SpySweeper Ver 5.2.3 build 2120 and IE7 final

There are numerous incompatibilities with the latest version
of SpySweeper and Internet Explorer 7.0 final. These incompatibilities have
finally forced me to uninstall the latest version and go back to SpySweeper
Ver 5.0.7 build 1608.

Here is a list of the most troublesome interactions:

1. Opening a second tab in IE7 takes about 5-7 seconds just for the tab
to appear. I had previously said 3-5 seconds but it got worse.

2. After the 2nd tab opens it takes about another 5 seconds for
"anything" to even begin to appear in the new tab.

3. When holding the ctrl key and clicking on a link, in most cases, the
desired link would appear in the original tab.

4. If I had multiple tabs open, and I wanted to close the active tab, I
would press CTRL & W, which should close the active tab only. Many times
when I did this Internet Explorer would close down.

5. Outlook Express would take ages to open and make a connection to my
ISP's mail server.

6. Many other programs just seemed to be taking a lot longer to
initialize.

All of these problems have gone away after going back to SpySweeper Ver
5.0.7 build 1608.

The 2nd (and additional) tabs open instantaneously. The web information
begins to immediately paint the page. CTRL & click on web links open a new
tab every single time. CTRL & W closes the active tab "every single time".
Internet Explorer 7.0 final has stopped crashing.

I think I will wait until the next SpySweeper program update until I try
again. The present version just has too many problems!

BTW, Firefox has not been affected with the SpySweeper update.

 

I believe that running SpySweeper 5.2.3 and Trend Micro 2007 in addition to IE7 have grossly slowed down my computer. I uninstalled SS temporarily and things seemed to improve, but I reinstalled to insure better Spyware protection. Next, I will try removing the Trend Secure feature that pops up with the TM main console, but this will require a regedit.

Simply closing the the Trend Secure panel does not suffice since it remains as an oinker running in the background. I have also prevented Adobe Photo Elements 4 from loading at startup, because I think this program can also be a hog, but I could be wrong.

Have others had this problem with the new installation and upgrade of SS, which also doubles the requirement for RAM?

My RAM: 256 (the minimum required for successful running of the newer version of SS).

Any other suggestions for this quasi-novice computer user who is submitting her first post? Thanks for your help.

 

Oops. Make that 1G of RAM.

 

I have not run into any computer speed problems with the new Spysweeper build, Jackie. Lucky I guess.

But in my opinion

Seems to me it's primary function is something you have already probably suspected. An advertisement for Webroot's new Antiviral Potential (at extra cost of course). On the home page they give it a big rectangle and an option to upgrade to the service. On the sweep page they make it clear the virus sweep is off. At the bottom of the shields page they make it clear that the antivirus option offers some nifty new shields. And so on...

In the previous build, I could include a rootkit scan in quick sweeps . They took under two minutes,and still grabbed all the same cookies that a full scan reveals. Now you have to choose a custom scan for rootkits...and here's where things really slow down in the new version for me. Instead of 2 minutes, "custom scans" take 17 or 18 on my system now.

Me, I'm probably just going to go back to the old build. Nahh, actually I am going to see how I get along without spysweeper altogether.

SS is a good program. And I would recommend it to anyone with a clearly infested system. But it finally dawned on me that I have been using it to scan for over two years, and it has yet to find anything but cookies. Now I am glad that's all it found, but I really don't think I need it.

Good luck with fine tuning your programs!

 

Thanks very much for your reply. Maybe I should uninstall SpySweeper, but is PC-Cillen alone enough to protect my system? So many on this board do not seem to respect Trend Micro's newest security suite, and from some of your previous posts, I don't think you admire it (euphemistically speaking) either.

Of course, I do not have a router or any other protection besides PC-Cillen2007 and SpySweeper. I do have C-Cleaner installed and use that from time to time, but if I remove SS and all I have left to fend off the bad guys is Cillen, I am not sure I would feel very protected. I would feel like David against Goliath without so much as a slingshot.

SS has not removed much, but it has blocked some websites, although lately, it seems TM does that before SS can enter the picture.

I feel like such a novice here, and very much in need of enlightenment.

Thanks again, River Lights.
Jackie

 

Now Jackie, you sure you aren't akin to a hustlin gambler feigning callow?
If you said that at an 8 person poker table, I have a hunch all 7 other players would fold immediately.

Congratulations on your efforts with 2007 Cillin. You have been much more tenacious and forgiving with that program than I managed to be. You must be known far and wide among family and friends as a very patient person.



If your system is running well now...you're happy with Cillin and spysweeper...I'd just say then let it go. Your protection is fine.

However if you get to the point where you know all the kids' names of a dozen or so techs, you might want to rethink your loyalty to those programs. Everybody needs some computer protection nowadays; but we all know the attempted cures can rapidly become far worse than most of the potential diseases. Like spending 6 weeks on the rack in hopes of avoiding poor posture.


I am probably more of a computer security novice than you...but I have a few opinions. MANY here will most likely disagree.

Are you more protected by adding spysweeper to your Cillin? I would say not much. The common wisdom is to use a couple antispyware programs. I have known some that use as many as 7. I am not sure adding scanners really raises detection rates much at all.

The common wisdom is also that using two sets of antispyware shields is an invitation to conflicts. That one I believe. It probably is. Sometimes anyway.

I just made a wild guess to myself that probably over 95% of malware on the web comes from only 5% of the web sites. Then I googled and darn if MIT didn't do a study last May along the same lines..and they agree. They say about 5% of sites are dangerous....and they would rank a couple percent more as worthy of caution. Jackie, I am just guessing, but I doubt you visit many if any of those sites. But even on those sites, a good suite...I believe they are mostly stronger nowadays...would block or discover most of the crimeware headed your way.

If you avoid file swapping and bootlegging with web nomads. Or IMing with hackers that think The Matrix was a documentary Or heading to a linked site from some unknown email. Or downloading odd files from strangers etc, and do all the basics like keeping your updates current. And scheduling regular scans. ( they sure do not have to be daily).... And you probably do avoid those things and do those things..... Then you should be OK.

Me, I may not really need it, but I setup a router with a hardware firewall, and I run my system behind it using the 2007 Norton Internet Security suite.
The hardware firewall is just an extra levee.

I use suites in an attempt to avoid conflicts - but many...maybe most...prefer looking for best of breed separates.

I like norton very much. Also tried and liked kis 6. Will stick with norton. I tried 2007 Cillin (as you know). Didn't care for it myself.....but it is your system.....so of course it is what works for YOU that counts.

Best of luck in all your security experiences and decisions, Jackie.

 

I'm having these slow problems with IE 6 and outlook.

Maybe they will update this new version of Spysweeper?

 

Are you running the fairly new 5.2.3 build 2120 version? This version doubles the minimum RAM requirements from 128 to 256.

These are some of the things I have tried that might help you. Consider removing the splash screen display that you see pop up on your desktop at startup. You might also disable some of the less significant shields--ad sites and tracking cookies. A tech told me using the keylogger also slows the process, and he suggested not running it if I was having problems with it slowing my system. The newest version requires a custom sweep setup to use keylogger anyway, so if you are using the default, you are already not running it.

If your system is slow starting, you might also opt to remove SS from you start up page and manually turn it on later. Others use SS for scanning, but they turn off the shields from running in the background.

Have you run a defrag on your system? That might also speed things up a bit.


Good luck,
Jackie