Spybot crashes on start up

[drragostea]

Your OS seems to be doing fine. 384MB of RAM should be adequate for Spybot-SD to run... so RAM shouldn't be a problem.

Is AdAware a paid subscription?

Alright. Download a fresh copy of Spybot-SD. Then attempt to install it and run it.

I'm seeing if reinstalling might help since AdAware is off.

I would suggest removing BAZOOKA, because it's database is badly outdated.

In your post on June 13, you asked about whether the programs are rouge or legit. Well, all of them are legit, so there's nothing to worry about.

[objectivebrianc]

Is AdAware a paid subscription? No, free

Also Bazooka is gone a long time ago while I still was using Windows ME, if I remember correctly it was because I was frustrated that I couldn't update it, also I just deleted the folder in program files, but I don't know how to remove it from the registry.

I downloaded and installed a fresh copy of Spybot-SD and I still get the same problem.

[Terminator]

To remove the registry enteries use a registry cleaner like ATF Cleaner or CCleaner, I can personaly recommend CCleaner.

[drragostea]

After removing both, download CCleaner and run it.

The direct link would be:
http://www.ccleaner.com/download/downloading

Now follow instructions carefully.
-Run the CCleaner (first tab) with the default boxes checked. I wouldn't suggest touching the Advanced Settings.

After that... run the registry cleaner. There will be detected entries related to both Spybot and AdAware. Re-run the test as there will be remaining issues. 3-4 times should clear it, thus it will find no more entries.
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ATF Cleaner acts just like CCleaner... but just without the registry cleaner. The user has also used the registry function, Terminator.

Just a quick note, brian, you can uninstall Bazooka manually without having to go through the trouble of finding it and deleting it.

I'm not sure now... Brian is there any chance you have v.1.4 on your computer? I was thinking about installing 1.4 and upgrade from there. Problem is if you can actually execute Spybot itself.

Can you try booting in SAFE MODE and execute Spybot 1.5.2.20 from there? If you can't download v.1.4.

http://filehippo.com/download_spybot...h_destroy/148/

[objectivebrianc]

I downloaded Spybot SD 1.4, and I still can't open that, I also checked it in the safe mode and can't open it there.

I was thinking since I was suppose to undo the immunizations before uninstalling the product, I was wondering if problems happened, because I failed to do that, after all you can't undo the immunizations if you can't open Spybot.

[drragostea]

Hm. I don't think the problem would be undoing the immunization. It would be optional.

This might be a obstacle. I recall in another thread that the user could not open Spybot... however SAFE MODE did it. But the user rebooted in normal mode, and Spybot still persisted.

Zenobia, was stumped too... problem was that "what" was causing Spybot not to open. Um...

Hrm. Mentioned by Terminator in another thread... I'm thinking...

Brian, why don't you first uninstall Spybot-SD. I'm assuming you have only one entry. So remove that first.

Do you still have the spybotsd152.exe" executable? If so, save it.

For now, after removing Spybot-SD... use the SEARCH function and search ALL FILES AND FOLDERS. Type in Spybot. After searching there should be some dozen of Spybot entries... more like Spybot files. Drag all of them to the RECYCLE BIN and empty it.

Attempt to install Spybot.

So if this story is correct... You install Spybot successfully... but you cannot execute it?

[129260]

Make sure after emptying the registry of spybot and the files of spybot, or using the complete removal tool of spybot, that you restart your computer.
I know a lot of users who sometimes forget that, I know you probably didn't, but just make sure you restart again after trying the suggestions.

[objectivebrianc]

What do I do to empty the registry of spybot? If I used ccleaner I was wondering if that would be sufficient.

I did all the suggested procedures, I uninstalled it through the control panel Add/Remove, I used ccleaner, I typed "spybot" without the quotes and emptied it, with the exception of text, and html files I made myself. I emptied the recycle bin in all the user accounts, than rebooted.

Spybot is still having the problems I described.

You asked "So if this story is correct... You install Spybot successfully... but you cannot execute it?" Answer being yes, that states it exactly.

Questions I have are what is the complete removal tool of spybot? I may want to try that next, although I uninstalled Adaware, I do not know if there is fragments of AdWatch still present, I will also state the AdAware was free, and is there possible possible malware behavior causing the SpyBot problem?

I will also state again that other anti spyware programs work, and Adaware is still off my computer until the Spybot problem is soved.

[ME_2&]

.. and in no way 'official' </disclaimer>. Hi Bri', being lately from ME to XP (world of difference, yes?), you may run into many things done differently. However ..

1) The 'Full Monty' SSD uninstall is best described at:
http://forums.spybot.info/showpost.p...70&postcount=2

2) If you are sufficiently careful, Registry editing is not all that hard .. and indeed is one of the preferred methods of cleaning up a 'dirty uninstall' - often simply deleting things may lead to problems, almost always best to use the dedicated uninstaller in CP±Programs (or on the Startmenu/..) as that cleans up the less visible traces of an app. A nice editor is offered at the following:
http://www.spybot.info/en/regalyzer/index.html
The absolute do-not-forget is to back up before making any changes while directly editing the Registry. Save backup keys, etc in a folder with an explanatory note to yourself and archive it in external storage for safety JustinCase (I believe RegAlyz has an 'undo' function if that appeals to you) .. for casual reading, open .reg files in NotePad as they are live files, lol - get a Dummies book on Registry editing if you like (where I started when all those curly bracket thingies seemed to get in my way all the time, ). That said, you can use the 'Find' to uncover remnants of 'dirty uninstalls'/deletes. RESPECT but do not fear the Registry .. and always use the dedicated uninstaller

3) Sometimes a simple method to get a fairly clean uninstall is to (re)install the app that was merely "deleted", (don't even run it) and then use the dedicated uninstaller (usually cleans up better) and REboot afterwards (not always necessary, but it's a habit - sometimes a shutdown/BOOT is even better). Apps that use profiles may leave remnants (especially with version upgrades, many times it is a good thing .. but sometimes ...).

Hope this may help a bit `til real help gets back to ya

[objectivebrianc]

I took all the steps you suggested, but I think I am ready to clean the registry of Spybot. When I downloaded the fix, instead of getting the fix I get some text. I was wondering if there is something I should do with the text that I received. Also, if I used cclenaner would adjusting the registry be neccessary?