I read good things about Microsoft Antispyware/Windows Defender, but it is still in beta. Should non-techies use it? Kathy Arnold
Microsoft obtained this program as a going concern by buying Giant Antispyware in December 2004, and it has been rewritten to form part of Windows Vista. Its main claim to fame is that it monitors parts of Windows for changes that could indicate the presence of spyware. However, it doesn't catch everything, so it is still worth running Spybot Search & Destroy and/or Adaware from time to time. Warning: the beta Windows Defender has the option to automatically remove anything it doesn't like without asking for your consent. Ticking the box that says "Apply actions on detected items during scanning" is potentially dangerous.
