Uninstall Question

[pat57]

Hi

Running WinXP. I currently have S&D version 1.4. Lately when I run scans, I keep getting messages (almost at the end of the scans) that there is a problem in the include file. I am fairly naive when it comes to encountering a problem so after reading some opinions on the subject, I have come to the conclusion that I should uninstall and install 1.5 (the current version). My question is if I uninstall my current version using the Add/Remove in the control panel, will it completely remove all traces of it? I have heard that you should also remove the registry keys that it leaves behind. Is this true? How important is it to have those removed? or would it be ok to just uninstall it and then go ahead and install the new version? Thanks for helping me!

[drragostea]

Well, technically you can't really remove "traces" of the includes file. It's just a incompatibility of newer updates for version 1.4 The latest version would be 1.5.2.20.
--
Please download the latest version at:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html
--
And about that fix...
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html
--

In all that passage of gibberish, :P, in English, first:
-Disable SDHELPER and TEATIMER.
-Undo the immunization. You can patch it up once Spybot is upgraded.
-Click on "this small fix" and save it directly to your desktop. After that right-click on the fix and click MERGE.

Install, update, and immunize. You are good to go.

[caterwaul]

On the uninstall instructions there is a reference to the
Application Data Folder" which is hidden that contains the backup (the quarantined files) that Spybot-S&D creates. Clearly if these files are deleted and the user only intends to UPGRADE then the user can no longer "restore" their computer to a previous state if these files are DELETED.

I can see the utility to REMOVE these files if a user does NOT INTEND TO UPGRADE and ONLY WANTS TO NOT USE SPYBOT ANYMORE.

But if a user is actually UPGRADING to a NEWER VERSION is it recommended to keep these "BACKUP FILES AND FOLDERS" (so that the user can "undo" to a prior state?

The question remains do NEW VERSIONS USE THE SAME BACKUP FILES?

One can see that the part of the uninstall section of the page I am referring to is really SEPERATE from the uninstall and UPGRADE SECTION of the page as it is mentioned further down without any reference to UPGRADES.

Uninstall instruction link: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html

I have touched on this in another thread related to another topic and had no response so I thought I'd add my question regarding this to a thread on the topic of uninstalling and upgrading.

Here is the notation on the uninstall instruction page I am talking about that is mentioned further down after talking about upgrades:

Also, neither the automated uninstall nor the manual uninstall like described above will remove the following directories, which you will have to remove by hand:

* Windows 95 or 98: C:\Windows\Aplication Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\
* Windows ME: C:\Windows\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\
* Windows NT, 2000 or XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\
* Windows Vista: C:\ProgramData\Spybot - Search & Destroy\

(Please note that the Application Data Folder is hidden. So if you cannot find this folder please check your folder properties. For an instruction, please click here.)

Explanation: this folder contains the backup (the quarantined files) that Spybot-S&D creates. If the Uninstall would remove this folder as well, this would mean that those backups would be gone. We saw it a few times that new users uninstalled Spybot-S&D in panic after they have experienced a small problem, thus removing the backup that would have undone any changes.

Keep in mind if these "hidden" files and folders are deleted no "undo" can be done using the upgraded version of course (assuming these files and folders are compatible with upgrades in the first place which I have no idea).

[md usa spybot fan]

caterwaul:


... The question remains do NEW VERSIONS USE THE SAME BACKUP FILES? ...
Assuming you are talking about the Backups folder: If you take a registry backup during installation the files in the Backups folder will be overwritten.

If I assume that you are talking about the Recovery folder which contains backups of fix items: Although the new version uses the same backup folder (Recovery), the files are not overwritten. If you do not delete the Recovery folder going into Spybot > Recovery will display the old backups as well as any new backups created.

[caterwaul]

So then you would say that as far as upgrading from SB1.3 to SB1.5 in which the information in "C:\Windows\Aplication Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\" relates to SB1.3 (actually also SB1.2 as well since I had upgraded from 1.2 to 1.3 and left the "hidden" folders in the past) IS NOT DELETED will not cause any problems like I have as far as shutting down the computer in SB1.5.2?

I have an issue with shutdown where the SB1.5.2 crashes my system (fatal exception error 05) with teatimer running (will not if teatimer is stopped) on shutdown but I can "exit" teatimer with no problem and my computer will shutdown with no problem if teatimer is not running.

So you would think that leaving the "backup" folders and files from prior versions should not be an issue in my case?

Many on this board have suggested that it is always "safer" to delete as much as possible but of course my point is that some of these folders are used to "undo" (or restore if you will) back to prior settings if necessary.

It seems one can argue what is better from either of two perspectives. Cleaner uninstall for an upgrade versus having the ability to "undo" what was done with prior version.

My problem is obviously an issue as far as CLOSING TEATIMER at shutdown time where the teatimer is not closed properly when shutting down the computer. It happens of course on either shutdown or restart since both involve the OS doing the "closing of teatimer" versus when I manually "close teatimer" which causes no problems.

Other than this Spybot works fine (after working with it awhile).

[pat57]

Thanks again for your help - I appreciate it !!

Pat57

[md usa spybot fan]

caterwaul:


… So you would think that leaving the "backup" folders and files from prior versions should not be an issue in my case? …

When I install a new version of Spybot I uninstall first. When I uninstall, I "Undo" imminization, stop "TeaTimer" and "SDHelper", uncheck IE tweaks, uninstall with Add/remove programs, make sure C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy is deleted and run this very small fix (http://www.safer-networking.org/files/remove-spybotsd-settings.reg) to make sure all registry entries are deleted.

I have never chosen to delete any of the information in the Application Data/ProgramData:
Windows 95 or 98:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\
Windows ME:
C:\Windows\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\
Windows NT, 2000 or XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\
Windows Vista:
C:\ProgramData\Spybot - Search & Destroy
I have never had a problem leaving the Application Data/ProgramData in place. In fact I have had two system/disk failures and I chose to restore the information.

Currently I have both:
Logs files dating from 2004-03-13@07:13
--- and---
Recovery files dating from 2004-03-23@16:48 (AdBreak.zip, AlexaRelated.zip, AvenueAInc.zip, DoubleClick1.zip and SpywareNuker.zip).
All run under Spybot 1.2 that serve no useful purpose other than history.


None of this information sitting in those files has ever seemed to have caused a problem for me.