Online Spyware scanner...Is it fake

[StupidGenius]

Numerous online spyware scanners find spyware on my pc that I can find absolutely no trace of. They even list executables and registry listings where the supposed spyware is. I searched both the harddisk and the registry to no avail. Is this just a fake result to fool us into buying their software. Scanners used was Zonealarm, Trendmicro and CA. None of these have the same results.

In all fareness to Trendmicro it did not find any serious problems only cookies. Its the other two I don't trust.

I consider myself a power user and did an extensive search through the registry finding nothing.

If these companies use fake results to get us to buy their products I will go out of my way to not support them. Anyone else had the same "problem"?

[snooker]

Hi ... Have a view at this site below

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

....

[Phippy]

I use TrendMicro on a regular basis, and I've had no problems with them. So no, I don't think TrendMicro is trying to trick you into buying their "service".

As for the others, I don't know.

One thing about anti-spyware programs; don't put a ton of faith in the free ones. I saw a so called study that showed Microsoft Defender scored best in the free software category by removing 68% of the spyware known to be there. AdAware came in at 49%. That's just an FYI, it surprised me and it's totally irrelevant.

Are you experiencing any problems, or are you just being contientious?

[F A B Scott]

I use Trendmicro and I know Zonealarm is a reputable company - you can get free stuff from both so I'm sure they wouldn't be trying to con you into buying their programs.
CA I've not heard of - is that the full name?

[StupidGenius]

Thanks for the replies

I'm just plain paranoid. Always checking everything.
CA = Computer Associates, apparently big, but rarely heard of.

To clarify I don't question these companies trustworthiness, but rather their possible fake result to convince me to buy their products. This is the online scanner that upon completion suggest that I buy their software to remove the problem that I can't find with manual search.

[F A B Scott]

You can run free online scans with Trendmicro. And there are plenty other free malware protection programs around so no need to purchase anything anyway.