Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?
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KoRnGtL15 @ 6th Nov 08:10PM:
Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

I was wondering by using that combination. Can it cause the internet to run slower when browsing? I would imagine between the 2. Duplicate entries might be involved? Currently using both. Do you advise keeping it that way or just use 1 of them?
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ltsnow @ 6th Nov 08:38PM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

I have always used both and never had a slow down. Now I only use MVPS Hosts because the other seems redundant.
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KoRnGtL15 @ 6th Nov 10:24PM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

I guess that is what I was pretty much getting at. If it seems redundant or not to be using both.
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siljaline @ 6th Nov 11:17PM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

No issues here using both, have done for years.
Using the MVPS HOSTS File you must disable your DNS Client, as per screenshot.

don1p2 @ 6th Nov 11:56PM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

One of the things that Spywareblaster does is to add a bunch....I think its up to about 10000...of sites, to the Internet Explorer Restricted Sites Zone. Which effectively neuters most malicious activity that may occur on those sites, while still allowing access.

Starting with IE 8 I found that the addition of a lot of sites into the Restricted Zone would make IE intorarably slow. At this point I had to discontinue use of IE-SPYAD.

The use of a custom Hosts file block list, like the MVPS, prevents access to a malicious site entirely...that's a whole different ballgame.
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Mele20 @ 7th Nov 02:08AM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

said by KoRnGtL15 :

I was wondering by using that combination. Can it cause the internet to run slower when browsing? I would imagine between the 2. Duplicate entries might be involved? Currently using both. Do you advise keeping it that way or just use 1 of them?

They do two different things. Spyware Blaster sets the killbit on a large group of nasty ActiveX programs at various sites. By setting the killbit, which is a one time action, these nasty programs cannot download silently on IE and install themselves. The installation of this type of malware is blocked by Spyware Blaster. You can still visit all the sites where nasty ActiveX programs might try to silently install. This is a Microsoft article describing how to set your own killbits. This is what Spyware Blaster does for you:
»support.microsoft.com/kb/240797

A Hosts file will prevent your browser from visiting the sites in the Hosts file. So, they are not doing the same thing. There could be some useful information on some websites that also try to download nasty ActiveX programs so it is concievable that you might wish to visit the sites but have Spyware Blaster block the download and installation of any nasty ActiveX programs at the sites. Spyware Blaster does NOT slow down your internet because it doesn't do anything other than setting the killbit on IE for the known nasty ActiveX programs. That killbit is set when you install and update Spyware Blaster and that is it as Spyware Blaster does not run in the background. When you are surfing, the only time Spyware Blaster is involved in your surfing is if you go to a site on IE (other browsers don't use ActiveX and are not vulnerable) where there is a nasty ActiveX program that tries to silently install...it gets blocked! It cannot download in the background as the killbit is set on it. So, it doesn't download and install and you go about your business on that very website and there is no slow down. No slow down when surfing to the next site. There is no checking of Spyware Blaster by IE as it surfs so there can be no slowdown caused by Spyware Blaster.

The Hosts file, if LARGE, will most definitely slow down your surfing because it has to be checked everywhere you go.
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DownTheShore @ 7th Nov 02:11AM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

What size is considered to be "large" for a hosts file - I was always curious about that.
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siljaline @ 7th Nov 01:04PM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

From MVPS HOSTS:

quote:
Editors Note: in most cases a large HOSTS file (over 135 kb) tends to slow down the machine.
This only occurs in W2000/XP/Vista. Windows 98 and ME are not affected.

caffeinator @ 7th Nov 09:17PM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

I use both and have for years with no issues.

I use HostsMan w/ HostsServer to manage it all.

My HOSTS file is a mix of MVPS and Spybot's entries with a few added manually by me.

The file is 897KB and has over 27,000 entries, so far. :)
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siljaline @ 7th Nov 11:08PM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

quote:
My HOSTS file is a mix of MVPS and Spybot's entries with a few added manually by me.

:hmm: HOSTS Merging
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MarkAW @ 7th Nov 11:15PM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

I also use SpywareBlaster, MVPS, hpguru and have not seen a slow down.
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caffeinator @ 8th Nov 09:56AM:
Re: Can using Spywareblaster and MVPS Hosts file slow you down?

said by siljaline :

HOSTS Merging

thx for the warning mate, pretty sure I knew that already. I've been using all this nice protection for nearly a decade now, I think it's safe considering the all the hacker/warez sites I visit daily.

You have any idea how many peeps I gotta help out who don't use it and get p0wn3d by stoopid preventable s**t?

Try using Filebase or DivXden without it sometime. I'm sure your FF plug-ins will choke to death. :)

Meanwhile, I'll be surfing any damn site I please with a locked-down Opera and a nice HOSTS file.

Hava good day.

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