Webroot Spy Sweeper question

m4dj,

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snowbound

 

1. There is no need for restaring your PC when all RAM is used. Windows starts paging it to "file cache" (memory flushed to disk), just for information on NT-systems it is pagefiles.sys, on 9x- it is called Win386.swp, and there is usually lots of page-file available.

You can set max & min pagefile size in: Control Panel -- System -- Advanced -- Performance - Settings -- Advanced


Of course all this is true only if:

a. you have set your 9x system (at last Windows 9 system.ini line below to:

ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1


b. or if you have set in registry on NT-systems (at last Windows XP):

DisablePagingExecutive entry value to 1 (to keep kernel in RAM till it's full):


... if not then also OS memory is paged to swap all the time.


For DisablePagingExecutive, you can simply copy this lines bellow to empty for example PagingExecutive.txt file, save the content, and rename it to PagingExecutive.reg

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory]
"DisablePagingExecutive"=dword:00000001




2. There are also many RAM flushers there, but since Windows XP do this automaticly, there is no need for them. On the other hand it can be quite useful on old Windows.


Here are few of them:

RAMBooster ... FREEWARE

Hare ... SHAREWARE

Alto Memory Booster ... SHAREWARE

FastDefrag ... SHAREWARE+FREEWARE

Abpmon & TaskInfo ... SHAREWARE+FREEWARE



HTH

 

I just got the updated version thanks to you guys and there are some really good enhancements such as the IE Favourites protection and the start up folder protection etc. Have a good look inside because it's not the same program anymore. Quite a few very good security options have been added which really makes this a lot, lot better than what it used to be. Even when I bookmarked a page it popped up telling me the link that was to be added and asked if I approved or not. It's got a lot of PG features in it that even PG doesn't have (bookmarks & startup folder protection)

One thing. Whenever I tried to do an update the program foze so I guess they may not have released it yet but I got the update by going to their site and entering my purchasing details. I really like this whereas before I just liked it.

No problems with resources at all.

Thanks

Dave

 

Hi WC,

Glad you got the new version, I was wondering if they've added the ability to scan a single file, rather than forcing you to scan the whole drive? Are there any other "new" features you've noticed, now that you've had more time to play with ver. 3?

TIA,

dog -

 

Hi Nice Puppy, (pat! pat!)

If you haven't got this try and get a copy to have a look at. It's really a completely different program with many added features. Yes, there's an option you can add to the right click menu so you can scan any files in Window Explorer. The updates work ok now - they had a problem with their server the other day.

You've got a 1st - bookmark protection. If ANY bookmarks are added a window pops up notifying you and allows you to approve or disapprove. I had many problems where sites would add bookmarks secretly. Not anymore. If they try I can block them. You've got a hosts file shield, an ad shield as well as IE Shield, memory shield, cookie shield and start-up shield. The start up shield will warn you when any new programs start up and offer you the option to stop them. The hosts file shield prevents things like being re-directed to other sites. The IE shield will stop things like your search engine being changed. You also have the normal homepage shield and memory protection. I think they really have tried to improve this and deserve a lot of credit for the work gone into the added security.

I haven't found any prpblems with resources. My PC usually always shows as 0% and even with this it still stays around zero so it's not using up any extra resources and I actually found that my web pages seemed to load much faster. I think that's because some garbage is being filtered out.

As I said, it's a vastly different program than before with much more security and protection as well as features which should be quite pleasing to those who are tired of being hijacked. I'm very happy I bought this. I used Pest Patrol for a year but this is much better and the new version leaves PP for dead as far as I'm concerned.

Dave

 

Hi WC,

Thanks for the update/reveiw

My opinion:

Actual just DL'd and tried the latest (free) version which they finally upgraded from 2.6 to 3, last night ... I like the changes. It will definitly go a long way to protecting the average user that hasn't got any knowledge about computer security. The right click scan feature was needed and greatly improves their product ... the new and improved Tracking Cookie shield is nice and an improvement over the reg. cookie sheild and especial useful to those that don't use (A modified Host, IE-Spyad, and/or SB 3.1) ... Also added a spy installation sheild (like the tea timer, SG 2.2, and SB 3.1 kill bits) is a great add ... other adds that you've also mention ... IE bookmark sheild, Ad sheild and a memory sheild.

Webroot has certainly gone a long way to improve their product, it's definitly a "Two Thumbs UP" rating from me. I like the changes!

dog -

 

I purchased Spy Sweeper V3.0 today and tried to install it on my Windows XP-SP2-RC2 system. It installs okay and even runs; however, Windows Explorer aborts when you try to use Windows Explorer...referencing an error in SHLWAPI.DLL.

This occurs whether the Shields are enabled and running or not. The only way to stop Windows Explorer from aborting is to remove Spy Sweeper.

I had trialed Version 2.6 but it hogged 100% CPU every 20 seconds or so. I contacted Webroot and they said this is fixed in V3.0. It IS NOT fixed. I watched my CPU utilization jump to 75-100% every 20 seconds or so prior to removing Version 3.0.

Anybody running Version 3.0 on Windows XP-SP2-RC2?

 

Hi Siliconman,

Good catch, my first impression on ... will have to be edited ... I just tried the right-click scan feature ... (I comment only on having seeing the option available on the right-click menu) ... your right it does cause windows explorer to abort/crash ... same error here ... referencing : SHLWAPI.DLL ... well that bug will definitely have to be ironed out ... I've sent an email to webroot concern this ... you should as well (if you already haven't).

As for memory usage ... mine is still normal 2 - 4 % ... BTW: running XP home only SP1.

Thanks

dog -

 

I have also downloaded the free version (2.2.0), as a trial before purchase, and my CPU usage is very high every 20-40 seconds. Most things stop, the only way to ease the problem was to stop Spy Sweeper. I sahll give V3 a chance.

Gradders

 

Hi Everyone,

I'm not having any slowdowns whatsoever. It runs silently in the background without any resources being hogged at all. The right click worked perfectly for me also. I'm using XP Home SP1. P4 2.6GHZ with HT.

It did used to slow down my OLD PC (433mhz) so I got a refund and when I got my new PC I bought it again and it works beautifully. I've got plenty of ram too so maybe if you don't have much ram or have a slow processor it would probably have an impact.

SP2 might not yet have all the bugs ironed out yet because I have no problem with SP1.

Dave

 

Well, I have a 2.6 ghertz Pentium IV with 1.5 gbytes DRAM. So memory and CPU speed are not a factor. BTW to view the CPU spikes, I am using Task Manager and the Performance tab.

Sure wish Webroot tech support would at least acknowledge they receive support request emails. I dislike not knowing whether an email went into the wild blue...wait, wait.

 

Webroot issued a revised Build for Version 3.0.0 on 4-July-04. It corrected the problem of Windows Explorer aborting. It looks like the "right click scanning" in Windows Explorer was eliminated. At least it does not show up on the right click list.

CPU utilization surges to 100% every 20+ seconds if the Memory Scan Shield is active, so no improvement is incorporated in the new build. The other shields do not seem to be causing any problems.

It is also causes a kernel32.dll fault when AOL FanFare is activated to run ac_media for listening to AOL Radio. This only occurs if Spy Sweeper is active in memory. I can kill Spy Sweeper, load in AOL FanFare, and then reactivate Spy Sweeper and all is okay.

Granted AOL FanFare is Beta; however, it seems like Spy Sweeper 3.0.0 is just as "Beta". AOL FanFare works well without Spy Sweeper running.

 

I upgraded to v3.0 last week. No problems with it. Never noticed any CPU spike. The right click scan feature is still there. Never noticed on my last version (v2.6). I gave it a try, and seems to work fine. I noticed that it doesn't scan filles, but only folders. Is that correct?

 

Ah, you're right. It does scan only folders. I was trying to right click it for individual files and there was no "Sweep for Spyware". Right click scanning does work for folders on my system with no problems.

The CPU utilization spiking is very similiar to what was happening on early versions of TrojanHunter (pre-version 3.5). Some systems were affected adversely, others were not. Magnus got it fixed in version 3.5 or 3.6...I don't remember which. Hopefully Webroot will attack the problem promptly and get it corrected too.

 

I have a prblem with spy sweeper beta 4.0. It installs about 107 temp files which i can't get rid of . They come up when i run it or when spyware boots up at startupp. Ifi don;'t allowit to startup no temps if i start spy they come up . Any suggestion Thanks

 

Can you not go back to SS 3.5 until beta is finished? I also trialed SS 4.0 but Nod32 F/Ped a SS 4.0 file. Since then I got a message that SS installer 4.0 was damaged. I re-installed SS 3.5 and for now all is well.

As a side note SpySweeper 3.5 unearthed files connected to spyware that CounterSpy, Spyware Doctor and Ad-aware missed. That is why I stuck with SpySweeper.

 

V4.0.1.331 is available as the public release of Spy Sweeper. There is no beta anymore. Problems exist in this public release (see other thread on SS).