View Full Version : Tracking cookies are not being removed
LawyerTom1
2009-08-07, 00:07
I have been carefully watching and monitoring the presence of tracking cookies on my desktop. I have noticed that over the last month Spybot Search & Destroy, unfortunately, is not removing any of them. Is this a programming error?
drragostea
2009-08-07, 03:57
Have you tried an uninstall and reinstall?
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/ownmirrors1/index.html
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How are you running the scans? A click of "Scan for Problems" in the main screen? Or are you using command lines (cmd)?
I have just noticed the same issue. I click 'Scan for Problems'.
Is it coincidence but I recently switched to IE8 ?
+1
I noticed that myself as well, just thought that maybe I've not picked any up (unlikely).
I use Opera and always have done. Spybot used to always find and report some but lately it just seems to have stopped.
Just to add,
According to my Spybot logs, the last tracking cookie it reported was on:
--- Report generated: 2009-07-02 16:41 ---
--- Spybot - Search & Destroy version: 1.6.2 (build: 20090126) ---
where it found and removed one cookie. None since then.
Have you tried an uninstall and reinstall?
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/ownmirrors1/index.html
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How are you running the scans? A click of "Scan for Problems" in the main screen? Or are you using command lines (cmd)?
I have unistalled, downloaded and reinstalled. The unwanted cookies are still there.
Incidentally, no problems are reported except one relating to McAfee. I uncheck this and the 'fix selected problems' button is no longer highlighted or avaiable.
Are the cookies normally deleted in this phase ?
drragostea
2009-08-17, 06:33
That's a bit odd, because Spybot-SD generates reports automatically after a scan regardless of the results (clean or with flagged entries).
The unwanted cookies are still there.
Can you elaborate on the cookie problem again?
I'm a bit confused ._. Is Spybot not detecting any or is it not removing them (have you clicked "Fix Problems"?)?
Are the cookies normally deleted in this phase ?
Nothing is changed until Spybot tells you "this entry has been successfully fixed".
In addition, what was that McAfee entry about (is that entry becoming a problem)?
I use the facility to save 'wanted' cookies bu checking the ones I want to save.
When I have finished the scan I only ever get one issue highlighted. That is related to McAfee. I don't wish to 'fix' this 'issue', so uncheck it.
The option to 'fix selected problems' is then greyed out. Presumably it sees there are no problems to fix. Which means Spybot does not then continue to remove all the unchecked cookies.
Rosenfeld
2009-09-14, 00:52
Have you checked in advanced mode, settings tab, file sets, that cookies.sbi is present in the list and checked? Also, in ignore products, cookies.sbi tab that all are unchecked?
Have you checked in advanced mode, settings tab, file sets, that cookies.sbi is present in the list and checked? Also, in ignore products, cookies.sbi tab that all are unchecked?
Yes and yes.
Have just run S&D again but it still picks up a McAfee registry entry as a problem. Where can I check it to ignore it?
Incidentally I see that in Revision.sbi Cdilla is checked. Should it be?
spybotsandra
2009-09-14, 11:54
Hello,
What kind of entry is that McAfee entry? What is found exactly?
You can exclude a product from the search as follows:
First of all procede a scan with Spybot - Search & Destroy. Now, mark the item, you want to exclude from the search, with a left-click.
It is marked blue now. Then right-click this entry and select "exclude this product from further searches".
It is also possible to exclude it before the search. Please run Spybot - Search & Destroy in "Advanced Mode" and go to "Settings" -> "Ignore products". There you can tick the checkbox in front of the product you want to exclude from the search.
CDilla and SiteStep are listed to the ignore products by default.
Please see the following thread for more information:
* Why are CDilla & SideStep checked in Ignore Products?
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=336
Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot
Sandra
Thanks for your response
The message is
McAfeeWindowsSecurityCenter.AntiVirusOveride
I am running a scan now so will see what it does this time having followed this procedure
First of all procede a scan with Spybot - Search & Destroy. Now, mark the item, you want to exclude from the search, with a left-click.
It is marked blue now. Then right-click this entry and select "exclude this product from further searches".
I tried your other suggestion but couldn't find any reference to McAfee in the products listed.
The McAfee issue has been sorted. Thanks.
However the original problem remains.
In 'Settings'/'Ignore Cookies' I have a number of cookies checked to 'be ignored during the browser scan'.
However at the end of the run, the unchecked ones remain.
Is there a setting which I am missing to clear usage tracks ?
Incidentally, why did the McAfee message appear? I thought they were part of the ACS also. They appear on the ACS mambership list.
spybotsandra
2009-09-21, 13:07
Hello,
You can also simply avoid all third party cookies by following the appropriate tutorial listed here (first three): http://www.safer-networking.org/flash/howto/overview.html
Spybot - Search & Destroy is detecting Windows Security Center associated with Microsoft Security Center Registry changes. This is neither a false positive nor a bug. It is just an information.
Spybot-S&D only wants to bring to your attention that "someone" disabled one or more notifications in the Windows Security Center, e.g. the notifications that your virus protection is not active or not up-to-date. If you changed the settings yourself you can safely tell Spybot-S&D to exclude those detections from further scans.
In order to do so please right-click each in turn, then click "exclude this detection from future scans". That way, should any other part of security center settings change, Spybot-S&D will still detect those.
The same is true if you have another security solution installed (like McAfee Security Center or Norton Internet Security). These programs do also disable the Windows Security Center in order to take care of things themselves.
The reason why the changes are flagged by Spybot-S&D is that there are also malware programs that disable the notifications so the user doesn't take note of his security tools not being effective.
Some more information is also available in our forum:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=87
Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot