[SOLVED] Need Advice: SAS or MBAM - which is best?

I've been thinking for over a week on purchasing a second layer of protection for both of my computers. Today, I received an offer on Newegg a special offer for the OEM version of MBAM for $14.99 w/free shipping (with promo code). This would have protected both computers (by buying 2 programs). However, during my usual problem of indecision (I second guess purchases now, mainly from being burned), the deal sold out.

I run both of the free versions, during my last update with SAS, I was offered a 2 user pack for $14.99, with lifetime upgrades for an additional $9.95. SAS has caught many things (ad cookies, trojans, etc) that any AV that I've ever ran missed.

There has been debate, even on this forum, as to MBAM's effectiveness on 64 bit Windows (which also played a part in my indecision). However, MBAM is effective in Win 7 64 bit, even if it is limited. I can see the x64 files scanning by during my weekly scan, which by chance, produces nothing. The only time that MBAM intercepted anything for me was on my old Dell notebook that caught that very nasty infection last year. And that's good, meaning that (hopefully) I have 2 clean computers.

However, SAS does find things, even though they may seem small (or benign). I'm looking for a product that will work beside of my AV (ESET NOD32), both MBAM & SAS are reported to work well, even in "live" mode, with other AV/IS solutions.

And if anyone has personal knowledge, if I were to buy the 2 user pack of SAS, would the extra purchase of 1 lifetime key be good for both? I'd assume yes, as the key is the same, but assuming things can lead one down the wrong path.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cat

Definitely Mbam. With that and Eset AV, in a three month "trial" of the free SAS, SAS only removed a couple of tracking cookies. I decided that CC can take care of those and I'd rather have the (very meagre) disk space back for,,, I dunno, a short adult sport video?

I figured that CCleaner would delete these cookies also, but it doesn't, and I run it to delete all temp internet files, cookies, thumbnails, preferred sites, etc on a nightly basis.

Yet this morning, 10 ad cookies were found. Plus evidently, CCleaner doesn't delete all of IE's stored info, although I have all options checked to clean it. Whenever I open IE9, and click onto my Hotmail shortcut, my username is always there. This was also the case with my TechNet account, which also used my Windows Live ID to sign in.

I really wish it was simple as a quick run with CCleaner to delete all browser history, including cookies, but it doesn't always work that way.

Cat

For the time being, I went with SAS. The deal that I got was a 2 user package of the Pro version for $14.99, and the lifetime support (which includes all new versions & updates) for an additional $9.95. SAS is a worthy program to have, as it's removed quite a few ad cookies & some trojans from both my desktop & my old Dell notebook. It's worth the price for lifetime support.

Using a coupon that I found through a Bing search (friend), this reduced the cost of the lifetime support option. Since the 2 user pack of Pro was already discounted, they wouldn't allow an additional reduction on it.

The total cost for 2 computers, lifetime, was $22.91. Next month, I'll keep my eyes out for a similar MBAM sale (like the one Newegg had). I already have a discount code that's still good (XJA-9V9-YTF) which knocked down the cost to $38.16 for 2 computers (lifetime upgrades/updates), but am looking for a even better price. But unless a really killer deal is there, I'll wait until next month before purchasing it.

With this type of spyware/malware coverage, I may be able to skip the renewal of ESET next year, and go with one of the several AV/IS solutions that offers 6 months for free, or if I can't find a discounted price for ESET (I plan to go with total IS next time, not just the AV), then Avast has excellent prices for their IS plan.

Once the trial version is installed, they'll offer a heavy discount to keep the customer. And unlike many others, Avast offers up to a 3 year plan. Plus, Avast has been in the top few of AV Comparatives list (3 Star rating) for several years. In fact, Avast has been there for longer than any of the others on that list.

Cat

I would have chosen SAS as well. I know that MBAM receives rave reviews here, as well as on several other tech forums, but from my experience running it every day, I am not convinced that it is even AS effective as SAS, let alone superior to it in terms of results.

SAS has found malware/spyware on my OS (Win7 64-bit) that MBAM completely overlooked. On top of that, I have recently noticed that MBAM's "Full" scan makes my HDD chatter way more than it ever used to do, which makes me suspicious as to what MBAM is digging so deeply into my OS for. I understand that it is scanning for malware, but the full scan never used to make the kind of noise it now does, so something in their latest database updates is probing a little too deeply for my liking. It may be nothing, but I just don't like that it pulls that hard on my HDD during the scanning process. SAS never does that and IMO is a far superior scanning tool than MBAM, so it gets my vote as to which program to purchase.

Just my two cents, Cat.

Cat. Don't waste your money on the paid version of either. You already have Eset. Continue using the 2 free versions. As far as tracking cookies, the reason CCleaner doesn't remove them is because, in essence they're malware. They track what you do and report that back to whomever. In my opinion SUPERAntiSpyware find's and handles them, while Mbam and MSE completely miss them.

brkkab, I've already purchased the Pro edition of SAS, a 2 user license with lifetime upgrades/updates. It's set to scan daily and remove any infections, but not reboot on it's own. CCleaner can't seem to take care of these kind of things (ad & tracking cookies, and some trojans), so now I have a program that will.

Plus I have "live" protection against these type of threats, no matter how minor they may appear to be. Who knows, the big one may try to slide in some day, and hopefully, I'll be protected.

But I doubt that I'll purchase MBAM. I already have a couple of boot discs to clean infections if needed.

Cat

Cat. For ads purchase AdMuncher. I don't remeber what it cost's, but it works in all web browsers, except maybe Safari. I do know it works in IE, FF, Opera and Chrome. It's a must have now since IE 9 came out and they took away the ability of adding the IE version of the Adblock Plus scripts. Also, Ed Bott did a test with IE 9 and Chrome. IE 9 blocks malware and Chrome let it on your pc. IE 9's Protected Mode blocked it. I wish he would've tested FF 4, as that's my go to browser. If I install Chrome, I usually ditch it within a day or two. Until Google get's DownThemAll as an extension. They can keep it. As far as CCleaner and tracking cookies. Try running it in Safe Mode. Still I doubt CCleaner will remove them, as tracking cookies are malware. If you use Easy Duplicate Finder, which is a good program with 1 exception. Every time they post an update for it. The update always has a tracking cookie. That's even if you uncheck the 3 boxes for the Ask b.s. It's sad when you buy software and they put tracking cookies in it. As far as your USB 3 backup drive. Temprarily disable your ESET and SUPERAntiSpyware, until the driver is installed and restart and try it. Then re-eanble ESET & SUPERAntiSpyware. With driver's, it's a must to disable security app's until the driver's are installed. I doubt your WD Caviar Blue has any jumpers, as Caviar Blue's are sata drive's only ide/eide drive's have jumper's. If it still doesn't work you may need a USB 2.0 enclosure for that specific drive. After all, if anything it's a Sata 2 or 3, not a Sata 6.

Cat - just because you're so super-paranoid does not mean they're out to get you!

I'm not as bad as I used to be, a year ago, my computers were scanning more than anything else.

Having "live" protection gives me a comfort level to where I don't need to be worried about security all of the time. The programs that I do have, does short scans daily. Not to mention the endless routine of manually scanning with one product every day. This may have been overkill, but when all I read is about sites busted into & customers data stolen, and about impending "zero-day" attacks, combined with my very untrusting nature, I did what I felt was necessary.

Still, I use an online scanner such as the new Microsoft Safety Scanner once monthly to do a full scan with, and once monthly with MBAM. A couple of full scans with these products doesn't hurt anything, isn't overkill, and with what I do have, makes my computing life a lot easier & worry free.

Cat