View Full Version : Spybot 1.5 still does not detect cookies in Vista and IE7
Hello. I have installed the new Spybot 1.5 hoping that it would be able to detect and remove cookies in Vista, IE7 during an on-demand scan. Unfortunately it just does not detect anything. I am not willing to use resident utilities like teatimer. Spybot used to detect and remove cookies just fine in XP but does not seem to handle that part in Vista. What could be the problem?
spybotsandra
2007-09-04, 11:52
Hello,
Please run Spybot - Search & Destroy and switch to "Advanced mode" via the menu bar item "Mode" and select "Settings" --> "File Sets" in the left bar. There, please right-click somewhere into the list and choose "select all available checks".
Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot
I did as you suggested but still no cookies are detected. In addition, cookies check was selected by default so I don't think that is the problem.
If that can help when spybot finishes the first long check and reaches the tracking/favorites/ie check it just completes it in an instant which leads me to believe it somehow ignores it. On the other hand, the last three checks took some time in XP.
Are you speaking about Cookies as part of Usage Tracks, or Cookies as part of the malware scan?
I just tried the first one of those, and cookies were immediately found on Vistas IE7. You can download our BrowserCI tool (somewhere here on the forum, just use the search function) to see what exactly Spybot-S&D detects (hmmm that reminds me tjaz I need to upload an updated BrowserCI version).
Cookies as in tracking cookies. Spybot Detects zero on Vista/IE7. I was running ad-watch on XP/IE6 and Spybot still detected one or two cookies every month.
Now I am using Windows Defender. I am sure there should be at least several cookies because tools like Spy Sweeper detected the cookies but caused other severe issues and that's why I uninstalled it.
What I am saying is that currently Spybot cannot handle IE7/Vista as part of the last three checks during which it detected cookies in XP. The bottom line is that it somehow cannot detect cookies in Vista.
What I am saying is that currently Spybot cannot handle IE7/Vista as part of the last three checks during which it detected cookies in XP. The bottom line is that it somehow cannot detect cookies in Vista.
As I said, please test BrowserCI (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=17548)
Also, regarding tracking cookies, see our FAQ or any of a dozen posts each week probably ;) In our opinion, detection of tracking cookies is something that many anti-spywares use to scare users only (you know, the "usual" "A DOZEN BAD THINGS DETECTED, YOU NEED TO BUY OUR SOFTWARE" message by rogues) - if you would set your browser to not accept third party cookies at all, the problem would be gone anyway ;)
But disabling third-party cookies would mean that all my forum and other websites logins would be gone. No way I am doing this.
So you are saying that tracking cookies are negligible? Why does spybot detect them on XP then? You decided that they are no more an issue in Vista?
This all seems strange to me, that's all. I am sorry but I only wanted to point to a problem that seems relevant to me. I am also not sure if spybot checks for browser hijacks because I don't know if it checks IE7 at all as it just blazes through the browser tests which didn't happen on IE6. Thanks for your replies.
Please provide information whether BrowserCI sees those cookies are not! I'm asking the third time now!
(edit: that's vey important because it has exactly the same code as Spybot-S&D, so it's a clear indicator whether our code is able to see these cookies or not)
I also told you I tested it on Vista and it still works, and now you're putting words into my mouth that we would have decided they're not an issue there? I did already say that it's all in the FAQ (#37) (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/37.html)...
md usa spybot fan
2007-09-04, 14:11
doomer:
But disabling third-party cookies would mean that all my forum and other websites logins would be gone. No way I am doing this.
Third-party cookies, also referred to as Tracking Cookies, are cookies stored on your computer by a third-party not directly related to the web site you're currently viewing. The intention of this type of cookie is to profile the user's surfing habits by tracking your movement as you surf between sites. If any transaction occurs where the user gives any personal info, then the tracking becomes personally identifiable. While tracking cookies may not be as insidious type of malware, they are definitely spies.
Blocking third-party cookies should not affect the cookies that you store containing forum pointers nor will it affect the AutoComplete password function.
Yes, md usa spybot fan is absolutely right - if you're visiting forum.example.com, all the cookies for example.com would still be allowed, but if example.com had advertisement from annoyingadserver.com, any cookie from annoyingadserver.com would be blocked for this website (annoyingadserver.com is a third party for example.com - example.com itself is NOT a third party for itself ;) ).
Please provide information whether BrowserCI sees those cookies are not! I'm asking the third time now!
(edit: that's vey important because it has exactly the same code as Spybot-S&D, so it's a clear indicator whether our code is able to see these cookies or not)
I also told you I tested it on Vista and it still works, and now you're putting words into my mouth that we would have decided they're not an issue there? I did already say that it's all in the FAQ (#37) (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/37.html)...
No need to go mad.
I started BrowserCI. On the left tab it displays several s-1-15-x entries, my username registry key and .default registry key. On the right info tab there are green ticks for everything in internet explorer. If I click on cookies/history/cache it displays blank fields. Bookmarks and start pages display my bookmarks and my start pages.
That's all. Once again I am saying that there is no need to get mad about this. I was just trying to help by pointing out an obvious issue, not present in XP. I could have as well not posted anything. Please, be kind in the future.
It seems I won't get any help with this issue. That's funny because one would think Spybot cared about its users with all those quotes on the front page. Anyway, just forget I ever mentioned it. I'm sorry for your inconvenience and thanks for nothing. I'll just not use spybot on vista anymore as it is obviously not compatible with it.
Sure, because you're the only user who has reporting this, it's sooo obvious that Vista isn't supported :funny:
Come on, it's not even been 24 hours since your yesterdays post. With companies like Adobe, where you pay 2000 bucks for a product, you have to wait 10 days for an answer from support, and here, where you pay nothing, you complain about less than 24 hours?
And btw, I cannot reproduce your problems, since BrowserCI shows me IE cookies without any problems on Vistas IE7 for my profile (the current users profile is usually the last one in the list, with a plaintext name) - the same way it did during tests. If you're the only one where it shows, that sounds very much like a very specific problem and not some obvious...
Okay, no problem. No offence meant. I am sorry for reporting it but it just seems a problem with spybot because everything else on my vista (compatible software) runs fine. As I said, just forget about my issue. I didn't mean to make a fuss about it.
I will stick with windows defender. I have no problems with it. Thanks for all your replies. :)
md usa spybot fan
2007-09-05, 18:38
doomer:
If you actually have Tracking Cookies that are not currently being detected by Spybot-S&D and were detected in the past by Spybot-S&D under a different OS and/or Internet Explorer version, it would be extremely helpful if you cited specific examples.
Since it appears that not only do you use Spybot-S&D but also other antispyware products, it is possible that those other products are blocking or eliminating the Tracking Cookies before Spybot-S&D attempts to scan for them. If there is a defect within Spybot-S&D when running under Window Vista with IE 7 in detecting the Tracking Cookies, than it would be helpful if you provided addition information such as the Tracking Cookies it missing during a scan (see Note #1).
Note #1: Spybot-S&D no longer adds all Tracking Cookies to its database for detection and elimination:
See:
Why do other anti-spyware applications detect so many more tracking cookies? (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=faq&detail=37)
To tell you truth, I am not sure if there should be more cookies. I think windows defender is doing its job. What's more my Internet Explorer 7 is set to Medium, the description of which says that it blocks almost all third-party cookies, if not all.
The reason I think there may be more cookies is because when I installed Spy Sweeper, it detected about 40 cookies and deleted them. But as I already said it causes other severe issues, is very resource-demanding, and installs about 3 services, a driver and what not. Naturally, I uninstalled it. Then, I decided to try Spyware Doctor. As a matter of fact, it looks almost identical to sweeper, again with 3 services and a driver, and again it cleaned about 30 cookies but still caused severe issues, and I uninstalled it too.
At this point, I feel reluctant to try more anti-spyware solutions besides defender, which I am already using, and spybot. I also do not want to try Ad-Aware 2007 because from what I read in their forums, it also looks like a disaster, and again installs a permanent service. I used to run Ad-Aware 1.06 on XP, and it did a fine job, but I just don't think AAW 2007 will be worth it.
That's about it, now I am using Defender, Avast (which works really good with vista), and spybot. And that's why I decided to try and post about the cookie issues in these forums. I also know that tracking cookies aren't really dangerous, but still I could do without them. That's what I can say right now.