SWBlaster doesn't run?

[fconijn]

Hello all,

I'm not getting it. If I run SpyWareBlaster by clicking the desktop icon, enabling all options and clicking the upper right cross, I don't get a taskbar icon. If I press Ctrl+Alt+Del, the appearing window does not seem to indicate either that SWBlaster is running. Just the regular programs. And after having started up SWBlaster, I can change my IE default internet page without objection.

What's going on? Is this a sham product? If not, how do I know that it is running?

OS: W 98 with all updates, 800 MHz, 256 Mb, IE 6.

[Bubba]

Hey fconijn....Welcome to Wilders http://www.wilderssecurity.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

{QUOTE-> What's going on? Is this a sham product? <-QUOTE}Not hardly 8)

{QUOTE-> I'm not getting it. If I run SpyWareBlaster by clicking the desktop icon, enabling all options and clicking the upper right cross, I don't get a taskbar icon. <-QUOTE}The "upper right cross" is no different than any other program....it's simply the button to push to close a program down....and in this case it closes Spywareblaster down because it does not have to be running once a user has enabled "protection for any/all items"

FAQ: Do I have to keep SpywareBlaster™ running for it to provide protection? (http://www.javacoolsoftware.info/kb/idx/0/052/article/?pt_sid=aa650bb0edba3899eb24f19d5ade1309)

Regards,
Bubba

[fconijn]

Thanks for your quick reply, Bubba.

The reason why I was/am so mad is that I again had to spend an hour or so on my computer itself, without it being productive. You don't wanna know the hours that I have had to spend on bugs, confusing and plain faulty manuals, and programs that are as intuitive as a riddle inside a enigma. Add to that the SP2 drama, to which problem there seemed no other solution than installing everything from scratch, and see why I think there should be a law against that (which law would put Gates behind bars for life, where he belongs).

Now that I've got that off my chest, please do explain how SWBlaster protects without running. Is it a browser plugin? If not, how does it work? The screen that appears if one pushes Ctrl+Alt+Del does not show a running program that makes me think of SWBlaster. Neither does MSCONFIG show that SWBlaster is started at Windows startup.

So, how does it work?

R.,
Frank

PS: If you can prove that it works without running, I think you made a great program. My ISP scans my e-mail, but without expensive (professional) firewall or antivirus program running, unwanted stuff can easily install itself during surfing. If SWBlaster really works, I could do with ZoneAlarm Free plus SWBlaster. Which would save me precious memory MBs.

[Bubba]

{QUOTE-> Now that I've got that off my chest, please do explain how SWBlaster protects without running. Is it a browser plugin? If not, how does it work? <-QUOTE}By no means am I belittling the effort or programming skills that Javacool put into this program....but there are numerous programs that use this same method as far as applying protection without running a TSR in the background, a service, plugin....etc....and you are correct that it will not show up in MSCONFIG.

Let's take the Restricted Sites protection of Spywareblaster as an example. When a user enables that protection via the program, check marks get placed next to all the entries. When the user then selects Protect Against Checked Items....those URL entries are merged into the appropriate Internet Explorer registry key in respect to IE's Restricted Zone.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains

Once the entries are merged....similar to merging any .reg file....the user is done and they can close down Spywareblaster.

The ActiveX and Cookie protection is similar in that merges entries into the appropriate Internet Explorer registry location.

{QUOTE-> If you can prove that it works without running, I think you made a great program <-QUOTE} Hopefully the above explanation was sufficient :-\

P.S.....I've always thought of Spywareblaster as a great program 8)