DetectX - website down, may be dead

[Lifeisabeach]

Hey guys, so for a few days now at least, the website for DetectX has gone dark. I get an error that the server cannot be found. I don't know if this is a temporary thing, or if the developer has permanently closed shop. If the latter, I don't know what this means for DetectX being a viable recommendation going forward.

DetectX

kicking out badware on macOS since 2014

sqwarq.com

 

[Raz0rEdge]

The domain is registered, but it doesn't resolve anymore.

 

[pm-r]

Hey guys, so for a few days now at least, the website for DetectX has gone dark.

And still that way for me, bummer:

This site can’t be reached
sqwarq.com’s server IP address could not be found.
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

- Patrick
=======

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Hey guys, so for a few days now at least, the website for DetectX has gone dark. I get an error that the server cannot be found. I don't know if this is a temporary thing, or if the developer has permanently closed shop. If the latter, I don't know what this means for DetectX being a viable recommendation going forward.

DetectX

kicking out badware on macOS since 2014

sqwarq.com

Yes, it's been down for a while now. I haven't heard anything from or about the developer.

Apparently it's not easy to go on forever offering free software with no source of income attached to it. Go figure?

I'd guess that the program will continue to run fine until a future version of the Mac OS breaks it. It should continue to be just as effective at dealing with known adware, but it won't be updated to deal with new adware.

The good news is that Apple has been depreciating extensions and doing other things to make adware harder to effectively write. I've noticed a huge drop in reported adware in the last year. So the need for updates to DetectX may not be there.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Yes, it's been down for a while now. I haven't heard anything from or about the developer.

Apparently it's not easy to go on forever offering free software with no source of income attached to it. Go figure?

No doubt. One could pay to register, but I think it was voluntary. I actually did so myself because I really appreciate its features, and I'm historically very stingy in this regard! But I've been concerned the writing was on the wall for some time now due to there having been little in the way of updates on the website. At least the app is a Universal binary now. Interestingly, when I have the app check for updates, it tells me I have the latest version. You'd think I'd get a connection error, but nope. It makes me think things are still alive somewhere.

I'd guess that the program will continue to run fine until a future version of the Mac OS breaks it. It should continue to be just as effective at dealing with known adware, but it won't be updated to deal with new adware.

The good news is that Apple has been depreciating extensions and doing other things to make adware harder to effectively write. I've noticed a huge drop in reported adware in the last year. So the need for updates to DetectX may not be there.

Agreed. What I find most valuable here is the feature to monitor the Launch folders. Any malware that could sneak in has to do something with this to be able to load up on startup and do their jobs. So even with unknown adware, I can still get a heads-up if something sneaks in. Thankfully, there is an alternative from Objective-See that appears to be comparable in this regard.

BlockBlock

Protection Against Persistent Mac Malware

objective-see.org

 

[Alan_B]

Has anyone any new updates on the status of Detect X Swift? I’m using BlockBlock now but I’ve noticed this site is still alive but with no recent updates.

sqwarq | security for your mac

sqwarq.wordpress.com

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Has anyone any new updates on the status of Detect X Swift? I’m using BlockBlock now but I’ve noticed this site is still alive but with no recent updates.

sqwarq | security for your mac

sqwarq.wordpress.com

Since switching to BlockBlock, I've found it catches more changes to launch locations that DetectX ever did. Not recommended anymore by moi (oooh... I need to fix my signature!).

 

[Rod]

I notice the User Group hosted on Slack says the link is no longer active, whereas the User Guide is still available https://s3.amazonaws.com/sqwarq.com/AppCasts/DetectX_Swift_User_Guide.pdf
I too made a voluntary contribution for the same reason as Lifeisabeach but I think I got my money's worth so, bye bye Detect X I suppose. 2014-2022, not a bad run.

 

[Rod]

Addit: If you are considering uninstalling DetectX Swift as I am you may run into the same issue I did. I have the pdf User Manual and it shows:


Problem being that the Menu item pictured "Uninstall" does not exist. It appears that AppCleaner will remove all elements of the app except a "purchased license key" as noted above.
To do this instructions are provided on page 26 of the user guide (Advanced) pictured below.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

As of last month, the developer said that "big things are coming for DetectX Swift!" in his blog. I hope that he didn't mean that it was going to be ash-canned! So, it's worth keeping an eye on. But for now, for folks looking for a nice free product that can detect and removed adware, I'm recommending:

EtreCheckPro (free; additional features available for a fee)
https://etrecheck.com/en/index.html
(Helps you track down the cause of serious problems on your Mac. Can also remove annoying adware.)