Hotmail & Spybot

[JayeGes]

I'm experiencing a big slow down at Hotmail. Within the last 2 weeks the Spybot window (accept/deny?) started popping up within Hotmail - never saw this before. Now it takes a long time for Hotmail to load and to open e-mail messages.

Is there some new incompatibility? I'm asking here first because I simply detest contacting Hotmail support. Thanks for any opinions -
Jaye

[md usa spybot fan]

JayeGes:

What version of Spybot - Search & Destroy are you running (Spybot » Help » About)?

Did you upgrade Spybot before the messages started (within the last two weeks)?

[spybotsandra]

Hello,

Did you immunize your system?
Do you have the SDHelper activated?

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

[wyrmrider]

as long as we're asking questions...
what browser and did you update your browser recently- like to firefox 3
any other "upgrades" AV Firewall etc?

[JayeGes]

I have Spybot SD 1.5.2 and, yes, I did an update and immunization right before this started happening.

I'm not sure if I have Spybot Helper activated. If that is a necessary item, I'll have to figure out how to do it.

My browser is IE 6.xx. It was updated before this started happening - not sure how long before but it was within the last month. A Windows update was done a couple of days ago (after the Hotmail issue arose).

FYI, I have a dial-up connection and I find Spybot tends to slow things down but the recent issues at Hotmail are severe. However, Hotmail also keeps changing and recently I got a somewhat new format with its latest "Windows Live" version. I only have a suspicion that it's Hotmail vs. Spybot because I haven't added anything new to my computer except for the updates for both and except for the usual McAfee updates. I certainly appreciate your replies and any suggestions are welcomed! I'm not completely computer illiterate, but I'm not a tekkie either -

[wyrmrider]

Hi- hopefully hotmail live is the problem but first
Dial up-hmmmm

first-- when your connection has the time download version 1.6
Save it
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html
save or print out
essentially follow the instructions but if you have upgraded spybot several times there may be multiple entries in add-remove- get em all
remove 1.5.2 with add-remove programs
if there is more than one Spybot entry in add remove programs then remove both
reboot
and run the "smallfix"

reboot
install 1.6
you will be asked about SD Helper and T-Timer
SD Helper is a no brainer
if not running any other RESIDENT (runs on boot) anti-spyware go for t-timer
if you are post back
follow the prompts about update and immunize
run a scan if you want to
however I'd not delete anything- just post back if you get a hit, google the hit, quarantine

now with hotmail
with Dial up you do NOT want the windows live version
use the Classic version


What AV and Firewall do you run?

I just switched to Avast from AVG
Avast is light on the updates so should be good with dial up

post back if you are thinking about changing AV, or if your computer came pre-configured with an AV (especially Norton, Panda, Mcafee) and you've changed it or if you have changed your AV for any other reason

did you describe your computer- OS, amount of memory, etc?

Make sure that you do NOT have more than ONE Resident AV and more than ONE anti spyware resident at the same time
(one of each)
you can have as many "on demand" as your dial up will allow :)

[md usa spybot fan]

JayeGes:

The messages that you are getting are issued by Spybot's resident SDHelper. You can try an alternate mode of operation, "Block all pages silently" that will eliminate those messages.

Go into Internet Explorer » Tools » select "Spybot – Search Destroy Configuration". Then in the "Spybot-S&D - Configuration" window in the "Settings" tab under "When encountering bad things" you can select among:
Block all pages silently
Display dialog when blocking
Ask for blocking confirmation
Select "Block all pages silently".

_____

If the "Block all pages silently" mode adversely affects the loading of any Web sites you visit return to the "Ask for blocking confirmation" mode of operation". If you encounter a "Spybot-S&D Bad URL Blocker" dialog during access to that Web page the dialog allows you to either "Allow" or "Deny" the access and also to select among the following options:
Ask me again next time
Remember for this session
Always react this way
Select "Always react this way" and then "Allow" the access. By selecting "Always react this way" you have in effect made the revision that you are suggesting.

[JayeGes]

wyrmrider - Does it matter if I download Spybot 1.6 - but not install it - before I uninstall v 1.5.2? I'm just wondering if I will not be able to identify all the 1.5.2 files that need to be removed if 1.6 is on my hard drive.

AdAware SE is on my computer but I think it's turned off. I never see any auto-updates, etc.

My anti-virus is McAfee Security Center v 8.1 - Virus Scan v 12.1 - Personal Firewall v 9.1 - AntiSpam v 9.1 - Privacy Service v 10.1 - Easy Network v 2.1.
The Virus Scan and AntiSpam were updated 7/12 and 7/13 respectively. All others were updated in March.

Re: Hotmail...I've never acquiesced to Windows Live precisely so I could maintain the Classic version because I knew it would slow me down. However, Hotmail has forced certain changes involving more graphics within the Classic version which I have complained bitterly about to their support group. I'm seriously thinking of going to another e-mail service but can't decide if it's worth the effort because it may be just as bad (the devil you know vs. the one you don't). Personally, I'm sick of all the graphics swamping the Internet, but that's another thread. :)

Re: another AV - I would love to change but 1)I'm paid up with McAfee until March 2009, and 2)I tried to switch to Norton a few years ago but the fight between McAfee and Norton caused a crash that required me to get a new hard drive. I had Win 98 at the time with preinstalled McAfee from Dell and am now on my 3rd hard drive.

I have Win 2000 with 500+ RAM and a 40GB drive with about 31GB of free space. When I had the new drive installed a year ago I was told it was 80GB but I can't find that number in My Computer. The guys who installed the new drive were big on Spybot so they installed it (along with AdAware). I'm about 2-inches from buying a Mac which supposedly isn't vulnerable to all the nonsense.

Question: when you say RESIDENT, do you mean something like AdAware that is on the drive but is not turned on?

Thank you for all your time and input!!
Jaye

md usa - I must have turned on the message windows several months back when I picked up spyware at some site (the one that activates multiple-thousands of cascading IE windows). That's when I ran a bunch of Spybot updates etc. I had been assuming McAfee was filtering this junk - I was surprised to say the least. However, though I've been getting the 'helper' windows since then at most sites, it's only been in the last couple of weeks that they started popping up within Hotmail. I'm confused by this, but my instinct is to leave it on so I know when Spybot is working vs. just a slow dial-up connection. I'm going to save your steps, though, in case I decide to turn it off. Thanks!
Jaye

[wyrmrider]

It will not matter if 1.6 is downloaded and put into a file
before or after uninstalling 1.5

ad aware should not interfere- the free version does little at start up and you can/ should turn everything off
in other words the free version has no real time resident protection

I use hotmail classic version also- I agree

norton was never installed on THIS drive- correct
biggie here
when we say RESIDENT we mean it is RESIDENT in Memory
(not a file on a disk which is evoked "on demand"

SD Helper and T-Timer would be Resident
they load at boot up
Your AV "active protection" or whatever its called is RESIDENT while you SCAN is not
The Scanner of Spybot is loaded by you- it is not resident unless you are running a scan
Your Firewall is Resident- Works ALL THE TIME (mostlikely)
you can check your active programs
there are websites that advise W2k users which "services" and load on startup programs may be safely turned off
Like Office hot start, Adobe fast path, ( I made up the names but you get the idea)
These take up memory all the time and provide little benefit

but let's get 1.6 installed first
you can turn SD helper and T-timer on and off so we can check and see if they are the problem
MD_USA_SPYBOT_FAN can or I can walk you through the drill later

PS there is a new version of Ad-aware out however not worth it IMHO
If you have 7.5 support will be ending soon
you might see if updates are still available and if not you can uninstall

did you say you were running IE- which version? or Firefox?
Windows 2000 good choice SP4 and all updates?

[JayeGes]

Re: Norton - I have to trust that the guys who gave me this new hard drive didn't simply wipe my old one clean and use it. I was told it was a new hard drive.

My IE is v 6.0.2800.1106 SP1
Win2000 is v5.0 SP4
Can't remember if the update the other day was IE or Windows and I don't know where to find my latest update info. Should I run updates on both of these before I download Spybot 1.6?

Thanks for the short course on Residents.

[wyrmrider]

let's get spybot updated
you can run windows update sometime- like late at night
what many miss is running office update if running ms office/ word /etc
incidentally office/ word autoloaders waste a lot of resources

is MS still supporting W2k with security updates?
I have my W2k machines off site but need to check this myself
I never "upgraded" them to xp except for one updating one xp file which makes them boot faster

[JayeGes]

wyrmrider - Hmmm...after our last exchange I read some of the posts here about 1.6 causing all kinds of slow-downs and IE freezes. I don't want to worsen things and then have to remove 1.6 and reinstall what I already have. I decided to write Hotmail (ugh) and see what they say since that's where the real problem is.

I have no idea if W2k is delivering security updates. Goes to show you how little I know about things on my system. Updates run automatically and I do other things trying to ignore the intrusion. Must be nice to have your expertise. Because I have such superficial knowledge, this is why I'm now afraid to go to 1.6. If my computer freaks out, so will I. :)

[wyrmrider]

you can hold off on upgrading spybot if you are using T-Timer
the issues posted about memory use and delays should have responses shortly
also for SD-Helper

watch those two threads for a resolution
still run the weekly spybot definition update and re-immunize
post back whenever you're ready to make a move

[JayeGes]

Will do...thanks.

[evanlee]

I am experiencing the same sort of problem especially with hotmail but really when opening any windows. I am on the newest version 1.6.0 and Windows 2000 with McAfee. Anything I can do to speed this back up. This has only started happening since I went to the new version of SB.

Evanlee