Can't boot after v1.5.2 installation

[shame]

This careless and ridiculous if not malicious damage by the Spybot people: Safer Networking, ranks their program with the worst Malware. I've 'phoned all my family and friends and told them to get Spybot off their computers immediately and to pass the word on to everyone they know. It's the least I can do. For them.
I'm programming a new PC from scratch (it's taken weeks) and fortunately I've been creating backup images of the drive with Acronis.9 at regular intervals. I was nearly finished and put it online last night to update Nod32, Adaware & Spybot and then ran them all in that order. Then I spent hours trying to fix it after using Spybot. I gave up and deployed my last image losing another few hours of recent programming. But because of that I'm one of the lucky ones. I won't have time to get back to my project till Sunday and then only enough time to re-do the work I did last night. *%$#@#$$%
I was hoping to be tuning my firewall and taking it for a test run on the digital superhighways by then.
Spybot's name is mud at the moment. Who will be game to use it again? Would you? Who've been screwed? You really, really messed up BIG time. *I* suspect someone with a vengeance/grievance at Safer Networking has added a malicious bit of code to the update files(?). What will it be next time?
"format c:" ?
Bye Bye.

PS
you cannot even supply/check proper information for fixing this:
http://forums.spybot.info/blog.php?b=14

"The required default value and data:
Code:
for Windows XP
Userinit=c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe,

for Windows 2000
Userinit=c:\windowsnt\system32\userinit.exe, " <- win 2000 would be .......c:\WINNT\system32\userinit.exe,

Tut tut.
Please check the information you are providing to your users to end the suffering you have sent them.

I've seen posts by your 'Team Members' (kid brother/sister?) advising to try booting safe mode. Duh? These poor people are locked out. No doors and the 'Windows' are bolted from the inside. I'm guessing you 'Safer Networking' people use Linux when you're at home? So you would know grief as much as windows users. I see one or two forlorn victims crying 'Mac for me' after this fiasco. Another pretty desert island but with very little 'cargo'. Only good thing about Winblows is heaps of garbage washes up and occasionally you find something good. Spybot was a find but now, as I said, it's got covered in mud .

I suggest you remove all update files from your servers and replace them with a text file only containing a warning, an apology and promises that whatever bums are actually on seats at 'Safer Networking' are really working to make the program 'Safer...'. Right Now.

I got bitten but I half blame myself. I unchecked a couple entries Spybot had marked for deletion which were obviously programs I had recently installed. I hesitated about 'userinit.exe' but, trusting the program and being a little tired and bleary eyed, I pushed the button.
Damn damn damn damn damn damn damn damn damn damn damn damn damn.

[Terminator]

First of all CALM DOWN I appreciate this is an extremely stressful time but accidents can and do happen and sometimes the source of the problem isn't the obvious one.

Secondly The problems you are experiancing only happen if you are using an old version of spybot or you remove the Hellzlittlespy entry. Spybot 1.6 will be out on the 7th and hopefully this problem will be sorted by the new release, Also be careful what you say as some of what you have said could be considered slander.

To quote PepiMK

We kept the updates available for 1.3 users simply for those who were forced to keep using it e.g. because they have Windows 95 and not enough RAM for a newer version, with the understanding that they would not simply ignore the warning. We did not keep them available for people who decided to ignore both this message and the two updates available through the updater since.

[drragostea]

Just a quick note. Spybot-SD 1.6 released tomorrow. That is July 4th.

[blues]

as i have understand it will be released on monday look at this: http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=30453

[drragostea]

Thanks for clarifying. I got it.

[walker]

[QUOTE=Terminator;209071]First of all CALM DOWN I appreciate this is an extremely stressful time but accidents can and do happen and sometimes the source of the problem isn't the obvious one.

Secondly The problems you are experiancing only happen if you are using an old version of spybot or you remove the Hellzlittlespy entry. Spybot 1.6 will be out on the 7th and hopefully this problem will be sorted by the new release, Also be careful what you say as some of what you have said could be considered slander.

To quote PepiMK[/QUOTE]

First of all, SHAME has spoken the truth at every juncture in this. If you want to carry this further, we can take this to another level. If you supply your personal information and the "owners" of SpyBot....I will gladly supply my information and we can bring this to the "legal" level. Your comments are laughable. I fully stand behind the comments of this poster....he is certainly not even remotely close to "slander".

He does bring up some very interesting points. This is basically hobbyist software and I should not have been using it in the first place (my bad).....but someone at your "company" surely did this on purpose as a malicious act.......removing lines of registry code identified as "hellzlittlespy".....cannot be an "accident". If you were legitimate in any way, the "company" would admit to this.

Another interesting comment by "Shame" is that you cannot even get the fix remotely close to right. The original "blog" did not identify method #3 as an XP/VISTA only fix. Then method #2 doesn't work for me, as numerous bad shutdowns have caused the iso/boot file to exclaim....."you must start two times in safe mode".....great!!!!!!!!!!!....you can't.

So, where is the slander? Spybot has succeeded where no virus has ever been able to....complete destruction.

SpyBot is in fact the most damaging VIRUS I have ever encountered.

By the way....you will get your chancce at a "slander" suit......I am so pissed off about this I am in the process of obtaining a url and i will soon be listed in all the search engines as a possible choice of selection when Spybot is the search term. The verbage will not be pretty.

[walker]

Walker, do you own a real Win2000 installation disk?

Yes I do. I booted to it. It cannot fix this problem....at least with my knowledge base. What do you suggest?

[PepiMK]

removing lines of registry code identified as "hellzlittlespy".....cannot be an "accident"

That the task in question is not compatible with 1.3 is documented in the public:
http://wiki.spybot.info/index.php/RegyChange
I kind of doubt we would prepare a intential bug about four years before letting it occur...

So, where is the slander? Spybot has succeeded where no virus has ever been able to....complete destruction.

You must've had luck with your choice of viruses then

I am so pissed off about this I am in the process of obtaining a url and i will soon be listed in all the search engines as a possible choice of selection when Spybot is the search term. The verbage will not be pretty.

Sorry, but dozens of bad guys already pay big bucks to Google for Adwords for that purpose to be able to cheat people, unless you're a professional criminal, it should get difficult to get a high rank among them

[bevdye1962]

I did a cursory look at the forum and didn't see this problem. I installed v1.5.2 and did the requested reboot. Now I can't log in to my system. I click on my username and type in my password, and the system logs me in and then immediately logs me out. This happens repeatedly. I have tried virtually all boot modes under the f8 menu: safe mode, debugging mode, everything. (OS is XP Pro, and I think it is completely updated--it updates automatically). The behavior is always the same for either my regular account or the admin account. It logs in and immediately logs out. Any suggestions? I REALLY don't want to reinstall the OS.

Hi,

I've read that this problem doesn't occur with v1.5.2, but like round_midnight, I also was running v1.5.2 and have the same problem as of my June 29th update. My loop is now actually preceded by a Logon Message, "The system could not log you on. Make sure your User name and domain are correct, then type password again. Letters in passwords must be typed using the correct case." After this, I go to the logon/logoff loop. This occurs in windows logon, safe mode, administrator, or regular account. I have made no headway on the problem at all, it seems.

Having read this and Major Geeks forums comments on this problem and having visited every recommended site with hope of a solution, I am now waiting on an XP Installation CD from Dell to try the Bart PE.

I don't have a solution to offer, but wanted to make sure v1.5.2 is not given the "all-clear". If I didn't have two computers in the home to research the problem, I would have d/l the update onto this computer as well as part of the "weekend update."

Hope there is a true solution soon! If I have any success, I will post asap. Unfortunately, I seem to be undereducation for this one!

[walker]

That the task in question is not compatible with 1.3 is documented in the public:
http://wiki.spybot.info/index.php/RegyChange
I kind of doubt we would prepare a intential bug about four years before letting it occur...

You must've had luck with your choice of viruses then

Sorry, but dozens of bad guys already pay big bucks to Google for Adwords for that purpose to be able to cheat people, unless you're a professional criminal, it should get difficult to get a high rank among them

I think as days go by you will learn that there is more to this than you know now....and maybe an apology will be in order. Look at bevdye1962 ....so you see this isn't only 1.3 and the non-screen "warnings" that v.1.3 people got. You have a problem and you want to play verbal football with it. Why go down this road? The fact is that SpyBot has caused a lot of problems for a lot of people and you are calling me a possible "Criminal" because my computers have been fried/toasted...and stepped on...by SpyBot. When I say that no virus has ever caused this much damage I mean it. That is a fact, as far as I am concerned.

I am not accusing the owners of SpyBot with intentionally creating this problem.....but something has been done with the latest updates to cause this problem. Even if an older version was used against suggestions that it not be.....having an update that causes a read of "hellzlittlespy"....and a deletion of a boot file from the reg.....is a bit much. At least it is to be considered unprofessional. The program ceasing to fuction at all, and not being able to be updated by the "updater" would have been a less harsh penalty to the criminal users of this software. This is like executing someone because he has not changed his under shorts.

All of this said......can someone please look over the posts and try to come up with a fix that is well written...and works?