right click icon to add allhives doesn't work

[redleaf]

Hello!

I wasn't able to find the answer to my problem in any related threads found in my search or in your auto-search when posting a new thread, Sorry.

I'm new at this so my difficulty may be due to a misunderstanding of how things work.

I have a partitioned hard drive and several mobile drives attached to my pc. I wanted Spybot to scan them all. Only my C drive has WinXP installed.

I right clicked on the icon in my tray to type in "/Allhives". What I get is a pop-up list of functions, not a command line, so I can't do it.

1. Am I right clicking on the wrong thing? Is a tray shortcut different from a link/icon? If it is, what and where is the link/icon?

2. Will Spybot scan other drives where Windows isn't installed?

3. Is there any point to scanning such drives for spyware and usage tracks? Do these things only infect drives in which windows is installed?

4. If it makes sense to scan these other drives, how can I set up my Spybot to do this?

I hope I'm not looking too duh today. My thanks to anyone who can answer these questions.

[md usa spybot fan]

redleaf:

1. Create a shortcut on your desktop for Spybot. Right click on the shortcut and select Properties. In the Target field add the parameter, i.e.:

• "C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SpybotSD.exe" /allhives

Since you only have one OS the /allhives parameter will not do you much good. From the following thread:

• Scan a hard drive that is in an enclosure
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=16753

… Using /allhives makes sure that even the registry of inactive installations gets scanned. …

More on the /allhives parameter here:

• /allhives switch doesn't detect inactive Win
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=21231

2. Only if they are pointed to by things in your OS or you add them for a special directory scan. There is a special scan for Spyware installers (files not installed yet) that can be limited to specific directories (actually it should be limited). To activate this feature go into Spybot > Mode > Advanced mode > Settings > Directories and add directories. There is more on what this feature scans for here:

• Why does Spybot-S&D find so many Spyware installers / how is that Download directories setting used?
  http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/15.html

3. There isn't too much use in scanning auxillary drives for spyware since spyware has to be active for it to really be spyware.

4. There are no settings within Spybot to scan secondary or externals drives. In fact unlike anti-virus programs and some other anti-spyware programs, Spybot does not do an in-depth scan of every file on the primary drive. For a brief description of how Spybot scans see:

• Why is Spybot-S&D so fast?
  http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/1.html

[redleaf]

Wow that was fast. Thank you very much. I cleaned all icons from my desktop and hid the trash icon, as I have them in other places that don't make for so much visual clutter. I can temporarily 'unhide' the desktop and create a shortcut to which I can add the parameter. But do I then have to keep that shortcut and use it to open up Spybot? If I delete it and use my tray icon, will it delete the parameter?

I followed the links and learned a quite lot! Thanks again.

Edit: Ha! I just read your signature, 'Getting an answer is one thing ...' -how true.

[md usa spybot fan]

redleaf:

If you don't like shortcuts on your desktop, you can put the shortcut anywhere you want. You can also go into Start > Run, type the following and start it from there:

• "C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SpybotSD.exe" /allhives

I don't know how to alter the right click "Start Spybot-S&D" option in the TeaTimer system tray icon to include the /allhives parameter or if it is even possible.