little to no immunization

I'm using windows XP SP3 and have avast 5.0, Ad Aware, running along with the Spybot S&D, and IE8 which is the only browser I use. I've tried doing the immunity with Avast and Ad Aware deactivated but I get much the same result. My wife's computer has the same problem with different results, she has the exact same set up, I got hers pretty close the only thing that wouldn't immunize was IE domains but everything else worked.

I need help badly I've tried removing spybot and reinstalling but had the same results. I am not a computer expert far from it but I am able to navigate around pretty well. I could use the help of some of the more gifted among you to figure this one out, the immunization is the one feature I particularly liked about spybot. If I can't get it to work I don't see a reason to have redundant spy removal programs on my machines especially one that's not working correctly, but I'd definitely prefer repair to removal. Any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.

I just noticed something while browsing the tutorial, my version of spybot S&D doesn't have the tools and settings tab, could I have an incomplete version?

Immunization hasn't changed, it will only immunize the first two items of Mozilla firefox (which I don't, have or use) but everything else is unprotected. I tried rolling back to the last restore point I had, which was oddly the 10th of this month, odd because this computer wasn't working at that time, anyway no change. :hair:

I also noticed the other thread on immunization issues but feel it's a different issue as they are having issues with the NT 64bit, and are only having issues with a few items being unprotected where as I only have a few being protected. Again any help appreciated.

Which version of Spybot-Search&Destroy are you running exactly? You can find that out by going to "Help>About".

I'm not 100% sure what I'm seeing is the version number but it has the number "1.6.2" next to the spybot heading when I pull up the program.

A side question as well, should I always turn off my virus protection and Ad Aware's resident when trying to immunize or does this not matter?

Just uninstalled spybot, reinstalled straight from the safer networking site, made sure I had all the updates, turned off all the anti virus and ad aware and immunized, now nothing is protected. I don't get, it I'm lost?????

I re-read your posts meticulously and I think I have an answer.

1. The reason you do not see the "Tools" and "Settings" option is because you are not in Advanced Mode. Turn that on by going to "Mode>Advanced Mode". The tab to do that is on the top.
2. Deactiving avast! and Adaware does not affect Spybot or its Immunization function.
3. Have you actually considered clicking on the Immunize button?
If you just click on the tab of the program all you see is the status.
Let me guide you through the screenshots. (I will attach them).
The first screenshot shows you how to get to Advanced Mode.
The second screenshot has two Immunize buttons. The shield shows you the status. The green cross is what actually immunizes your machine.

K, switched to advanced mode, and thats good to know about the Avast and Ad Aware not effecting the spybot, thank you for the tips. As far as the immunization, I click into the immunization section, then on the immunize green cross, it goes through it's immunization of all the sections while the green status bar fills up from the left to right, when it finishes everything is listed as unprotected.

Heres something else I've noticed, if I click on check again it will go through it again, with the same results; no protection. If I instead click on the green cross again it will start to go through the immunize process but will freeze up pretty quickly (the items it does get to before freeze still unprotected) and the only way to get out is to open the task manager and end process. Is this normal, are you just not suppose to click the immunize button a second time?

What other security software do you use? Or is it AdAware and avast! ? Have you used other software in the past that protected the HOSTS file?

Have you tried reinstalling Spybot and see if that works?

The only security I was using is Avast free anti-virus 5.0, and Ad Aware free. I say was using because I uninstalled the Ad Aware in an attempt to troubleshoot Spybot's immunization issue but this changed nothing. I haven't reinstalled Ad Aware and likely won't till I fix it.

I've also tried disconnecting from the internet and disabling my anti-virus, resetting my host file, reseting IE8, all of these have change nothing so I'm really at a loss now.

I did used the hosts tool in Spybot S&D and after I did that the "Global Hosts" will immunize, big surprise right.:rolleyes:

At this point I'm kind of out of ideas so I really need help, so if you have some other suggestions I'm all ears.:banghead:

Not really sure how but now my immunization is 100% complete. I had SB do an immunization with the Mozilla items completely unchecked, I tried this because before SB had given me 0% immunization, it was giving me the first 2Mozilla items at 100% and freezing. So it went through everything except the unselected Mozilla items and gave me 100%, oddly enough it even immunized 2 of the 4 unselected Mozilla items as well. Then I only selected the two non-immunized Mozilla items and un-did then re-immunized these two items, the program froze, so I stopped the program, reloaded, selected immunize and what do you know 100% immunization. Go figure.

I don't actually have Mozilla on my computer, could this of been why I was having the issue in the first place? It was originally loaded on my machine but I removed it because it never got used.

It sounds like Firefox wasn't completely removed, and Spybot Search & Destroy was finding enough remnants that it tried to immunize. When all the files weren't found, that caused the immunization hang.

Uninstalling Firefox

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dginsd

I don't actually have Mozilla on my computer, could this of been why I was having the issue in the first place? It was originally loaded on my machine but I removed it because it never got used.

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That was exactly the problem. Gopher John should pretty much answer your question.

Awesome, thanks guys. I've noticed a few things I've uninstalled leaving program remnants behind is there anything that can be done about these, is there anything wrong with manually searching for and deleting files?

There is nothing wrong with deleting the remains of the uninstallation because you longer use the program. Just make sure what you are deleting.