Make TeaTimer a practical choice

[Quitch]

Having just finished cleaning a machine of someone too ready to install a codec which wasn't a codec, I am back in love with SpyBot. In conjunction with AntiVir Personal Edition it successfully took out everything on the machine where Windows Defender and Avast! failed. I'd really like to keep TeaTimer running alongside AntiVir (the Personal Edition has no anti-spyware), but alas, it's not to be.

Spybot simply doesn't work as a resident product for non-tech users. It's not automatic at all because it doesn't run as a service. Not only that, but enabling resident protection only does so for the currently logged on user. Imagine if AV worked like that!

I long for the day where I turn on TeaTimer and this enables a service which automatically updates, applies new immunisations, and continues to prompt you for action on unexpected changes (hopefully with more user friendly messages). Alas, it doesn't do that where as Windows Defender does, and so while Spybot might provide a more extensive detection suite, its inability to run itself after the initial enabling means I simply cannot justify putting it on machines. After all, if I could rely on the human element where would the spyware market be then?

Are there any plans to improve this element of the product?

[drragostea]

TeaTimer is not really the core of Spybot-Search&Destroy where it can update Spybot, Immunize, etc. It is a Resident Shield, to prompt you of critical changes (more like a HIP) in the registry such as changes to homepages, the Startup Manager, BHOs, and so forth.

If I'm correct, you should be able to scan all user accounts and TeaTimer will activate on each and every account if it is installed and activated in the Administer Account.

Spybot-SD enables the more advanced users to schedule automatic Immunization, update, and scanning. It is done in Advanced Mode.

[Quitch]

I took a look at the scheduler, and this supports my point that it's unsuitable for a user. For a start you need to be in Advanced mode, then you need to configure updates, then you need to configure other stuff. All this is done via the Windows Scheduled task thing, so it all breaks if you change a password...

For TeaTimer to be of any practical value to anyone who really could do with it, there needs to be an enormous button which, when pressed, installs a TeaTimer service for all users, configures updates every 4 hours - 1 day, sets up automatic immunisation as part of the update process, and then sits in the background and doesn't require any configuration beyond the occasional prompt for allow or deny.

Every AV w/ AS comes configured in this manner. Recall how when Windows came with Automatic Updates and the Firewall switched off and how few people switched them on? This is pretty much what Spybot is asking the user to do. I can't say to someone "Just download this program" as I can with an anti-virus product, it takes waaaaaaay too much work.

Spybot is currently the tool you employ after the damage is done, the work above is what I believe would be required for that status to change. I would love it see it challenge Windows Defender for its market space.

[drragostea]

Every AV w/ AS comes configured in this manner.
Er, not really.
I can't help you now, because you'll have to speak to Team Spybot (PepiMK) who develops the program.

I hope you get your questions answered.

[PepiMK]

For the topic updates, watch for the next update to my Spybot 2.0 blog (http://forums.spybot.info/blog.php?u=1) :)

TeaTimer auto-enabled for all users? I have to admit it needs to much technical knowledge for that. 2.0 (its not called TeaTimer there because its quite different) will probably have two modes: one for the pros who want to verify all those sstem changes, but the basic one only reports detected malware actions.

A service/full tech on-access was something we tried to avoid simply to avoid getting into conflict with AVs (and of course services won't work on 9x). Seems that that didn't help because Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, Kaspersky all think or thought they could force their customers to uninstall Spybot-S&D, so we'll pay less consideration to that factor.

[Quitch]

I hope moves will be made at some point to look at dealing with all users instead of just one user, and indeed a service would completely eliminate the problem. Especially as Windows is much more about the multi-user experience these days.

Glad to hear about the modes, sounds like a step in the right direction.

[TwistedMike]

this sounds great cant wait to try it out.

[ght1]

I long for the day where I turn on TeaTimer and this enables a service which automatically updates

This feature would be really great! :bigthumb:


Indeed TeaTimer will be obsolete and replaced with something new that's real-time instead of near-time

Any details?

[alternety]

It really is essential to at least get automatic definition updates for SpyBot. Our computers are almost never rebooted. We always use hibernate. I have SBSD resident running, but the definitions go stale.

Any idea when this will be resolved?

[alternety]

I see that I can schedule updates. I did not think that was in there. And I cannot seem to edit or delete my post above.

[ght1]

Schedule updates?

[drragostea]

Well, there does seem to be an option that'll search the web from new program builds and one that'll remind you to look for updates at each program start. I guess it's up to PepiMK to create schedule updates options (Spybot itself is not started everytime, but TeaTimer is).

[md usa spybot fan]

ance:

Go into Spybot > Mode > Advanced mode > Settings > Scheduler > if the Edit button is grayed out click Add > click the Edit button. You should now be in the Spybot- Search and Destroy – Scheduled Task dialog. In the Task tab look at the "Run:" line of the dialog. You can add/change the "command line parameters" the end of the "Run:" line.

For additional information on scheduling parameters that can be used, see the following:
Are there any command line parameters?
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/30.html
Spybot uses the OS scheduler. In Windows XP the user account that adds the Schedule Tasks entry must have a password. See:
Scheduled Tasks cannot run with a blank password
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310715
There is workaround for the password requirement in Windows XP that 100mill (http://forums.spybot.info/member.php?u=2965) was considerate enough to share with us. See the following thread:
Scheduling a Spybot scan under Windows XP
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=1828

[ght1]

Are there any command line parameters?
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/30.html


Thank you, perfect :bigthumb:

[md usa spybot fan]

ance:

You're welcome.

I surmised from your brief post, "Schedule updates?", that might be what you were looking for:

md usa spybot fan