Help! User's Desktop icons changed w/S&D 1.5.2

[rstrain]

I downloaded 1.5.2 as an update. Now I think I shouldn't have.

Two users on this Emachine with Windows XP 2002, SP2. From my side, I did the download. My side is running fine, no changes to desktop icons. Her side now shows Desktop Icons as of Day One, like she was a brand new user.

What happened? What's the fix? No viruses found. Do I have to do a system restore? Where do I find instructions for that process? Should I uninstall Spybot 1.5.2?

Help is appreciated. I am just a computer user, not an expert.

Thanks,
Train

[129260]

I have a few questions:
1.) A bunch of unrecognized icons, can you be more specific?

2.)Did you install spybot as an administrator?

3.) Is the other account a limited user account or an administrator?

4.) Did the problems occur right after installing spybot?

5.) Have you had spybot before on this machine?

Thanks, get back to me and answer these questions if you can. If need be, i can tell you how to do a system restore, and we can try to install spybot again and see what happens ok? thanks.

[rstrain]

First, I have fixed the problem by running System Restore to the night previous to my download of 1.5.2.

Thank you for your reply and now to answer your questions...

User V's desktop reverted back to essentially day one, as if just starting out as a user on the system.

I did not install Spybot as Administrator...at least not consciously.

Both of us on the computer are logged in as Administrator.

Yes, the problem was noted after the download occurred.

Yes, I've had Spybot for years on all my PCs. I was on 1.4, when I decided to get the Updates. I'll be more careful about this process in the future.

I went to Microsoft and printed the instructions for a System Restore. The first one didn't go back far enough, so I went to a previous day and did it from the User V's side of the computer. Worked then.

Spybot S&D 1.5.2 is still on the system interestingly enough. Someone over on CNET had the same problem, did the restore and still had 1.5.2 on the system.

Maybe the folks here at Spybot could explain somewhere in News or in a forum what gives with this unexpected development when multiple users are on one system.

Thank you for replying and for your offer to help. Much appreciated by me.

Train

[md usa spybot fan]

rstrain:

There have been several reports of User Profiles being corrupted during the running of Spybot 1.5:

• Spybot Corrupting user profiles
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=25448
• User Profiles corrupted
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=26986
• Problem with latest S&D update??
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=27116

Although you did not receive a message indicating that a user profile had been corrupted, I suspect a similar cause to the problem you encountered.

The issue appears to be caused by running a Spybot scan under one user and logging on to another user with the scan is still running. See PepiMK's comment in post #3 of the first thread I referenced:

There is an issue when you kill the Spybot-S&D process and then switch users, or switch users while it is still running, since it's trying to scan those and locking them. After a reboot (or closing Spybot-S&D) it'll be ok again.

That has nothing to do with uninstalling (except that uninstalling will terminate a running Spybot-S&D as well of course).

See also:
Fast User Switching during a scan
Terminal Services & user profiles

__________

I suggest that refrain from switching users during a Spybot 1.5 scan.

[129260]

and see if that helps you.

[sandybeach]

The loss of the alternate desktop profile (other user)(both users are Admin)
occurred upon first restart of XP or accessing non-installing users desktop.
All shown was just generic hill w/ Icons for My comp, Recycle Bin, My Docs (empty except for empty My Music & My Pictures folders). Like a whole new user added.

Only the non-installing users desktop is lost. I did this 2 times (with full un-install methods) with same result except for installing from other desktop on 2nd try.
Install was done after full method un-install of 1.4 including running SD reg clean-up tool before install of downloaded & saved new 1.52 from My Docs location. Other poster, I believe, got 1.52 as part of the usual online updating
where 1.52 was one of the check boxes offered in the update panel. Same result as myself who installed from saved offline .exe.

Wonder if I had placed in "My Computer> Shared Files Folder" instead of either users My Docs or desktop and run from there would it have found BOTH users & gone in having found both users?? I note S&D Icon ONLY on desktop of installing user. Only in programs list of installing user. As if S&D didn't know 2nd user existed. Maybe red herring and would have made no difference?

There was a quick pop-up saying something to effect of : insufficient authority to access....(can't remember / understand the rest).

Hope this sets someone on a better search path!

[rstrain]

rstrain:

There have been several reports of User Profiles being corrupted during the running of Spybot 1.5:

• Spybot Corrupting user profiles
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=25448
• User Profiles corrupted
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=26986
• Problem with latest S&D update??
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=27116

Although you did not receive a message indicating that a user profile had been corrupted, I suspect a similar cause to the problem you encountered.

The issue appears to be caused by running a Spybot scan under one user and logging on to another user with the scan is still running. See PepiMK's comment in post #3 of the first thread I referenced:


__________

I suggest that refrain from switching users during a Spybot 1.5 scan.

Thanks for the info. I read the links.

I uninstalled 1.5.2 then downloaded it without the Root stuff. But when I tried to run it I got another error message and once again User V's profile/desktop was back to Day One.

I was not switching users, btw, while the original scan was taking place.

I was happy with S&D 1.4. But this update is too much trouble to tango with, so I'm uninstalling S&D entirely and moving on. I used it in a limited way for removing tracking cookies, but I'll find another method for addressing that irksome business.

Meanwhile, good luck. Maybe one day there will be a simplified, non-techie version that us simple folk can use without having to join forums to find out why our systems no longer work with your updates.

Thanks,

Train

[dlp-vt]

I've had the same problem experienced by rstrain and used System Restore to resolve it for the time being. I hope someone can describe a true work around. But, in the mean time, I'll continue to use the old (1.4) version.
DLP
(Using Windows XP Home with latest updates. Updated program from account with Admin privileges. That account is fine. Other accounts, either with or without Admin privileges result in "Windows cannot load the locally stored profile" message and then create temporary account)