Unable to completely uninstall Spybot-S&D 1.6.0

[JimmyMac]

I downloaded Spybot-S&D about two weeks ago. Afterwards, I noticed that my computer was doing a lot of hard-drive chattering. I looked in Windows Task Manager Processes screen and determined that TeaTimer.exe was constantly using the computer memory, sometimes up to 60% of it. I decided that I did not want Spybot-S&D on my computer because of that.

I used the uninstall program included with Spybot-S&D to uninstall the program from my computer.
I got the message: "Spybot - Search & Destroy uninstall complete. Some elements could not be removed. These can be removed manually."

I also received a message: "Spybot - Search & Destroy has detected an important registry entry that has been changed.
Category: System Startup user entry
Change: Value deleted
Entry: SpybotSD TeaTimer"

I used Windows Search to find all Spybot locations in the files and found several. I deleted all I found except advcheck.dll and TeaTimer.exe which were in the C:\Program Files\Spybot Search & Destroy folder. When I tried to delete TeaTimer.exe I got an error message: "Error Deleting File or Folder. Cannot delete TeaTimer: Access is denied. Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use."
By looking at Windows Task Manager Processes screen I can see that TeaTimer.exe is always in use.

Question: How do I stop TeaTimer.exe from running, so that I can delete it, and have Spybot-S&D completely removed from my computer ?

Can I use Windows Task Manager to stop TeaTimer.exe from running, and then delete it? Would that cause problems in the Registry or elsewhere?

[drragostea]

What I can tell you is that TeaTimer should have been disabled prior to a complete uninstallation.
-

Can I use Windows Task Manager to stop TeaTimer.exe from running, and then delete it? Would that cause problems in the Registry or elsewhere?
Yes, you can use Windows Task Manager to close the TeaTimer.exe process, but just note that it will come back everytime (unless you disabled it prior to uninstallation).

The latest version of TeaTimer (beta;1.6.3.25) should resolve the high memory usage.
In addition, please read this FAQ for a complete uninstall of Spybot-SD:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html
-

[Greyfox]

If you simply uninstalled Spybot without first undoing the immunisations and deselecting both Teatimer and SDHelper, then there will have been a lot left after your uninstall.

The easiest way to correct this is to reinstall Spybot. You could either then opt to use Spybot without Teatimer, or uninstall it fully.

If you chose the latter, first undo all of the immunisations, then put Spybot into Advanced mode, goto Tools->Resident and untick both Teatimer and SD Helper. Exit Spybot. Make sure your browser/s is not open then uninstall Spybot using either the uninstall option in the Spybot entry in your programs menu, or via control panel add/remove programs. Please read the how to uninstall Spybot FAQ at http://www.spybot.info/en/howto/uninstall.html. and also use the "this very small fix" mentioned in the FAQ.

[JimmyMac]

Thanks, drragostea for the answer and your quick reply.


What I can tell you is that TeaTimer should have been disabled prior to a complete uninstallation.

How was I to know that TeaTimer.exe should be deleted before a complete uninstallation? I did not see anything about deleting it in the referenced instructions:



In addition, please read this FAQ for a complete uninstall of Spybot-SD:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html
-

I re-read the message I received while trying to uninstall Spybot-SD about "System Startup user entry - value deleted - Spybot TeaTimer" and reasoned that maybe since the value had been deleted, if I shut down the computer and then started it again, TeaTimer.exe would not be running. I shut down and re-started the computer - - Voila, TeaTimer was not running.
I did a Windows Search for Spybot, and found only those items that I had previously deleted which were in the trash bin.



Yes, you can use Windows Task Manager to close the TeaTimer.exe process, but just note that it will come back everytime (unless you disabled it prior to uninstallation).

I did not use Windows Task Manager to close the TeaTimer.exe process, but TeaTimer.exe did not come back on when I re-booted the computer.


The latest version of TeaTimer (beta;1.6.3.25) should resolve the high memory usage.

I am sure the people who use version 1.6.3.25 will appreciate the correction of high memory usage, but I will not be among them. After reading several of the problems and replies in the Spybot S&D Forum, I will be content with having ZONE ALARM PRO and SUNBELT COUNTERSPY (which I was already using) take care of my spyware problems.

Again, Thank You for replying. You really did help me solve this problem.

[Paphs]

the problem i am having when i try to download and run the "very small fix" is that it is a text file. perhaps it's just that i know very little about programs on the computer but how do i run it?

[md usa spybot fan]

Paphs:

The file downloaded from the this very small fix (http://www.safer-networking.org/files/remove-spybotsd-settings.reg) link should be "remove-spybotsd-settings.reg" not a .txt file. Try right clicking on the link and doing a "Save Target As …", "Save Link As ...", etc. so that the file is saved as a .reg file not a .txt. file. Once the file is saved, double click on it and answer "Yes" then "OK".

[drragostea]

About the the TeaTimer "value deleted", you were correct about it not coming back up after reboot because it's value was indeed removed. I was wrong.

Odd, thing was that the TeaTimer prompt window appeared when though you uninstall Spybot (I'm assuming that was only once).

Thing is that, query resolved.

[Rolloh]

I as well cannot uninstall Spbot2.2 Paid Edition, and cannot find in here any one else who can. I wonder what's up, why can't it be done so easily as other programs. And why would it be so difficult to achieve? Its not user friendly at all.
Rolloh

[Zenobia]

The people above were talking about an older version of Spybot.
The paid Spybot version should uninstall from add/remove programs the same as the free one does.Did you encounter errors when uninstalling,or was some of Spybot left on your computer if you uninstalled already,or anything like that? :)