SpywareBlaster v2.5 released!

[javacool]

*NEW* SpywareBlaster v2.5 has been released! (along with a new website)

A significant number of features have been added to version 2.5 of SpywareBlaster including:

-Spyware/tracking cookie protection
-System Snapshot (more about this on the webpage)
-Extra Tools
-Proxy configuration settings
-Refined interface
-Help file

Short System Snapshot description: Take a snapshot of your computer in its clean state, and use System Snapshot later to revert many changes made by spyware and browser hijackers!

Information and download is available at the new webpage: http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html

Enjoy! ;D

-Javacool

P.S. Donation information is available on the right side of the page... ;)

[javacool]

SpywareBlaster v2.5.1 has been released.

It includes a few bug fixes, and other misc. tweaks. If you Check for Updates with the version 2.5.0, you will be alerted that a new version is available - just download again from http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html and you'll be all set. :)

Best regards,

-Javacool

[biga]

Should we uninstall the old version first?

TIA

[Tassie_Devils]

Thanks for the great work jc.

Cheers, TAS

[Tassie_Devils]

just downloaded, wasn't sure about installing over old, so I uninstalled the Protection first, then uninstalled the program, reinstalled the new one, and all is fine.

Nice new features, especially the cookie protection. GREAT.

:) :)

Cheers, TAS

[biga]

Tks Tassie. In absence of any other answers I'm following you and uninstall first too ;)

[javacool]

-{ Quote: " quoting: biga link=board=34;threadid=7871;start=0#51788 date=1047264565]
Tks Tassie. In absence of any other answers I'm following you and uninstall first too ;)
" }-

Sorry for the late reply.

Whether you uninstall the old version first or install over-the-top, the SpywareBlaster installer can handle all the necessary changes. :)

Best regards,

-Javacool

[mapsonx]

Hi Javacool,

As of this moment, the Wilders download page

http://www.wilders.org/downloads.htm

is still offering v2.5.

May cause some confusion when one "checks for update" & the advisory that a later version existes emerges, but the person thinks he just d\l'ed the latest issue.

As always, thx for the excellent work.

- J - ;D

[mowergun]

Hi,

I uninstalled the older version of spywareblaster, downloaded and installed the 2.5.1 version, created a snapshot restore point, but then when I put a tick next to "Restore system to saved snapshot point" and clicked "go" to view the snapshot point it said "no system snapshots found for current user". I browsed to the spywareblaster folder with windows explorer and there were two files with an "sss" extension, one was ssave0.sss and the other was sslist.sss but nothing with the name that I gave the restore point when I created the snapshot. I have no user profiles set up on this comp, what am I doing wrong?

Mowergun

P.S. BTW, great program, thank you, Just went to PayPal

[tahoma]

hmmm, i was very supsiciouis about this, because 1: it redirects to a new site and 2: drweb picks up 2 trojans in spywareblaster 2.5. probably false positives but these two things combined made me worry a bit

[Paul Wilders]

mapsonx,

-{ Quote: "As of this moment, the Wilders download page

http://www.wilders.org/downloads.htm

is still offering v2.5." }-

We will take care of that asap.

tahoma,

-{ Quote: "hmmm, i was very supsiciouis about this, because 1: it redirects to a new site and 2" }-

Of course it does; we have implemented this for good reasons: Javacool Software runs from a dedicated domain now, thus a redirect is needed ;)

-{ Quote: "drweb picks up 2 trojans in spywareblaster 2.5. probably false positives but these two things combined made me worry a bit" }-

Confirmed. As you might have noticed, Dr.Web states "possible..." - false positives due to the (well known) strong heuristics from this antivirus. Nothing to worry about: file(s) are clean.

regards.

paul

[dp]

Will spywareblaster 2.02 continue to function with updates continuing or does one have to upgrade to 2.5 to get future updates? I'm not real interested in the cookie stuff.

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi dp,

I'm afraid the old version is set to look at the wrong download site to look for updates. I'm not sure if the updates are compatible with the old version, but I don't think so.

Regards,

Pieter

[Lena]

first time user, downloaded 2.5.1, full installation on Windows XP, got error msg Run time error 339 component mscomctl.ocx or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file missing or invalid.

uninstalled prg, deleted it, downloaded it again, installed, same error message.

any ideas what's wrong?

thanks for any help

[anders]

There's a thread describing that.. You need too install two Microsoft packages as mentioned here:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=5169;start=0

JavaCool should perhaps add a link to that post as he had on the old site... :P

Regards,
Anders

[museheart]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Tassie_Devils link=board=34;threadid=7871;start=0#51784 date=1047263488]
Thanks for the great work jc.

Cheers, TAS
" }-

Ditto!

And, "I am feeling much better now that all the people in my head and I are working as a team!!! " ;D hee, hee... Ditto on that, also. 8)

Peace,

[fmoreno51]

The cookie protection feature is a great addition, but why is it that it has to be re-instated each time I reboot? Is there a way to prevent this?

[sylvander]

When I updated to version 2.5.1 I got the warning about "mscomctl.ocx" and followed instructions to fix that and the program worked at second try just once.
After that it would not respond.
Installed the update version 2.5.2 hoping that would fix the problem but no, the program still does not respond and has to be closed using "Ctrl+Alt+Del".

How do I get it to work?

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi Sylvander,

Could you try the suggestions Javacool gave in this thread:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=8182 ?

Let us know if that solves it.

Hi fmoreno51,

Could you add your specifics to this thread: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=8055
Maybe you can find something you have in common with the other users experiencing this problem, and help Javacool figure this out.

Regards,

Pieter

[sylvander]

Hello Pieter.

I followed exactly the instructions given in thread 8182 but the end result was no change.

1. I deleted the three ".dtb" files and then the prog would run ok.
2. I downloaded the updates with no problem and installed them, but then the prog wouldn't run.
3. I used the alternative download method [after deleting the three files again], which also worked ok but again the prog wouldn't run.
4. I downloaded and ran "vbrun60sp5.exe" and at the first restart curious events occured. My secondary Slave CD-ROM drive failed "Dynamic Auto-Detection" and the boot into Windows went in fits and starts. The second boot was ok but the prog still would not run.
5. I uninstalled and re-installed using the copy of the install prog for version 2.5.2 which I saved on a CD-RW disk [I have all downloaded installation prog's saved on this and never have any problemsd with it]["DirectCD" is therefore running in the background during the installation].
"SpywareBlaster" was still "Not Responding".

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi sylvander,

Sorry to put you through all that, to no avail. Javacool might be able to help you out, but last I heard he had trouble coming to the forum. I hope that will be solved soon.
Maybe you could try downloading a fresh copy, just in case the last one got corrupted.

Regards,

Pieter

[sylvander]

Well!
1. I downloaded another copy of the installation file for v2.5.2 from a different download site and overwrote the previous installation file on the CD-RW disk.
2. Uninstalled and re-installed v2.5.2 using the new copy of "spywareblastersetup.exe".

No change.

[sylvander]

I decided to use "Filemon.exe" to study the action of the PC trying to access files after I click on a shortcut on the desktop to "SpywareBlaster".
Would you believe it!
SpywareBlaster opened successfully and all the file accesses registered as successful.
So I selected all items listed and actioned them and THEN it froze [after the action was successful].
I'll now go and check on Registry accesses using "Regmon.exe".

[Pieter_Arntz]

Keep us posted, sylvander.

You might learn something of interest to Javacool.
You obviously know what you're doing. :)

Regards,

Pieter

[sylvander]

Identical result when using "Regmon.exe".

Modules accessing the Registry did so in the following order.
1. Explorer
2. 3 question marks were shown [I get an emoticon if I try to type them here]
3. System
4. Explorer
5. MMTASK
6. spywareb

Item 6 seemed to be about to go on without end so I terminated the recording of accesses.

[javacool]

It sounds like some DLL on your system is corrupted (what you are experiencing is certainly not normal behavior, and I haven't had any other reports of similar issues).

I'm surprised that you had problem immediately after trying to install the Visual Basic 6.0 SP5 run-time - perhaps that is one of the factors here.

It does sound like your system isn't liking the decryption process I use for the dtb files. I'm working on a new method that will hopefully prevent the issue on some Chinese and Japanese versions of Windows also, and if you can e-mail me at javacoolsoftware@hotmail.com with YOUR e-mail, I'll get back to you when that's ready. Since I can't duplicate the issues, I would appreciate your e-mail so I can send a version for you to test, eventually. :) (If you don't wish to do so, that is also fine.)

Best regards and thanks,

-Javacool

[sylvander]

I've sent my e-mail address to you at that address.

It may be worth knowing that I keep a clean, orderly, well protected system.
The problem may be that it's too well protected.
I have "SpywareGuard" running for example.
Could that prevent certain modules running I wonder?

Would you understand the output from Filemon.exe & Regmon.exe if I sent them?
Would that help?

[Ali]

Help I'm so afraid! I'm not a programer or a computer whiz - just a gal trying to get her computer in a safe state.

I downloaded the new Splyblaster update v2.5.3 and it loaded over the old fine. But what do I do for all the RED listings? I rarely read the download promps - because I don't understand most of them anyway...(they should have a "Okay Fine Whatever" button for people like me)...but I did notice that one said something like "do not protect red".
And the download main page didn't mention anything about this.

So, on v2.5.3 can I select them all (black and red/old and new) and then Protect against checked items?
;D

Thank you so much,
Ali

[Paul Wilders]

Ali,

-{ Quote: "So, on v2.5.3 can I select them all (black and red/old and new) and then Protect against checked items?" }-

That's the way ;)

regards.

paul

[Ali]

Thank you - will do.

Also downloaded your SpyBot Search and Destroy and was
thunderstruck at what it found.

You people are great!
Thanks