SpybotSD.exe does nothing when double-clicked

[bennett]

I just installed Spybot Search & Destroy 1.6 on XP Media Center Edition SP3. When I try to run it from the Start Menu shortcut:
Programs->Spybot - Search & Destroy->Spybot - Search & Destroy

nothing happens -- there is no window that flashes briefly and disappears, just nothing happens at all. That shortcut points to the executable:
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SpybotSD.exe

If I double-click on that executable, nothing happens either.

The FAQ at
http://www.spybot.info/en/faq/23.html
says this might be caused by enabling program automation in versions older than 1.5 (but I never did that, this is a fresh install, and besides I have version 1.6) or that it might be caused by being infected with the CoolWWWSearch.SmartKiller malware. I downloaded and ran the CWS.SmartKiller removal utility just in case, but it reported that it could not find CWS.SmartKiller on my system.

Any other reason why Spybot S&D would just refuse to launch?

Other executables in the same folder, like
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDShred.exe
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\unins000.exe
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDUpdate.exe

do correctly launch their GUI apps as expected. It's only SpybotSD.exe that does nothing.

[spybotsandra]

Hello,

We recommend a fresh install of Spybot - Search & Destroy.

Please uninstall Spybot - Search & Destroy according to the following link:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html
Then make a fresh install of Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.
You will find links to several download locations on our website:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

You will also have to update your new version using the integrated updater.
This should solve the problem.

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

[bennett]

I already tried that (i.e. version 1.6 was the version of Spybot Search & Destroy that I installed, and this was the very first thing I tried with it, so it was a "fresh install").