# Sunbelt Software's CounterSpy..Cave's to WhenU???



## MicroBell (Sep 21, 2004)

*Sunbelts CouterSpy reclassifys most of WhenU's adware to "Ignore" * 

Do I smell a microsoft rat??..hahahaha

Well.

I posted my concerns about this move over at Suzi's blog...http://www.netrn.net/spywareblog/

As expected Alex came to the defense of this move from Sunbelt. I posted a nice writeup on my second reply...but lost it when I forgot to include my e-mail address...Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Anyway...for those that don't know...Sunbelts CounterSpy is basically the old *"Giant AntiSpyware Program"* which is now Microsofts new toy. Sunbelt get's their databases from MS....but also Adds some of their own entrys. The stink is...Sunbelts CouterSpy has also reclassifyed *WHENU* in it's database and set it to *"Ignore". * While the program still detects and flags the worst program from WhenU (Save!/Savenow) it will flag the others as "Ignore"

After reading through the blogs....there seams to be very few analyst other then Suzi, Eric, and Alex defending this move. Most are confused and sad that sunbelt has made this move.

More info be found here... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13953597

And here...http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2005/07/whenu-change-in-counterspy-database.html

*Note*

*Alex* <--CEO and Owner of SunbeltSoftware and CounterSpy

*Suzi
Eric * <-- Both spyware fighters...but also consultants for Sunbelt.

**Conflict of Interest IMO on their stance and statements**


----------



## jgvernonco (Sep 13, 2003)

Evolution is very interesting, as it is usualy an historian who gets to decide if the actions at the time were right or wrong.

The reason that it is so important to watch over one's business practices is that one oops wipes out 30 attaboys.

WhenU, Claria, and others, have been built, literally, with some very bad business practices. I do not trust that, when the quarterly or annual earnings are down, they won't fire up the old network. Only time will chnage my assessment.

When they have been "clean" for as long as they were "dirty", then I that they should be "reclassified". If everyone did it that way, it would create a certain legal defensability that would protect all who use the policy.

The rogue companies probably could not survive this, but my heart does not go out to them.

As for MS; they have purchased a migraine which should keep their legal team up into the night for quite some time.

Frankly, both antispyware programs qualify as rogue, and should be listed as such.


----------



## mimo2005 (Oct 2, 2004)

do you think there will be a possibility in the future that hijackthis can voluntarly skip some lines of "Whenu" in order to *not* fix it ....?


----------



## MicroBell (Sep 21, 2004)

mimo2005 said:


> do you think there will be a possibility in the future that hijackthis can voluntarly skip some lines of "Whenu" in order to *not* fix it ....?



No. Basically HJT is a registry editor and contains no database that can be adjusted by the user. That said...I'm sure the code could be changed to overlook certain keys...but I don't they could adjust it for individual programs. So their would be no way to design it...to overlook certain applications while flagging others for removal.


----------



## RavenMind (Mar 8, 2005)

Interesting blog MB. Can't wait to read your post to Eric's reply! :laugh:


----------



## greyknight17 (Jul 1, 2004)

> Frankly, both antispyware programs qualify as rogue, and should be listed as such.


John, are you referring to MS Antispyware and CounterSpy?


----------



## jgvernonco (Sep 13, 2003)

Hi, Kev! Yep, that what I was saying.


----------



## RavenMind (Mar 8, 2005)

If they're both working of the same flawed set of definitions then what's the point in using them. Especially when there are better programs & companies out there dedicated to getting rid of this crapware. It's too bad MS is such a sell out, I heard Giant's program was pretty good before they hocked it. :4-dontkno


----------



## MicroBell (Sep 21, 2004)

greyknight17 said:


> John, are you referring to MS Antispyware and CounterSpy?


Both these...are the same product. *"Giant's AntiSpyware Program"* They look the same..scan the same...and use the same databases. Only Counterspy...adds to that database were as MS does not.

Counterspy had a deal with Giant...at the time MS bought it..so they get free database updates from MS for I think the next few years.


----------



## greyknight17 (Jul 1, 2004)

I just added MSAS to my list of programs to run also. :sad: 

It still catches other things that Ad-aware and Spybot might miss right? I would say leave it in. If anything, the other two or HijackThis will catch them. Just my 2 cents...


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Well this news cetainly put some poop in my punchbowl !!!! I loved counterspy / it picked up ALOT of spyware others didnt and does a great job of blocking too !!! Doesnt that figure MS would be at the base of falling what was a great product !! Although you cant depend on only one spyware removal tool, counterspy was the closest to a one horse show!! I was under the impression that sunbelt was resisting the evil temptation of MS 

that really SUX

joe


----------



## MicroBell (Sep 21, 2004)

Interesting "Tidbit" for this story. Eric Howes did a test of 12 well known antispyware products on several Adware/Spyware programs. After so much fuss over CounterSpy downgrading it's classifaction of this *WhenU* adware have a look at these results..

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/elh/whenu-detections.htm

Notice something? Since *ONLY* *CounterSpy* and *Microsofts* product (Same program..remember) have some of these products listed as *(I)* Ignore and the other guys have them listed as *X/Q* (Remove/Quarantine) that must mean the other 10 guys are just wrong and have no clue what they are doing....correct? :mblah: 

Hahaha...what a joke!!

This leaves both CounterSpy and MS's product with no foot to stand on and both are blowing smoke out their butt's hopeing users will not notice. :4-surpris


----------

