View Full Version : uninstall help
got a nasty virus -- AV Security crap. managed to get into Safe Mode. ran SpyBot, it found nothing. tried to update SpyBot. it kept failing. before running a system restore, i thought i'd dump current Spybot and anti-virus programs and get the newest versions when everything was fixed. so i tried to uninstall Spybot thru the Control Panel. thought it worked. did a system restore, then went out to get the latest Spybot.
downloaded version 1.62. tried to run the install and it said a Spybot folder already existed. it appears ver. 1.4 didn't get uninstalled.
tried again to uninstall it thru the Control Panel. got message that i couldn't because unins000.dat is missing.
tried to research this on the site. found nothing. one article said that if you can't uninstall, just delete the Spybot folder. (really??)
so i tried that. now i get an alert that i cannot delete because i cannot access advcheck.
should i just run the new install?? will that delete the old version? i'm thinking this won't work because of all the weirdness i just had with installing the updates.
thank you.
spybotsandra
2010-07-06, 11:02
Hello,
If the usual uninstall does not work i would suggest to make a fresh install of Spybot, so that you have the legitimate uninstall file.
Download from this link (http://www.spybotupdates.com/files/spybotsd162.exe).
Then try again to remove it via the add/remove panel in windows or by using the uninstall file in the Spybot folder.
In order to completely uninstall Spybot - Search & Destroy, please consider the following link (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html).
If this does not help please remove the folder by hand:
C:\Programms\Spybot - Search & Destroy
Also remove the following directories, which you will have to remove by hand:
* Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\
* Windows Vista: C:\ProgramData\Spybot - Search & Destroy\
Please note that the Application Data Folder is hidden. So if you can't find this folder please check your folder properties.
Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot
[QUOTE=colbey;376587]got a nasty virus -- AV Security crap. managed to get into Safe Mode.
Use Malwarebytes' Anti Malware first for this infection:bigthumb:
If your OS is vista, the techniques below WILL NOT "COMPLETELY" uninstall the program from your machine.
Hello DS1DS1,
Perhaps colbey will let us know how spybotsandra's instructions worked out. :)
Best regards.
When I followed spybotsandra's instructions below, they did not completely
uninstall all of program on vista OS due to{
current_user_software_Safer Networking Limited_SpybotSnD
local_machine_Safer Networking Limited_HiveManager_SpybotSnD
} being left in registry.
I use spybot on my XP OS machine & like it but had to uninstall & delete from vista OS machine & then REFORMAT. [ What a pain ]
you could also use CCleaner to remove the now-invalid registry entries
possibly also Windows Installer Cleanup to manually remove installer information
Hello,
Please be careful if using CCleaner in the registry.
Registry Cleaners, not recommended (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=30038)
Best regards. :)
you could also use CCleaner to remove the now-invalid registry entries
possibly also Windows Installer Cleanup to manually remove installer information
:bigthumb:Thanks for the advice lewisje. This incident happened about 9 months ago and since then (about 8 months ago) I installed CCleaner and use it almost daily and have not had any problems.(knock on wood)
I have not been brave enough to try and reinstall Spybot again on my vista OS machine yet but one day I probably will.
Hello,
Please be careful if using CCleaner in the registry.
Registry Cleaners, not recommended (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=30038)
Best regards. :)CCleaner is much gentler than a typical registry cleaner; it only removes entries that are known for sure to be invalid, like "Shared DLL" entries for non-existent DLLs...stuff left behind when you uninstall programs or delete installers.
Hello lewisje,
CCleaner is much gentler than a typical registry cleaner; it only removes entries that are known for sure to be invalid,
CCleaner is a fine program, I use it myself in regular mode to check stuff. However a registry cleaner is a registry cleaner.
Always back up first.
http://chris.pirillo.com/are-registry-cleaners-safe-to-use/
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/xpperformance/thread/df7e6be7-8749-45c4-9848-4d9022eef944
http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsoft-support/windows-vista-windows-7-support/417087-ccleaner-messed-up-my-computer-how-fix.html
Best regards.