!!!Bad Checksum! error message

[kstolte]

While attempting to run updates to the Spybot Search & Destroy, lately, I am getting the following error messages for Detection Rules and English language i.e.: !!!Bad Checksum!

I am running on Windows 98. I have Norton SystemWorks 2005, Norton Personal Firewall 2005, Spyware Doctor, aD-aWARE SE Personal, ccleaner, and Spyblaster.

Daily I run a combination of these including Spybot including Spybot-SD Resident. Spyware Doctor is consistently finding the trojan named Trojan.StartPage.Gen. We are running AIM and everytime it launches, the Trojan is introduced. None of the other programs are finding the problem - thought Spyware doctor is detecting it and cleaning it, it is not protecting against it.

I suspect that the fact that I am getting the error is negating the ability for the Spybot program to find the problem. Please advise

[kstolte]

I did a search on Bad Checksum and the item below fixed my problem.

"Bad Checksum" problems can be overcome in most cases by changing the download server (site) as follows:
Do not click "Search for Updates" again.
Using the pull-down site selection menu (between the "Search for Updates" and "Download Updates" buttons) select another server.
After changing the download server click "Download Updates" again.
If you get another "Bad Checksum", repeated Steps 2 & 3 (using a 3rd or 4th server if necessary) until all updates are received.

[masu1]

is there a chance that next version will fix this problem?

[Sword]

also you can select only one update from list this also helps

[md usa spybot fan]

Originally Posted by masu1

is there a chance that next version will fix this problem?

re: Bad Checksum

I don’t believe that any software change can totally "… fix this problem". The primary cause of Bad Checksums does not lie in a software defect but in the volume of downloads.

The update process starts with a download of a control file from either security.kolla.de (Spybot 1.3) or www.safer-networking.org (Spybot 1.4). The control file (spybotsd.ini) contains information about the available download sites and the available update files. Each of the update files has a MD5 hash value associated with it in the control file. After each of the various update files is downloaded, the MD5 hash value of the downloaded file is compared to the known MD5 hash value from the control file. If there is a discrepancy you get a Bad Checksum error.

The cause of "Bad Checksum" errors can be because the download servers have not been update properly with the latest updates, which has happened in the past, but the main cause of the problem is that the download servers are overloaded and either timeout during the update process or limit transmissions because bandwidth restrictions are invoked on that server.

There was a software change made between Spybot 1.3 and Spybot 1.4 that helps reduce the probability of getting Bad Checksum errors. In Spybot 1.3 the first server was always selected as the default server and therefore by default placed the heaviest load on that server. Spybot 1.4 randomly selects the default server.

The size of the detection file has doubled since the introduction of Spybot 1.4 and the updates have gone from an average of twice a month to every week. If you assume that everyone is downloading every update the load on the servers is 433% of what it was just six and a half months ago, without taking into consideration any increase in the number of Spybot users.

The bottom line is that Bad Checksum errors are not a software defect but a resource problem. You can help this problem by not wasting bandwidth by upgrading to Spybot 1.4 and/or selecting an appropriate download site before starting the download. If you’re a corporate user do the right thing and get a licensed copy if the Spybot S&D Intranet Server. And if you can afford it, contribute to the cause with a donation because bandwidth costs money.