Uninstalling Spybot Renders External Drive Inoperable

[MICHAELMMPA]

I use WIndows XP MCE. It all started when I tried to update Spybot. It would fail and I had to do a Windows Restore. Ultimately I decided to REMOVE Spybot. From that point on, plugging my HP external drive into the computer's USB port slowed EVERY PROCESS down (including bootup). SYMPTOMS WERE THE SAME TESTING THE DRIVE WITH TWO COMPUTERS (one NEVER HAD Spybot on it). Device Manager shows the device working; Computer Management shows it healthy and allocated. Windows Explorer doesn't show any files on that drive. HELP!!

[md usa spybot fan]

MICHAELMMPA:

Actually it sounds like a drive problem.

Were you just doing a normal Spybot weekly update or were you upgrading from one version to another? When you attempted to update Spybot what was it failing with and why was it necessary to do a system restore?

Was Spybot actually installed on the external drive?

[MICHAELMMPA]

I was running Spybot when I got the message that there was an update, so i updated. Then, when I tried to run the program it would not run to completion so I hit the "X". Then my daughter would log on to HER side of the computer only to see her wallpaper picture went to the Windows default, and, when she went to read her mail in Outlook, it responded as if it was her first time and asked her if she wanted to make an account.

I may or may not have had a backup of the Spybot install on the H drive.

[md usa spybot fan]

MICHAELMMPA:

Thanks for the additional information.

I use WIndows XP MCE. It all started when I tried to update Spybot. It would fail and I had to do a Windows Restore. …

As it seems now your problem did not start during a Spybot update or due to a failed update.

I was running Spybot when I got the message that there was an update, so i updated. Then, when I tried to run the program it would not run to completion so I hit the "X". Then my daughter would log on to HER side of the computer only to see her wallpaper picture went to the Windows default, and, when she went to read her mail in Outlook, it responded as if it was her first time and asked her if she wanted to make an account. …

If you had rebooted the system at this point everything most likely would have returned to normal. See:

• Spybot Corrupting user profiles
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=25448

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 am still confused about the chronological order of what was done (re: System Restore vs. Spybot uninstall), but I still do not believe that whatever order things were done in that either action could have caused the problem with your USB drive.

As I initially indicated, it sounds like a drive problem.