MS Message: System Settings Protector has encounted a problem and needs to close

andre.ledo:

Evidentially there was a problem with the installation or updating of Spybot. TeaTimer.exe should reside in the same directory as the rest of Spybot's programs. i.e.:

• %ProgramFiles%\Spybot - Search & Destroy

On English language systems that would be:

• C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy

On Portuguese language systems that would be:

• C:\Prg Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy

It appears that your problem may be that the startup entry for TeaTimer.exe is pointing to:

• C:\Prg Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy

And the TeaTimer.exe program is in:

• C:\Prg Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Update

__________

I suggest that uninstall Spybot and reinstall. To uninstall see the following article:

• FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
  How to uninstall?
  http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html

I also suggest that you download and execute this very small fix on that page to ensure that regitry entries are cleared before reinstalling.

• The direct download link is:
  this very small fix
  --- or ---
  remove-spybotsd-settings.reg
• Download the file.
• Double click on it
• Answer Yes then OK.

I have followed this thread with interest, as I have the same problem as described. I've followed the full uninstall process described in the post above, rebooting between each stage, and then reinstalled the latest version of Spybot. Observations:

1. When the latest version of SpyBot is installed, Teatimer works fine.

2. When the "Update" feature is invoked, there are 5 updates waiting - including one for Teatimer. Once this is installed Teatimer fails to start at the next boot, because of the errors described earlier in this thread.

Conclusion:
There is a fault in the latest update of Teatimer.

Questions:
1. Why have I (an inexperienced user) had to go to all this trouble to prove what seems to be blindingly obvious?
2. What is being done to fix it?

_____________
Win XP HE, SP3

MD USA:

I did everything as you told me, but it's still crashing, just like before.

The 1st thing that crashes is the Windows Explorer, followed by Teatimer.

After installation, I can see a dialog box that starts with "step 3 of 7" (create a registry backup) and finishes with "step 4 of 7" (download updates).

After that, SB S&D and TeaTimer closes and both don't restart.

What about steps 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 of 7?

TeaTimer is installed again (by auto installer) in Updates subfolder.

And again I can see two entries for TeaTimer in SB S&D system startup progs list.

I'm still worried about this...as I'm still looking for a solution...

Tanx for your attention to my problem.

Hello Peter,

Several users have reported this problem and we search for things in common.
All use Windows XP with Service Pack 3. All use Spybot. But lot of others do this also and do not get this error.
So there has to be something else.

Do you have any other security software installed?
Perhaps there is something with the hardware of your pc.
Which pc do you have?
A special brand?
What kind of processor do you have?
How much RAM do you have?
Do you have any other hardware like a tv card?

Thanks for working with us on this issue. :-)

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

Hello,

Could you please do the following for us?

1. Send us your teatimer.exe to: detections(at)spybot.info .
2. Open the update folder ( c:\programme\spybot - search & destroy\updates ) and start the teatimer161.exe from there and install it.
Is the error still present?

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

Done and sent as requested Sandra.

error still persists :sad:

Hi, Sandra.

Thanks for your attention to my problem.

Answering your questions:

Q: Do you have any other security software installed?
A: Yes. ZoneAlarm 7.0.483.000, Avast! Home Edition 4.8 and Windows Defender 1.1.1593.0. All working fine together with SB S&D until last update.

Q: Perhaps there is something with the hardware of your pc.
Which pc do you have? A special brand?
A: Acer TravelMate 2200 Series notebook. Nothing special. Just a little old stuff...

Q: What kind of processor do you have? How much RAM do you have? Do you have any other hardware like a tv card?
A: Intel Celeron D 2.8 MHz, 768 DDR SDRAM PC2700 133MHz (64MB of this amount to video), no TV card, no other hardware.

I'm sending you my TeaTimer to detections@spybot.info.

When I click in TeaTimer.exe from its folder it start, but when I restart the system the error is still present.

Best Regards,

André Ledo

WinXP SP3 HE

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by andre.ledo

Q: Do you have any other security software installed?
A: Yes. ZoneAlarm 7.0.483.000, Avast! Home Edition 4.8 and Windows Defender 1.1.1593.0. All working fine together with SB S&D until last update.

---

Spybot Sandra, I wanted to add that i have the exact same software as what that user has quoted above, and i do not experience this teatimer issue that some people are experiencing. Therefor, I can assume that that specific software is not what is causing it. It's a rough assume, haha, but I do not have this teatimer error with the same software. System specs are in sig.

Also i have the same video card memory, and almost the same ram as the user stated above as well. I just have a little bit of a slower processor...

I had the 'System Settings Protection has encountered a problem and needs to close' error message for the first time two days ago, not yesterday, when everything ran as normal, and again today.

Neither Spybot S&D nor TeaTimer are now running in processes. I have no tray icon.

I am running Windows XP SP2. Spybot Version 1.6 0.31 in advanced mode as previously advised.
I have made NO changes, apart from updating detections, nor have I installed any hew programs.

I was going to uninstall/reinstall, but I see from several previous posts that this has no effect so would be a pointless exercise.

Hello,

As you are not getting the error anymore now.... did you change anything in Spybot or your pc?

For all the others:

It would help us if you can do the following:
Rightclick on "my computer" -> "properties".
Choose advanced.
And then "performance".
Under "virtual memory" choose "changed".
Under custom size in the upper field enter a solid value.
Use the same value in the field below it.

Thanks. :-)

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot