Recent reduction in volume of detections?

[toonerama]

Hi, and thanks for the excellent software.

I've been using Spybot S&D for a few years, and upon scanning, it always used to find at least 70+ problems to be fixed. More recently, maybe the last few months, it's only finding a small handful.

I think the previous detections were mostly web-browsing related. I only ever use Firefox (2.x). My browsing habits haven't changed. And nothing much has changed on my system - Win XP.

Have I accidentally upset something, or is there another explanation?

Thanks.

[md usa spybot fan]

toonerama:

What version of Spybot - Search & Destroy are you running (Spybot » Help » About) and do you use the immunization facility?

One possible explanation:

Versions of Spybot before Spybot 1.5 did not immunize Firefox. If you are running Spybot 1.5 or 1.6, immunizing Firefox and the detections you were getting past were tracking cookies, the immunization is preventing the storing of those tracking cookies.

Since you are trying to relate current scans with older scans, compare the results of the Checks.yymmdd-hhmm.log or Fixes.yymmdd-hhmm.log files and see what older detections you were getting.

By default here are two Checks.yymmdd-hhmm.log files produced during a scan. The second Checks.yymmdd-hhmm.log has the details of what the scan found. A Fixes.yymmdd-hhmm.log file is produced if you fix or attempt to fix something.

There are two methods to review the information from previous scans:
Method 1:
Go into Spybot > Mode > Advanced mode > Tools > View Reports > View Previous reports. Look for the Checks.yymmdd-hhmm.log or Fixes.yymmdd-hhmm.log file that contains the detections that you like help with. Open it.
Method 2
The Checks.yymmdd-hhmm.log and Fixes.yymmdd-hhmm.log files are stored in the following folders:
Windows 95 or 98:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Logs
Windows ME:
C:\Windows\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Logs
Windows NT, 2000 or XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Logs
Windows Vista:
C:\ProgramData\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Logs
Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the correct Checks.yymmdd-hhmm.log or Fixes.yymmdd-hhmm.log file. Double click on it and it should open with Notepad.
If you were getting tracking cookies in the past and are now immunizing Firefox, case solved. If not post the logs (before and currently) and someone can take a look.

[toonerama]

Thank you so much for your help.

I'm certain it must be the Firefox immunization issue you pointed out. I currently run v1.5.2.2.0 and always immunize.

Oddly, nothing in my previous reports dates back earlier than v1.5, but no matter.