Uninstall question...

[Jimbo1000]

Hi,

I've uninstalled spybot using add/remove and still have the following two items in C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy:

- Tea Timer System settings protector
- advcheck.dll

Can I just delete them? Or has the uninstall not worked correctly?

Thanks.

[drragostea]

How did you uninstall Spybot-SD? Was it just by the Add/Remove Programs window? Were you upgrading?

If you are planning to uninstall Spybot in the mean time and you are not upgrading you can safely remove it.

[caterwaul]

Go to this link #5 for detailed instructions: http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=29040#5

Teatimer should NOT be running (which is possibly why you have traces of Spybot left) also it is recommended to uninstall all traces of Spybot if you are installing either 1.5 or 1.6 (see link above) and have been using a version older than 1.5. This is basically what the instructions are for but the same idea could apply to installing any version as well.

Note the instructions on this link refer to uninstalling 1.4 installing 1.5.2.20.... it makes no difference the same applies to installing 1.6 and uninstalling any version. Also the references to the change in the Updater executable (SDUpdate.exe) at the bottom of the post applies to not only 1.5 but 1.6 as well as they both use the same name for the Updater executable that has changed from older versions.

If you are installing from a version older than 1.5 you will likely have to manually enter the new Updater program name into your Firewall (if you have one). And btw, if you are upgrading from anything lower than 1.5 and you have a Firewall keep in mind to skip the option to "Download Updates immediately" and wait until you have set up the Firewall. Or you could just update your Firewall ahead of time and then go ahead and Update as part of the install if you like of course.

Good luck.

[wyrmrider]

great answer cat
I'm going to steal it

[Jimbo1000]

How did you uninstall Spybot-SD? Was it just by the Add/Remove Programs window? Were you upgrading?

If you are planning to uninstall Spybot in the mean time and you are not upgrading you can safely remove it.

I just used add/remove to uninstall it - no upgrade involved. I originally installed it a couple of days ago but now want to completely uninstall it.

If I understood correctly, I can simply delete the two files that remain in the Spybot Search & Destroy folder??

Thanks

[caterwaul]

great answer cat
I'm going to steal it

That was a great post by md usa spybot fan on uninstalling and installing and in my view should be stickied.

We get questions all the time on either uninstalling, installing or both. md usa spybot fan does a good job of covering it all.

It might be better to leave out the references to versions since it applies to both 1.5 and 1.6 and any versions older than these two.

Possibly a little more generic reference to the instructions but otherwise excellent and detailed post on the subject(s).

[Jimbo1000]

Caterwaul,

I read the post by md usa spybot fan on uninstalling and installing and if I understood correctly, I should manually delete the Spybot folder in C:\ Program Files\ plus run the small download to make sure all registry entries are gone?

(I'm not great with PCs so want to make sure I don't do anything stupid!)

[caterwaul]

I just used add/remove to uninstall it - no upgrade involved. I originally installed it a couple of days ago but now want to completely uninstall it.

If I understood correctly, I can simply delete the two files that remain in the Spybot Search & Destroy folder??

Thanks

The answer is "yes"... you can delete both of the files you posted including the folder itself.

If you would like to make sure all references to Spybot are totally removed in the registry you could use the link I supplied above and on that post there are two links points bulleted last in the "uninstall" instructions (see example below).


If you want to make sure that all the registry entries that Spybot-S&D added during installation are removed, there is a .reg file available on the safer-networking.org WEB site that can do that (I recommend that you do this since some registry entries that were used in Soybot 1.4 are no longer used in Spybot 1.5). See the following article:

* FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
How to uninstall?
http://www.safer-networking.org/inde...tail=uninstall
* The direct download link is:
this very small fix
--- or ---
remove-spybotsd-settings.reg
* Download the file.
* Double click on it
* Answer Yes then OK


Both of those links (bolded) above do the same thing. You would right click on the link and "save as" to a folder or desktop and then click on the links which will clean up any possible registry changes that might be left behind by the install that you did.

You will need to go to the link to the thread that I posted above to do this.

This of course is totally optional and is not necessary as far as what will be obvious to you as a user however. As long as you delete any Spybot folder(s) like you posted already that is all that is necessary as far as what you will see on your computer (as I posted both of those files were probably left behind because you had not "exited" the teatimer and would have been removed by the "Add/Remove" uninstall, since they are related to this application (teatimer) of Spybot).

[caterwaul]

Caterwaul,

I read the post by md usa spybot fan on uninstalling and installing and if I understood correctly, I should manually delete the Spybot folder in C:\ Program Files\ plus run the small download to make sure all registry entries are gone?

(I'm not great with PCs so want to make sure I don't do anything stupid!)

Your post specifically to me wasn't posted yet when I replied to your first one.

The answer is yes... just delete the Spybot Folder which will delete all contents.

To make sure the registry is clean of any Spybot changes just right click on the link and safe it anywhere.

Then double click on the link which will clear the registry of any Spybot residual changes to your registry.

If you wanted to you could save the "this very small fix" in the Spybot folder first and then double click on the link and then delete the entire folder which would also then delete the registry "fix it" link a the same time.

You would then be totally "clean" of any Spybot residuals. :)

Just curious.... Did you have a problem with the Spybot application and if so what was the problem, if I may ask?

[Jimbo1000]

Thanks for you help and advice - I'll delete the folder.

To answer your question regarding Spybot, it didn't uncover the problem I was experiencing (SDFix did), but despite that it did look like a good piece of software. Only problem I had was a fairly persistent conflict with Trend Micro which kept advising about several thousand changes (to do with Spybot's database of bad web addressed I think).