« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness  (Read 3711 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline babyoh

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 990
Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness
« on: February 06, 2008, 08:19:29 PM »
spybot's worked for me for years, with no problems (version 1.4)
* today, i clicked CHECK FOR UPDATES
about half a dozen things came up, i clicked to add them all.
*** THEN
i got an error message CAN'T CONNECT TO SERVER
- after a few tries, i got my updates
*** and THEN
an installer came on, to upgrade me to SPYBOT 1.52
i clicked "OK" -- it went thru much of the process, except i got the ALERT "FOLDER ALREADY EXISTS. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO INSTALL?"
- i clicked YES, but the update didn't go through.
i clicked CANCEL, since it wasn't working.
* i checked, and SPYBOT does have an update 1.52, which is fairly new.

is it any good? how am i supposed to get it, if i can't download it...?

*OH: NOW when i run "CHECK FOR UPDATES" it says: THERE AREN'T ANY NEW ONES.

and when i check ABOUT ME, it says i'm still running version 1.4

 - weird, spybot s&d getting cranky all of a sudden...

Logged

Offline Ripley

  • LzD Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2566
Re: Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2008, 03:19:40 PM »
Usually, trying a different server, one geographically closer to you works.  I am still on 1.4 as it is still being updated.  People were noting problems with the new version 1.5, but 1.52 *seems* to have resolved those (i.e. slow opening of the GUI).

I still have 1.52 option via the internal updater.  If you find you have that option again, I'd recommend choosing custom installation during the "wizard", and UNCHECKING "download updates during installation" and "immunize".  It will then install over the top of the older 1.4, replacing all important files, but user specified settings/statistics should be retained, as well as the record of "fixes" possibly made in the near past. That would give the option of reversing those changes in the Recovery mode....sometimes a good thing.

After it's installed, THEN choose update to get the latest defs, and review your "expanded" choices with immunization.

You can also download a fresh copy if it doesn't appear in the internal updater, and install over the top as well>
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html
NOTE: Installing over the older version will leave 2 versions of Spybot in your Add/Remove Programs.

I'll be doing a clean install following these instructions > http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html

Remember, if you uninstall the older version to do a clean install, undo and turn off Immunization, TeaTimer and any other Spybot customizations prior to uninstalling!

Let us know what works for you.
Logged

Offline Ripley

  • LzD Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2566
Re: Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2008, 03:30:57 PM »
Also, you might want to look at the changes (since version 1.4) with screenshots here > http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd15/spybotsd15_changes.html

Esp., those people that use multiple browsers (babyoh, don't you use like 23 browsers?  :tease: ) & host files...

I had been keeping some notes:

Quote
In Spybot 1.5 immunization:

    * Only immunization items listed as ... (Domains) are adding registry entries to place sites in the restricted zone.

In Spybot 1.5 immunization:

    * Items listed as "... (Cookies)" are adding registry entries to block the storing of cookies from certain sites.
    * Items listed as "... (IPs)" are adding registry entries to block the download/execution of ActiveX processes.
    * The immunization item listed as "Global (Hosts)" is adding entries to the Hosts file.

If you do not want to use all of the items in the immunization process, I suggest that you do not immunize during installation. Wait until Spybot has been installed and updated. Then go into Spybot > Immunize and uncheck the items that you do not want such as "Global (Hosts)" before immunizing.

In Spybot 1.5 there is separate immunization for Firefox that does not involve the Hosts file.

The immunization process for IE adds entries to the system registry to block the storing of cookies from certain sites, places certain sites to the restricted sites zone and blocks the download/execution of selected ActiveX processes. In Spybot 1.4 there was no breakdown by the type of immunization. In Spybot 1.5 IE immunization is broken down by type as follows:

    * Items listed as "... (Cookies)" block the storing of cookies from certain sites.
    * Items listed as "... (Domains)" and "... (IPs)" add sites to the restricted sites zone.
          o The "... (Domains)" entries are added by domain name.
          o The "... (IPs)" entries are add by IP Address.
    * Items listed as "... (Plugins)" block the download/execution of ActiveX processes.

 md usa spybot fan
Spybot Advisor Team
(bold added by me)
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=22113

Each section of the "immunization" expanded options looks optional as well as configurable to your other security programs.
Logged

Offline babyoh

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 990
Re: Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2008, 09:44:31 PM »
ripley,
thank u a million times for all this help.
...this is how i felt, before i read your post-
 :thud:

- i'm pretty sleepy right now, but i had some questions:

* FIRST-OFF, i no longer have the ability to update from WITHIN the program, so i'll install "over the top"
- after 1.5 works for a while -- no bugs -- can i can UNINSTALL 1.4...? (ie, it'll just be sitting around, taking up space, correct?)

* SECOND, i'd rather err on the side of safety, so i may allow 1.5 to do a lot of blocking.
it's not uncommon for me to be mysteriously locked out of certain sites- when i dig around, i find some security app has blocked a needed cookie, etc.
i have my main browser, FIREFOX, set up pretty well with FLASHBLOCK, NOSCRIPT and ADDblock. and, for security, i usually don't run any plugins at all in OPERA.

1) is it overkill (for example), to have SPYBOT protect me from FF cookies? -- i have that set, so FF asks me each time, whether to DENY, ALLOW or ALLOW FOR SESSION. (i'd only allow that function, thinking SBot may know about some skanky domains and cookies, i DON'T know about yet.)

(OPERA is set to allow all cookies, then purge ALL -- except for the 2 i want -- when i close the browser.)

2) if i goof, and allow too much blocking, is that easily fixed (either piecemeal, or in toto, by telling SBot "STOP MESSING WITH MY COOKIES!")...?

ALSO: i keep reading that allowing ACTIVE-X in IE is a security hazard, but that messing with it, means the OS can't update itself. --
currently i set IE security to MEDIUM: is allowing FULL IE protection from Spybot, the right choice? (no other tinkering is necessary?)

* THANKS AGAIN, for all your help.

 :thanks:


Logged

Offline Ripley

  • LzD Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2566
Re: Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2008, 09:45:49 PM »
Quote
- after 1.5 works for a while -- no bugs -- can i can UNINSTALL 1.4...? (ie, it'll just be sitting around, taking up space, correct?)
I don't know why 2 entries are maintined in this situation, or if you can uninstall 1.4 w/o messing with 1.5.2.  The option of doing a clean install per the link I posted above should take care of any uninstall issues in the future.

Quote
1) is it overkill (for example), to have SPYBOT protect me from FF cookies? -- i have that set, so FF asks me each time, whether to DENY, ALLOW or ALLOW FOR SESSION. (i'd only allow that function, thinking SBot may know about some skanky domains and cookies, i DON'T know about yet.)
(OPERA is set to allow all cookies, then purge ALL -- except for the 2 i want -- when i close the browser.)
I am not familiar w/ Opera, but the cookie settings which you have for Opera is what I use for Fx, w/ the exception of blocking all 3rd party cookies.
Not having experimented yet w/ the new Fx immunizations options, "cookies" would appear to be the least "overkill" in my mind, unless it was blocking a cookie you "wanted."  Remember, if you are using SpywareBlaster, approx. 200+? blocks for tracking cookies for Fx are already loaded.  Additional blocking of  cookies seems a plus w/ no downside, IMO.  You can always deal w/ an individual cookie or url that was "blocked" on an individual basis.
As to the other Fx immunization options, as you know "software installations" (via Warn me when sites try to install add-ons) & "popups" (via Block popup windows) are already disabled by default in Fx.  And the last category of "images" is enabled by default (via Load images automatically), so maybe having those image blocks per Spybot would be an added layer you would want.

Quote
2) if i goof, and allow too much blocking, is that easily fixed (either piecemeal, or in toto, by telling SBot "STOP MESSING WITH MY COOKIES!")...?
In addition to my comments in my previous posts, Spybot S & D can be used as an on-demand anti-spyware scanner, w/ all other features as optional. It will perform the way you have told it to: depending on your configuration choices. Short answer...yes, features can be toggled on & off.

Quote
ALSO: i keep reading that allowing ACTIVE-X in IE is a security hazard, but that messing with it, means the OS can't update itself. --
currently i set IE security to MEDIUM: is allowing FULL IE protection from Spybot, the right choice? (no other tinkering is necessary?)
I would recommend a review of the Spybot help file to get a better understanding of the features that effect IE. 
The default security configuration in IE6 is medium...the default in IE7 is medium-high w/ additional security enhancements.  The latter will provide more security and should not prevent/block the Active-X necessary to download & install OS updates.  If that's a question for you, my suggestion would be to start a new topic on it.

Good luck with the Spybot upgrade!
Logged

Offline babyoh

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 990
Re: Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2008, 08:25:36 AM »
ripley,

thanks for the help- my spybot upgrade was a piece of cake.
Logged

Offline mikey

  • Predator
  • Malware Experts
  • Jr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 81
    • VOP
Re: Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2008, 07:28:00 PM »
Just for future ref, if you ever have a corrupted or unfinished update or upgrade and then can't get it to update all over again, you can go to ?:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Logs\Update downloads.log(location may vary for diff OSs) and open in any text editor and delete the entries for that date and then save and run the update process again.

HTH
Logged
***
W2K/2K3/XP/2K8/Vista/W7/RHE/DEBIAN/SUSE

"Spyware/adware is NOT freeware, it costs all of us dearly." SpywareWarrior

Mikey's Stuff

Fiddler and friends...essential web diagnostic, forensic, & development tools.

"You may never need to outrun a Decepticon, but it's nice to know you can." NW's Bevo

Offline Ripley

  • LzD Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2566
Re: Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2008, 12:05:55 AM »
Quote from: mikey on February 16, 2008, 07:28:00 PM
Just for future ref, if you ever have a corrupted or unfinished update or upgrade and then can't get it to update all over again, you can go to ?:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Logs\Update downloads.log(location may vary for diff OSs) and open in any text editor and delete the entries for that date and then save and run the update process again.

I just had a look through that log on my PC & didn't know it had that effect. 
The only problems I have ever encountered with Spybot S & D and updating has been 2 "bad checksum" messages over a 2 year period, which I found could be solved by choosing a different server/mirror using the "down arrow" option.

Thanks for that mikey.  It might come in handy some day.
Logged

Offline Brynn

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 425
Re: Spybot 1.4 - 1.52 Weirdness
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2008, 02:26:33 AM »
Ah yes  :mitch:
Good stuff -- I saved it too!
Logged
"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men." - Abraham Lincoln
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »