SpyBot Search & Destroy v0.92 released

[Paul Wilders]

{QUOTE-> bug fixes:
- autorun can be properly disabled now
- languages are ignored if you once choose 'no'
- languages can be deleted (and reinstalled)
- recovery files work better and can be deleted
new usage tracks:
- Media Player
new bot detections:
- Bonzi Buddy
- Bonzi Buddy Web Compass
- SaveNow
- DSSAgent
- NewsUpd
- Media Player Client ID
improved bot detections:
- ClickTillUWin
- Gator

What I plan next: I've set up a new test system, where I will recheck every detected bot at least twice on a fresh Windows, so I can be sure the program works perfect. I'll also rework the help file, adding new and more info for all found bots. This release will be 1.0. If you've got any comments, suggestions or found a bug, please report to spybotsd@patrick.kolla.de

The new archiv contains pgp signature files to verify all files are untouched.

Current version is 0.92 - http://beam.to/spybotsd <-QUOTE}

source: software author

regards.

paul

[WE Sim]

Hi!

Just downloaded and installed v0.92.

After running it, it found 2 checked entries realted to MS Media Player. I have MS Media Player installed also.

Should I fix these 2 items?

Thanks
::)

[spy1]

Hey, WE Sim!

Yes, you should. They concern 'MS Media Player list of recently opened files' and 'MS Media Player last used directory'. (Those are 'usage tracks'). *It will also remove Microsoft Media Player Clien[“›ŸV"C)Þ¬”m÷�žASee this page: http://beam.to/spybotsd ( 'english' section, 'Features' link). HTH Pete

[WE Sim]

Thanks!

;)

[spy1]

You're quite welcome.

Did anyone besides me have problems un-installing .91? Pete

[Checkout]

it crashed on my XP system. *Far, far too much still in Deutsch - I'll have to uninstall it.

[PepiMK]

I'm sorry for what's still left in german. I develope everything in english first, so those texts in german are the ones my compiler does on it's own :(
I'll use the english version of my compiler for the next release.

If anyone wants a preview of the next release:
http://patrick.kolla.de/software/files/spybotsd.preview.zip
(Already fixed the invalid parameter bug, added or updated CommonName, New.net, BDEProjector, eZula, Gator, Web3000).

[Checkout]

Thanks! *I'll give it a try!

[Paul Wilders]

Welcome, Patrick! *(aka PepiMK),

Nice to see you here!

For all those interested in Patrick Kolla's SpyBot S&D:

Net-Integration is hosting the official forum for this software now:

http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi?s=3c84da4f69ebff
ff;act=SC;c=7

(Since you didn't mention it, Patrick, so will I * ;) *)

regards.

paul

[UNICRON]

I just tried it. it found some stuff that needed to go alright. I like it.

There were some issues though, mainly language stuff. But hey, I prefer to answer 'Ja' instead of 'yes' anyhow.

The 3 reg files for the language regfiles eg:

SpyBotSD.Nederlands.reg

all failed to install. I don't know what they do but I don't seem to miss them.

[PepiMK]

Thanks Paul for mentioning the forum! :)

About the Ja/Yes: those dialog buttons are generated by my compiler, and until a few days ago I thought that the compiler would be intelligent enough to use the installed windows defaults instead of hard-coding the text. As doing a parallel install of the english compiler isn't that simple (and I still need the german for local projects), I'll wait until I fixed everything else for 1.0.

I can't image why the reg-files would fail. All Spybot-S&D does is call regedit with those files. If you install them, you'll get additional languages on the Settings/Language page. But if you choose 'No', they won't bother you again.
Was there a error message from regedit or from spybotsd?

[Checkout]

Hmm... *E/A fehler 32? *What does this mean?

[PepiMK]

E/A Fehler means I/O Error. I/O Error 32 is a sharing violation. Another XP problem of Spybot-S&D I guess. Has it happened when you wanted to clear the sti_trace.log file? That file is somehow protected or always opened under XP; I've got it on my ToDo list for the next version.
See the forum paul kindly mentioned, it's already listed as a bug there.

If this happens regularly, you can edit the file SpyBotSD.Logs.sbb with notepad and remove the line containing sti_trace.log.

[UNICRON]

Registry Editor
Are you sure you want to add the information in SpyBotSD.Netherlands.reg to the registry?

Yes * * * *No

----------------------------------------------------------------

Registry Editor
Cannot import SpyBotSD.Netherlands.reg:Error opening the file.There may be a disk or file system error.


OK
---------------------------------------------------------------
This is what my regidtry looks like after all this:
http://tds3.solargiant.com/SpyBotReg.jpg

So folders are there, and only the age key is there. These reg files don't do that part, theye were done before.

[PepiMK]

Thanks for so much details and the image! If every bug report would be that clear! I name you 'user of the day' ;)

That two values in the registry are written by Spybot-S&D. The (Default)="-" is so that Spybot-S&D knows it has once asked to add the language and won't do that again - until there is a newer language file, and to know that it creates the Age value (don't know why it's all ffffffff, I guess I have to look at that, too).

Can you open the reg-files with notepad (right mousebutton on file, 'edit')?
Is the contents like you would expect from a reg-file (if you know how they look)?
Can you install the language while Spybot-S&D is not running by double-clicking the reg-file?
Do you use Win95 (there may be the problem that the Win95 regedit doesn't support the Unicode text, which I think I had to use for french/spanish characters)?

If it's not to much asked, would you come over (just for this problem) to the official Spybot-S&D-Forum (paul has posted the url above)? That way other users with the same problem could gain from your help, too.

[UNICRON]

simple solution:

I ran the reg files from windows explorer and they worked fine. BUT I had to tell WormGuard to let them execute. It had popped up and stopped the execution pending my judgement (exactly what I want Wormguard to do). Wormguard did NOT pop up during the install of the program at all. Perhaps Wormguard stopped the execution, but gave no pop up window?

I will uninstall SpyBot, disable WG then try installing it again. It may be just that simple.

UPDATE: even with WG uninstalled same thing happens (failed reg entries during install, but successful if done manually) No WG intervention this time ofcouse, so WG is NOT the problem. Age value is still all 'f's, but the values entered by the .reg files all show the values you'd expect after reading the .reg file, so no issue there.

If I was to guess as to what the issue is, I'd say these files are trying to run when the registry is still in use by the main install program. Can multiple programs create keys simultaneously, or should one finish before another begins? Any time I wrote code to enter reg info, it was always in one program so there was no conflict, so I have no idea how that would work. I guess I could write a quick vbs script to test, but you probably already know so I won't.

Oh, just so you know, this is all taking place on a W2K Server. MSDN version (test but no commercial usage). It is the same build as the regular version, just not licenced to profit off.

[UNICRON]

PS I really like the Ja/Nein boxes. Can we keep that? Ja? Nein?

Also that message box stating:

"If you remove advertisement robots with this program, you may not be allowed to continue using their host programs. Read their license agreements for further info."

really needs a "don't show this window again" check box!!!!

[PepiMK]

Well, as I thought to write the code for inserting the reg's myself instead of calling regedit (to replace that popups with a single more comfortable window), this shouldn't be a problem any more with the next beta (see Spybots Forum).
It may take a few more days, but as I've written my registry unit myself (including export), a simple import will be quite easy.

(No need to uninstall to retry, you just had to delete the language keys in the registry, and Spybot-S&D would ask again)

About the Ja/Nein-Boxes (and more german messages): english would be better for international users; best would be if the compiler would use the systems language. Maybe Delphi 6 does this (I'm using Delphi 4); I'll give the personal edition of D6 a try and have a look wether it's license would allow me to use it on this project (but I think it is free for Open Source only, and I don't have the money to buy it right now).

BTW: The "Don't show again" is hidden under 'Settings/Settings/I do know about all that legal stuff.' But I guess I could make an extra window with a checkbox for that, it's on my ToDo-List now.

[UNICRON]

{QUOTE-> BTW: The "Don't show again" is hidden under 'Settings/Settings/I do know about all that legal stuff.' But I guess I could make an extra window with a checkbox for that, it's on my ToDo-List now. <-QUOTE}


Ah, that's what that is for. I had no idea what to do with that option! No need for a new checkbox, just clarify the intend of the existing one.

[PepiMK]

Too late, now there is one *;D
(will be online in tomorrow's beta)

[Checkout]

{QUOTE-> E/A Fehler means I/O Error. I/O Error 32 is a sharing violation. Another XP problem of Spybot-S&D I guess. Has it happened when you wanted to clear the sti_trace.log file? <-QUOTE}
This happens every time at boot.

[Mr.Blaze]

UNICRON where you get desk top captureing software i been trying to find a way to get pics of my desk top of things i do that way i can make a step by step instuction thinghy.

is there anything that lets me capture my desk top

[UNICRON]

MRBLAZE,

No special software is nessessary. To copy a pic of the *entire display to your clipboard, just hit the printscreen button at the top of your keyboard. (on my keyboard it is beside F12) To copy just the active window, hold down the alt key and hit Printscreen.

It is NOT nessessary to hold down the shift button when you hit print screen, even though it looks like you would have to because on the key below print screen is "Sys Rq".

[Mr.Blaze]

=( im hiting the print screen and stuff nothin happens

[TonyKlein]

Yes it does, it just happens behind your back.

Now open your favorite image editor (MS Paint will do fine), go to Edit/Paste, and voilà: *there's what you just copied.

Good luck, *

[UNICRON]

Ja, that catches alot of people. The image is in your clipboard, and you must paste it into MS paint or some image editor.

[PepiMK]

@CheckOut: please get the new release 0.93 I just put online, that should fix this problem.

Get it at: http://patrick.kolla.de/software/files/spybotsd.zip

Sorry I didn't read this before, I'm in my own forum most of the time.

[Checkout]

{QUOTE-> @CheckOut: please get the new release 0.93 I just put online, that should fix this problem. <-QUOTE}
Thanks, will do. * :)

[Mr.Blaze]

why is there spy ware in searh in destroy comet cursor remakes it self several times when you run it i cought it with adwatch lol even after i cleand it out it remakes it self when i run spybot search and destroy

[Checkout]

Sorry, under .93 the E/A fehler 32 still occurs.

Any thoughts?

[Eagle1]

Have you checked to make sure you have completely ridded yourself of CometCursor. It is a very persistent little bug. Have you checked for BHO's (Browser Helper Objects)

Run BHOCaptor http://www.net-integration.net/downloads/bhoc.zip

You may find a bho key with no property value which would need to be deleted. That would *be the little CC bugger. If you find it that is likely the culprit.

[PepiMK]

About I/O Error 32:

Please try an move the SpybotSD.logs.sbb to another directory temporarily, and tell me if the error still occurs when this file is no longer in SpybotSD's dir.

Maybe there are even more files that can't be moved. I've just changed my exception handling again a little bit, please have a look for a new beta at my forum in a few hours.

[Checkout]

{QUOTE-> About I/O Error 32:
<-QUOTE}
;D ;D ;D Oh, I have to laugh...I've just realised that E/A is Deutsch for I/O (Einfarht/Ausfarht!) * ;D ;D ;D

Please excuse any bad spelling - it's been a while since I lived in Germany!

I'll try what you told me a little later on. *Many thanks.

[PepiMK]

;D ;D

You can find a new beta now at my http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi?s=3c863c5428caffff;act=SC;c=7.
If Spybot can't open those files now, they'll get the red error sign (like all problems that cannot be fixed) instead of any error message.

[Checkout]

{QUOTE-> ;D ;D

You can find a new beta now at my http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi?s=3c863c5428caffff;act=SC;c=7.
If Spybot can't open those files now, they'll get the red error sign (like all problems that cannot be fixed) instead of any error message. <-QUOTE}
I moved SpybotSD.logs.sbb as you suggested, but it didn't help. *Is it worthwhile trying the latest beta?

[PepiMK]

{QUOTE->
This happens every time at boot. <-QUOTE}

I just made some more changes to avoid such errors during detection, see the newest beta over at my forum (there's a topic for beta of 0.93+).

Maybe you should delete Spybots .log file (if existent), turn on the log option in spybot and make a copy of the log once the error msg appears. then send me that log, with that I could easily find the place were the error appears.

But to make sure I'm looking at the right place:
- do you mean when Spybot searches while system (Windows) boot?
- or do you mean while Spybot is fixing when run at system boot?
- or do you mean Spybot's search during program start?

[Checkout]

{QUOTE->

I just made some more changes to avoid such errors during detection, see the newest beta over at my forum (there's a topic for beta of 0.93+).

Maybe you should delete Spybots .log file (if existent), turn on the log option in spybot and make a copy of the log once the error msg appears. then send me that log, with that I could easily find the place were the error appears.

But to make sure I'm looking at the right place:
- do you mean when Spybot searches while system (Windows) boot?
- or do you mean while Spybot is fixing when run at system boot?
- or do you mean Spybot's search during program start? <-QUOTE}
I'm not sure what you mean. *I have SpyBotSD autostarted. *The first thing that happens is a pop-up say "E/A fehler 32" then a window showing an empty exclusion list. *I click okay on the failure message, exit on the window, and another small window pops up (in German - a long word *with lots of "g"s) and finally it opens another window where I see items to be fixed.

Does that help? *(And how do I turn on the log option, please? *I'm at work at the moment so I can't check it.)

[PepiMK]

Thanks, that details help a lot. I think I now know when the errors appears.

If you saw that errors before the progress bar appeared, it must have been before Spybot checked the system. But until then, Spybot opens only its own files, and that files shouldn't be opened by any other application for read/write access (I/O error 32 appears when two apps try to gain write access to on file).

I now made all of Spybot's file operations strictly read only, and tried to catch even more errors. I'll upload the next beta later, right now I'm trying to fix the latest uninstall bug, too.



btw: the log function is under Settings/Settings. It doesn't log the results (you can save those in the context-menu of the results list), but what has been checked. That way, if the program crashes I can find the bug by simply looking which was the last entry of that log.

[PepiMK]

Next beta is uploaded now!
If that doesn't fix it, don't hesitate to write again, I want to find that bug!

[Checkout]

{QUOTE-> Next beta is uploaded now!
If that doesn't fix it, don't hesitate to write again, I want to find that bug! <-QUOTE}
I won't be able to download it until Tuesday, unfortunately. *As soon as I can, I will. *Thanks for all the effort. *Oh, and do you have a direct link to it, please?

[spy1]

http://patrick.kolla.de/software/files/spybotsd.preview.zip . Pete