Really ANGRY with Spybot S&D

[TehTech]

My mistake

lol its ok, you wasnt to know how I get my downloads

I am sorry if I am coming across agressive, its just I do not think this is on, and TBH, spybot should inform you of what it intends to do when you "immunise" and give you the option if you want it to modify this file!

It is not just me, I have had customers complaining of slow browsing speeds, and when I take a look, sure as eggs are eggs, spybot has modified their hosts file too, once removed all the rubbish, restart their pc and everything is back to normal again!

[Terminator]

By-the-way you do know that is a Corporate version that is specially designed for networks but you have to PAY for that version as it is not free.

[TehTech]

By-the-way you do know that is a Corporate version that is specially designed for networks but you have to PAY for that version as it is not free.

What is a corporate version?? Spybot S&D 1.4?? no as I downloaded it from the Safer Networks website...

[Terminator]

The corporate version can be found HERE.

[TehTech]

The corporate version can be found HERE.

Well thats pretty fuffed up being as I first downloaded Spybot some 3-4 yrs ago from the official website, and through various upgrades, it came up with a new update, version 1.5.2.20, didnt say anything about I have to pay for it...

Even if I still had that on my machines, I certainly would not pay to have my files changed, if I wanted that, Id open up my network to the internet and let random people do what they wanted with my machines...

[Terminator]

There are 2 versions, one for commercial users that you have to pay for and the free one for everyone else.

[TehTech]

There are 2 versions, one for commercial users that you have to pay for and the free one for everyone else.

I didnt even know there was a version that ya had to pay for, I've always stuck with the free version myself, as having that many PC's networked up, Im sure it would violate the T&C's of the pay version!

[PepiMK]

Hope everyone has calmed down a bit

Corporate use is mentioned in II.e. in the license agreement. We tried to keep it much shorter than your usual twenty page terms of service, but I understand that reading license agreements usually is a nuisance
If your commercial part is servicing PCs, we also have a service agreement that would allow free use as long as you inform users that you've used a free software that is sustained by donations and theirs would be welcome (in short words; there are alternatives if you do not want to reveal that etc., I think licenses@spybot.info would be able to give more details).

As for the hosts file, the one problem I know about is Windows 2000 and it's DNS Client Service. If that system service is enabled, it indeed very annoyingly slows down the system.
We've therefore added this feature request, which lead to a workaround: hosts file immunization would only apply on Windows 2000 if this system service is disabled, otherwise it would not even show (unless you used a registry patch).

But, as others said, Spybot-S&D is never modifying the hosts file on itself. It has an option in it's Tools section, and it's part of the Immunization, but both have to be applied manually.
The first run wizard recommends to immunize your system though; if you click that, it would immunize before you've been able to see what it immunizes probably. Could this have been the unnoticed hosts file writing you noticed?

In general, I can only point to the bugtracker again and again
Even though I sometimes have a tendency to critize non-perfect reports (ah, that gave me an idea for my next blog post - a description on what I think on how good bug reports should look lilke ) - nobody is perfect I'm afraid - we really appreciate feedback, especially on the things listed there (like how to solve this hosts problem the best way).

[drragostea]

Time for drragostea to bust in .\

TehTech, I had no idea that having a host file of more than 175kb will, so drastically, slow down your computer. Last I recalled, I made a encrypted backup of my HOSTS file with SpywareBlaster 4.1 and that turned up to be only 222kb. That's one-fifth of a MB.

You mentioned something about Norton AV. Is that a cooperate edition for like a workstation for many computers? Or is that a single-handed version.

Like PepiMK and Terminator mentioned, there is a cooperate version of SaferNetworking's Spybot-Search&Destroy. Of course, that would be much less tedious than installing Spybot on 20 different Windows OS's correct?

I don't mean to criticize you TehTech, but to me, you're making a fool of yourself. Sort it out. Ask questions. You look like you're going paranoid.

In the previous posts, Terminator said that the Immunize feature DOES add entries to your HOSTS file. I recall the HOSTS file being empty when I first reformatted my Windows XP Home. The aim and goal of the Immunize feature in Spybot is benign.

Also...

What rights do YOU (the makers of Spybot S&D) have to MESS AROUND with MY system files on MY machine???

Well then why would you even touch Spybot in the first place? If you are trying it out and testing it, then no further questions I can accept that.
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What is your ISP? Verizon?

Also, on what connection? A T1 connection around the workstation? A DSL connection? Specify the speed.

Also how do we know? What evidence or files you found makes you accuse Spybot responsible?

Norton can be a resource hog. That I know, but I never heard of it hindering a computer's Internet speed.
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Stay Cool. Calm Down. Makes it better for all of us. TehTech.

[Terminator]

When I first installed Norton Internet Security 2005 a few years back it locked me out of my Dial-up connection so I couldn't register it until I'd downloaded all the updates, tinkered with the firewall and only then it would let me register it. After using it for a year and having numerous problems with it I ditched it and went with Zone Alarm and AVG.

To cut a long story short after loads of problems with differant Firewalls and Anti-Virus programs I upgraded to the latest version of Zone Alarm and Avast! Antivirus and I've used them ever since.