Help! Cannot connect to Spybot Servers

[CrouchingRooster]

I can't connect to any Spybot servers to udpate my defs....
Can somebody help me out? I tried to select a server but there was none to be selected.

[md usa spybot fan]

I tried to select a server but there was none to be selected.
After you go into Spybot > Update (left pane), you must click the "Search for Updates" button (right pane) and download a file named spybotsd.ini before the second button in the right pane changes from "No server selected" to a list of servers.

If the download of the spybotsd.ini file fails you should normally get a error message of some type.

Please post any error messages you are getting or if you are not getting any error messages, please go into Spybot > Update (left pane) > on the Update screen click the "Show log" button (right pane) > then scroll to the bottom of the list and highlight a portion of the log that shows the update attempt (left click and drag), then right click the highlight portion of the log and select Copy. Paste (Ctrl+V) the log entries to another post in this thread.

[CrouchingRooster]

Getting error retrieving update info file!
Socket Error # 10061
connection refused.

Any help would be appreciated.

[md usa spybot fan]

CrouchingRooster:

The primary causes of most Socket Errors during the Spybot update are firewalls and proxy servers.

Do you have a firewall? If you have a firewall:
You must authorize SpybotSD.exe to access the internet through your firewall. If you have a firewall and are not sure if that is the cause of the problem, you could (for a short period) disable the firewall and see if the updates work properly.
Are you sitting behind a proxy server? If you are sitting behind a proxy server:
Go into Spybot > Mode > Advanced mode > Settings > Settings. About 2/3 of the way down the option tree there is a category "Web update". Check the last item in the list "Use proxy to connect to update server". A pop-up will come up were you can enter the information required.

If you are sitting behind a proxy server and need to know what the settings should be, there are hints in the following article on how to find them:
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
The integrated update is not working. Are there any solutions for this?
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/10.html
__________________

However, the resolution of Socket Error # 10061 in many cases does not seem to fit this simple solution based on a firewall or proxy server preventing access. To the best of my knowledge the cause of and cure for Socket Error # 10061 has never been definitively determined (many people don't post the results of there findings). There were two posts that seem to indicate that uninstalling and reinstalling Spybot-S&D cleared the problem:
Error 10061 Again!
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=2550
error#10061
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=5497
Notes on uninstalling:
How to uninstall
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=howto&detail=uninstall
If you attempt to uninstall and reinstall and it works to resolve the problem, please post back and confirm that is a viable solution for a Socket Error # 10061.

__________________

If you are unable to get updates via Spybot's integrated update facility you can manually download and execute a program (spybotsd_includes.exe) that will update the detection files. The file is currently updated weekly about the same time as the weekly updates are made to Spybot's integrated update facility. The download is located here:
Downloads - The home of Spybot-S&D!
http://www.spybot.info/en/download/index.html
The item is:
Detection updates 2007-04-25 - product description
md5: 6467AB946E12E418AC8CF00CF8FFE1A0

This updates the detection rules. Only needed if you do not want to use the update function integrated into Spybot-S&D.
The direct download for the spybotsd_includes.exe file is:
http://www.spybotupdates.com/updates/files/spybotsd_includes.exe
Also note:

There are also two other updates that should do to bring the Tools.dll and the advcheck.dll up to date. They are both located on the same download page referenced above. The items are:
Tools update 2007-01-12 - product description
md5: 0E4EDF1C77F4992736F4444C86A50BD3

Only needed if you do not use the integrated update.


Advanced check library update 2007-01-19 - product description
md5: 86591705A1D43E8F231364BC69B82D83

This is an update for a detection library. Only needed if you do not want to use the update function integrated into Spybot-S&D.
Also note that unless the update for either the "Tools update" or the "Advanced check library" update changes, it is not necessary to update these files weekly.