Windows - Global Hosts

[oakwoodbank]

In the last day or so following a search & detection episode, the Windows Global Hosts section has gone from protected to completely unprotected. Can someone please explain this?

Also, from the same time, when I start a 'search and destroy' episode, I get a pop-up from McAfee telling me it has eliminated a threat. Is there any conection?

[spybotsandra]

Hello,

Using more than one anti-spyware program with a resident protection tool might cause conflicts.

What threat is McAfee reporting exactly? Or where is it being found?
Do they report a part of Spybot-S&D as threat?

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

[TheObserver]

I'm having the same problem, and so is this (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?p=432498#post432498) user.

McAfee identifies the following Threat:

Threat Name: Generic.QHosts.c (Trojan)
File: Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
Process Location: Program Files (x86)\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SpybotSD.exe
Process Description: Spybot - Search & Destroy

[spybotsandra]

Hello,

That is a false positive from McAfee.
They seem to mistakenly detect the immunization of Spybot-S&D as risk.

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

[TheObserver]

Is there any way to fix this issue?

[spybotsandra]

Hello,

Hopefully McAfee will fix this soon.

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

[PickersAngel]

I think I won't hold my breath, although I will write a nasty email to McAfee. I used to be a big fan, until they dumbed down and bundled their program to the point where I have little say about what's safe for my computer. It's also become such a huge resource hog that it's limiting the number of apps I can actively run on my machine. I think it might be time to cancel my subscription and find new security software and antivirus.

[oakwoodbank]

Thanks for the contributions/answers to my post

1. I will assume that the McAfee/SpyBot fight is what caused the pop-up and will therefore ignore it.

2. The issue of the Windows-Global Hosts failing has now corrected without any intervention from me (as far as I am aware). i.e. all channels are now showing full protection.

Thanks again

[PickersAngel]

My issue seems to have been resolved. I went to the McAfee site looking for a contact email address, and decided to try Live Chat. Before I could initiate a Live Chat, I had to run the McAfee Virtual Technician, which found that my DAT file was corrupt (yeah, right....). The solution was to download and run a SuperDAT file, dated today (10-25-2012). After unpacking the files in the .exe, I got an error message that my software was using the latest files, and the installer exited. I did the Live Chat, and the best suggestion the CSR could give me was to send the quarantined file to McAfee for inspection. Out of curiousity, I restored the file one more time to see what happened. Something in the SuperDAT must have corrected the false positive, because my hosts file remains intact.

[spybotsandra]

Hello,

Thanks for the heads up. ;)

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot