands to do harm..   
   This one has to be updated regularly to keep on top of things.   
      
   And WinPatrol keeps an eye on the system files to make sure   
   nothing is trying to alter those files to load anything when   
   booting and such..   
      
   I have had warnings, often not necessary since I was changing   
   settings or installing things myself but, better safe than sorry..   
      
   I've always just used the free versions of these as well..   
      
   I do keep the Defender Database up to date every few days and   
   it runs a quick check looking for problems and, for what it's   
   worth, I have not had a warning of an actual Virus trying to   
   install itself on my system in years..   
      
   There are still some anti-virus programs with a less fancy   
   free version that doesn't expire (I think) but it's a while   
   since I've added on one of those,   
      
   All that said, finding nasty things is often highly dependent   
   on the web sites you visit and, other than infotmation sites,   
   I don't go to the more dangerous sites anymore so I'm less   
   likely to run into that..   
      
   Oh, and my browser (Opera) also blocks a lot of stuff, ads and   
   pop-ups and trackers, acting almost like a VPN (and if I need   
   more protection it has an actual basic VPN built into it).   
   I know that it is working fairly well since a lot of sites   
   refuse to allow me access since they can't break into my   
   system to find info on me or send me ads and trackers and such..   
      
   The version I have on my (Win 7) computer is older and doesn't   
   keep track but I also run Opera on my Android phone and since   
   installed it's blocked over 23,600 ads and killed 73,400 trackers.   
      
   ---   
    * SLMR Rob  * Common sense is instinct.  Enough of it is Genius   
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