Has anyone else had suspicions / problems with Spyware Doctor?

Recently...I installed/ran the most recent version. I had used it a while back...and thought I'd try it again to add it to my line-up of FREE but Good, Well Maintained Spyware/Antivirus tools.

After running it....and it and amazingly finding 31 items (right after AdAware and Spybot had shown completely clean !)....I almost posted back an enthusiastic "heads up/try this"

However, after a quick check for reviews....many users claimed it messed with their systems and may even installed/enabled spyware itself.

Sure enough....Immediately after installing and running it once.....every time I opened up the IE browser, I'd get a Spybot Doctor "warning" pop-up saying that the computer was not "fully protected" and that I may want to purchase the fully functioning version of Spyware Doctor. How nice of them.

Furthermore...several of the user reviews reported that the program returned "false positives". So, I check it out myself.

Sure enough...one of the items it "found" was a keylogger (just about the worse thing you can have). However, when I searched my registry for the items that it claimed were there....I found nothing.

What I suspect is that Spyware Doctor reports serveral items that are not actually there....to make a user think it's really hot stuff. The program is classified as FREE by download.com. It DOES scan and "fix" any "discovered" items. HOWEVER, for the immunize and real-time protection features, you have to pay to register the program. If you don't do that.....surprise...that pop-up occurs until you do.

I did not bother to uninstall the program. I just did a system restore...who know what other "tools" the program dropped off.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks

> Please Support Computing.net -- Report back which suggestions did/didn't help. <

Here is a site that can help you weed out the good from the bad.

Spyware Warrior is horrified to announce... !NEWS! Rogue/Suspect List Hits 200 Apps ! !NEWS!
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm#trustworthy

About three fourths the way down you will see a list of the trusted stuff.

Thanks for that list......Spyware Doctor is indeed on the "Not included in the Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware List"

...but it sure did act suspicious....especially that pop-up it installed to activate every time IE was launched.

That is, at the very least, purposely deceptive behavior for a "free" program...and suggests it is something to be avoided.

> Please Support Computing.net -- Report back which suggestions did/didn't help. <

The 'free' product is simply used to advertise their pay service.
It has to look like it has found trojans etc that other freeware hasn't found otherwise who would pay for it? Which is exactly what it does to try and fool people, if it cant find any it 'invents' some!
Quite frankly their product is not very good anyway so I wouldnt bother with it, you are much better with something like spybot or adware.

Wizard ICT. Microsoft Certified Professional

i've had the same thing happen with spyware doctor. not only does it report false info (but cleans the truely infected stuff too) but it also puts a heavy load on system resources and browsing. I would stay away from it, there are wayyyyyyy better utilities out there.