[musicman2059]

Yes, even this one, has me stumped and exasperated.

My mother has both Ad-Aware SE and Norton AntiVirus 2004/5. (I'm not 100% sure on which version) She says that every time she tries to run a spyware scan, Norton detects a virus along the lines of W32.SpyBot within the files that Ad-Aware places in C:\WINDOWS\temp and deletes them, causing Ad-Aware to stop.

At first, it was workaround-able by disabling Norton's real-time protection while running a spyware scan, but eventually it started picking the virus up even when real-time wasn't on.

I tried introducing her to SpyBot, but she complained "it was too complicated." (Right...) She also can't use Microsoft AntiSpyware because the system is only Win98SE.

What's a poor boy to do?

[l3lueMage]

download spyware Doctor, its like a 15 day trial, but if u want I can give u my serial number to last forever...its easy to use also and scans stuff and other junk...it works fine for me, (note I have mcafee virus scan) but ya try it.

http://www.download.com/Spyware-Doctor/300...4-10377263.html

[musicman2059]

As I've said. My mother wants Ad-Aware and only Ad-Aware, so the only way through this is to fix it.

[l3lueMage]

ooo, whats wrong with SD :S, well did u try contacting Norton?! or something...I mean SD is prob easier to use :) but um ya, if she gonna be picky like that only way to fix it is, contact norton or ad-aware.

[musicman2059]

I've tried Lavasoft, and they've got jack squat on this, so I go to Norton. Norton unfortunately has nothing on this either.

[l3lueMage]

try contacting them, I know McAfee has Live online support...

[TobiasMar]

Well, Windows 98SE is a mostly obsolete OS nowadoys, I recomend you rather get a new computer with Windows XP or buy the Windows XP software CD. Otherwise, I dont even know if theres a way to fix this. Exept, use Microsoft AntiSpyware when you get Windows XP. I wonder why your mother is so stubborn about ad-aware when its really a w32.SpyBot virus...

[Nobody]

I think it might be because the Ad-Aware execution file might use coding very similar to what is detected as "W32.Spybot" (because you said it tends to detect it while Ad-Aware is running, right?) on Norton Antivirus. Try configuring the Norton AntiVirus settings.

[TobiasMar]

Well, maybe Ad-Aware is actually a Spytbot virus diguised as an anti-adware program, no offence.

[~RangerOfFire~]

Or you have a version of Ad-Aware that is fake and puts crap on your pc.

[musicman2059]

It shouldn't be fake; it was downloaded straight off of Lavasoft. I've tried toying around with Norton but to no avail.

I did find what was wrong, though. With AV realtime protection off, it doesn't detect a virus but Ad-Aware just stops where the virus would be detected anyways. Could Norton quarantining this file have any effect?