Immunize Hangs After Installing SpyBot 1.5.2

[drragostea]

Sadly, no. Spybot is not "configured" like other anti-spyware programs like AdAware that enable quick or deep scan.

The average scan time (fastest) would be around 20-35 minutes. This depends on the number of files on the computer.

However, scan times are drastically improved and is much faster in upcoming release Spybot-SD v.1.6.

[Grinch80]

The advice in this thread has been quite good, but I have an easier way for you Deltona in the future. FYI, I use Spybot, SpywareBlaster, & Spy Sweeper together, but don't use the hosts file at all (totally locked).

I had the same problems as you, not just with immunizing Spybot, but also SpywareBlaster (when I check one for an update, I always check the other). Took me a while to figure it out, but now I have a simple process I follow.

You don't need to disable all the Spy Sweeper shields. Just right-click Spy Sweeper in the icon bar and shut it down. Then update/immunize Spybot. Reboot (you can't for some reason reload Spy Sweeper after shutting it down w/o a reboot). Done.

Much easier then disabling all your shields in SpySweeper. Hope this helps.

[drragostea]

Shutting down ALL of the shields may be tedious (maybe) by it's well worth the chance of not rebooting.

What's the point of using the HOSTS file when you are preventing any program from accessing it by locking it down?

With the exception of malware redirection.

[wyrmrider]

He doesn't use the host file at all
Why?
Did posters to this thread update to 1.6 yet?

[honda12]

Did posters to this thread update to 1.6 yet?

I have downloaded and installed Spybot S&D 1.6 as soon as it was released in the way described in these posts

Heres the mirror download link: http://www.spybot.info/en/mirrors/index.html

He doesn't use the host file at all
Why?

I don't know, but a common reason is that the Host file can slow down some pcs, especially if they are over 135kb in size

[drragostea]

Hm, that's what I keep thinking. I don't use extra software like hostsman or HPHosts. However, I noticed that my HOSTS file size has been in the 240's kB.

[blues]

it doesnt hurt to disable the dns client, but i dont know if someone MAY lose their connection to the internet when doing that. when i use all the hostsfiles i use and have the dns client enabled then my computer is unusable. and when hitting the backbutton on some site where some content is blocked, i must hit it several times when the dns client is enabled, but with hostsman the backbutton problem disappears. my hostsfile is 2202 kb big.

[drragostea]

Hm, I used to experience the same problem some weeks ago where some pages would not load. I center-clicked the page (tabbed browsing) and it came up as blank.

A 2MB HOSTS file... seems a big large.

It sounds like you're adding 100,000 sites than 10,000.

[cwb1014]

Earlier today, I upgraded to 1.6 from whatever version immediately preceded it. When I attempted to immunize on one of my computers, the process began normally but very soon kept running and running without making any progress. The only way to end this endless futile process was to shut S&D down completely from Task Manager (clicking on the X in the upper-right-hand corner of the program's interface window did absolutely nothing--immunization just kept chugging along and going absolutely nowhere).

I then decided to remove all traces of S&D from my computer using the instructions at http://www.spybot.info/en/howto/uninstall.html. Everything proceeded well until I attempted to run the remove-spybotsd-settings file which I downloaded from the "this very small fix" link (= http://www.safer-networking.org/file...d-settings.reg) on the page. When I double-clicked on this file and then clicked Run on the dialog box that popped up, I got a message from Microsoft (I'm using Windows XP Pro) telling me "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel."

Can someone here please tell me how to get this file to work so that I can rid of all traces of prior installations of S&D? Once I've done that, I'll reinstall 1.6and hopefully immunization will no longer hang.

Also, if anyone has any other ideas as to how to prevent immunization from hanging once I've got 1.6 reinstalled, please let me know.

Look forward to hearing from someone soon and many thanks in advance for any help that anyone here may be able to offer.

============

P.S., On an unrelated matter, this is the 2nd time I've composed this post. The first time, I was presented with exactly the same interface I'm using to compose this one, composed it in its entirety, clicked preview, and then clicked Preview Post. At that point, I was told that I was not logged in and lost the entire post which I'd composed. Perhaps someone here could get that problem fixed so that future posters don't have to compose a lengthy post only to lose it in its entirety when they attempt to preview it because they're not logged in (if they weren't logged in, how did they get access to the interface in the first place???).

[drragostea]

I have a solution to completely remove Spybot traces and start a fresh install.

Install Revo Uninstaller, and run it in Advanced Mode. If Spybot tells to reboot, do not. Then delete the registry keys found.

Reboot and run the 'small fix'. If you did it correctly...
-The small fix should

• downloaded directly to the desktop
• Right-click and click MERGE

I don't think you're suppose to "run" it.
--
http://www.revouninstaller.com/
--

Then install Spybot-SD 1.6.

P.S. If it says you are not logged on, then just log on. Say like you have the post then click POST. Fill in the username and password, then the post will be posted under your username.

If this doesn't work copy and paste your response.