ATTN Snoopfree users

As per this post https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=123146 my box started acting up after trying to uninstall Snoopfree.

I had followed instructions and then the start list and desktop started freezing.

Not being too knowledgable in this area I tried a little detective work and it seems I am not the only one with this problem in the past.

Too much of a coincidence for me.
I cant offer specific advice other than to check these posts for a start

http://help.lockergnome.com/lofiversion/index.php/t34691.html
http://www.download.com/SnoopFree-Privacy-Shield/3640-2092_4-10336141.html

There are multiple older threads in various HJT forums where HJT has been used to clean out Snoopfree remnants associated with comp freezes.

I have no reason to doubt the bonafides and good intent of the writer of Snoopfree and the app gets good press. Obviously not everybody has this problem.

This is just a little cautionary tale.

Best advice seems to be to boot to Safe Mode prior to uninstall.

Regards.

 

Hi Longboard,

I read those naysayer threads, and would be interested in knowing what security programs you are running. Did you shutdown all apps when installing/uninstalling SnoopFree. SnoopFree has an entry in my Add/Remove list from the Control Panel. Never had any problems with it.

My guess is that in one of the referenced threads, there was probably a conflict between SnoopFree and NAV/NIS. SnoopFree detects only the hooking type of keylogger, not the kernel level kind. I suspect that SnoopFree was not the cause of the freezes, but the security programs when confronted with SnoopFree - they react rather than respond in a rational way.

SnoopFree loads its service before anything else in the LoadOrder - you can get the LoadOrder program from www.sysinternals.com and see the actual load order of services. This means it is on the job early enough to detect hooking malware. Hooking, BTW is a technique used by many system level programs, and probably NAV/NIS trying to enforce security constraints which may be the reason for the lockups. I don't know for sure, but that would be my guess.

-- Tom

 

Yes, you could be right.

I not expert.
I am running NAV/NIS !

Just noted that after uninstall the freeze happened.
Went backwards wiyt registry back-up to day prior to uninstall and all went well.
Hunted down all snoopfree files including "snopfree" file, deleted all references and no further problem.

Also noted that many snoopfree users did NOT have any uninstall problems.

So much software running at different levels !!!
Bound to be conflicts somewhere!

Thanks for your comment.