Unable to Immunize

[shortwave]

Like a number of others I am having trouble with the immunization feature. Having read several threads it looks as if the problem is related to my recent upgrade of Firefox from v2.0.0.18 to v3.0.4. Spybot was working perfectly before this. I have tried undoing and then re applying the immunization but it still hangs with some 30,000 entries to go, and I have to use Task Manager to release Spybot. I am quite prepared to fully remove Firefox and do a fresh installation if needed. My question is: would it be worth also completely removing and then reinstalling Spybot at the same time just to be sure? And if so what would be the best order to go about this?

Regards.

[Greyfox]

The last item in this sticky might help

http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=36272

Sometimes it helps, once you have the hostperm.1 /permissions.sqlite worked out, to prime the file before immunising with Spybot by manually manually adding a permission entry in Firefox, such as allowing or denying a particular cookie.

[shortwave]

Thanks for the reply, however the sticky you mentioned is for FF2 problems, and I had no problems scanning and imunizing that version. I have just spent the past hour completely removing both Spybot & Firefox, in both cases following the instructions posted on the relavant sites. I made sure there were no remaining folders, and also ran CCleaner to clean out old registry entries.

I then re-installed FF3 and tested it, followed by Spybot 1.6.0.30. I then downloaded the most recent definitions and ran a scan - no problems found. Then took a deep breath and clicked Immunize, only to have exactly the same thing happen. It failed with some 30,000 entries to go, and once again I had to use Task Manager to escape.

I tried undoing but it failed that as well with several thousand entries still immunized. I've deleted the permissions.sqlite file, opened & closed FF and tried again. Still the same. I've used the forum search and found many threads all experiencing the same thing, and like me some of them appear to have duplicate entries in the immunization list. I've included a screenshot (hopefully).

Clearly there are problems with Spybot and FF3, I would happily revert to FF2 but I was experiencing problems on a forum I help to moderate and FF3 solved that. So where do I go from here? I'm not very happy and I don't feel safe if this feature is not fully working, so I hope someone can find a permanent fix.

[Greyfox]

No, the sticky I referred to covers both.

If you follow what it says, with FF3 you need to delete permissions.sqlite and create Hostperm.1

Once you have done that, and before you restart Spybot, start FF3 and prime the hostperm.1 file by manually allowing or denying a cookie or a URL, then close FF3, open Spybot, do an "undo" immunise followed by an immunise.

I'm not sure what to suggest about the duplication, I haven't experienced that. It may be that after you get FF3 working with a primed hostperm.1 (after getting rid of permissions.sqlite) that you may need to reinstall Spybot.

[Greyfox]

Additional comment

Sorry, the time span on editing caught up with me.

FF3 would normally use Permissions.sqlite and Spybot 1.6.0.30 can immunise that (providing Hostperm.1 is not present). My experience though is that you may need to prime Permissions.sqlite before you try to immunise with Spybot.

However it can also use Hostperm.1, and this seems to be the recommendation made in many posts, which is the method I outlined in my previous post.

[shortwave]

Sorry if I miss read the link, but I'm not having a good time with technology at the moment!

Some progress: I deleted the "permissions.sqlite" file and then scratched my head wondering how to create a new FILE - "Make A New Folder" I'm familiar with, but a file?? Anyway I opened FF and allowed a URL then closed it. Tried Spybot again and seemed to have the same trouble. I checked the directory, and FF had just created another permissions.sqlite file. Then I had another attempt and left it longer before using Task Manger again. Somewhat to my surprise after about 2 minutes of bricklaying (and 100% CPU load) it suddenly started completing the immunisation and eventually some 155,000 sites were blocked. I was then able to "Undo" and re-immunise again!

Why it took so long I'm unsure as this has never taken more than 30 seconds or so previously, even when I installed v1.6 from scratch. I wonder what's going to happen tommorrow when the new definitions come out?

I will let you know.

Regards.

[shortwave]

Further Update: downloaded the latest definitions today and the scan and immunisation all ran perfectly. May have been impatience on my part, but when applications seem to freeze and the CPU goes to 100% I usually fear the worst!