Javacool Help please, spywarebaster damages IE StartPage

Hi,

This is a fresh installation of Win XP Pro. Everything works fine and I change my home page inside IE to http://www.microsoft.com

Now, install Spywareblaster and enable its IE protection.
No longer able to change home page from within IE, which is kind of expected.

First problem: Can't change the homepage (StartPage) even from within SB

Next, disable IE protection in SB. Still unable to change homepage from within IE or SB

Uninstall SB altogether. Still unable to change homepage in IE

Run Regedit and try to change or even delete
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\StartPage
and I get a message "unable to delete values"

Could you please explain what exactly SpywareBlaster does to the registry, even when disabled and even when uninstalled?
(one would expect a professional software, when uninstalled, to restore the system to its original condition before installation, not to hijack the machine forever)

How to free my homepage again, short of re-installing windows?

Is spywareblaster itself a spyware?

Thanks

 

Hello yasshab....Welcome to Wilders

Nope

The only way to lock down the HomePage change in SB is to select the box in the below pic. Is that what you did

If so....did you go back in and uncheck that box before un-installing ?

If not.....you need to re-install SB and un-check that box and any other protection you made with SB if you do not want it to remain.

If you do not wish to re-install SB....then go to the below registry key and delete the entry SB placed into the registry for blocking HomePage change.

Let us know how it comes out Please,
Bubba

 

Hi Bubba and thanks for your reply.

No, I have never checked that box at all, either to enable or disable. I was enabling and disabling the ActiveX protection only.

Anyway, re-installed SB and made sure all protection disabled, but still have the same problem.

The key you indicated does not exist in my windows registry, to start with. I don't have any policies entries for IE at HKCU or HKLM levels.

Re-installed windows again, everything is fine. Install SB and homepage is locked, even at the registry level.
p.s. I can change the default search pages and other default URLs, and all other settings. Only start pages for the local machine and for individual users are locked, even inside SB and regedit.

My concern is:
When a user with administrator privilage is unable to change or delete some parts of the registry, because of SB, and even after SB is uninstalled, then SB is doing something not Kosher.

How to remove whatever that SB does to the registry without having to re-install windows?

I still would like to use SB, which is a great spyware protector. I am just annoyed with any software limiting my administrative power over my machine.

p.s. I am also running AVG, Zonealarm, and Google Toolbar. Any know conflict between these and SB?

Thanks

 

There is definetly a quirk somewhere because the only way for the HomePage policy to be enabled in regards to SB is for the user to check that box mentioned above. Also....when SB is first installed nothing is enabled and the user has to do the enabling. Will give some thought to what other software could be causing this with the list you have given. In the mean time I would ask that you double check your end closely since this problem is not caused by SB IMHO.

Bubba

 

yasshab:

You mentioned that you are running ZoneAlarm. Is that ZoneAlarm Free or Pro and what version?

ZoneAlarm Pro has an option to lock the HomePage.

ZoneAlarm Free had a bug that locked the HomePage in its version 6.5.7xx releases until they released 6.5.737.

 

Hi,

I have ZoneAlaram Free 6.5.772.
Is the bug still there with that one?

Thanks

 

I was not aware the that there was a version FREE ZoneAlarm 6.5.772.

If you actually have FREE ZoneAlarm 6.5.722.000 that had the bug.

The lastest version that I am aware of is FREE ZoneAlarm 6.5.737.000. That can be downloaded here:

• Zone Labs by Check Point Software Technologies - ZoneAlarm FREE Download

 

Thanks Peeved,

That actually fixed it.

I uninstalled ZoneAlarm and that solved the problem.

And appologies for SpywareBlaster and Javacool. It was not their mistake at all.

Thanks again.

 

Hi,

Not a problem, and I'm glad to hear the issue is fixed!

Best regards,

-Javacool