Spybot 1.6 locking user registry hives

[MrGreg]

Hi everyone,

I have just tested 1.6.1.36. The results look good. The new SID hives are now unloading correctly for other user accounts. Thanks for getting it fixed up PepiMK. When can we expect the official 1.6.1 release?

[PepiMK]

1.6.1.37 now online

Official 1.6.1?

We need feedback on TeaTimer still.

[MrGreg]

Hi PepiMK,

I have just tested 1.6.1.37. The SID hive unloading still looks good on this release. I do not use TeaTimer so I can not help with any feedback. What I mean buy an official release is the non beta release that will be available for download on the main download page. When do think that will be available for all? Thanks for your support.

[madeline]

Eureka! I've been struggling with User Profile problems for weeks, seeking help from techie friends and even from Microsoft Support (since the trouble started after updating to SP3 for XP, altho in retrospect that might have been coincidental.) I have SpyBot 1.6.0.30 and also AVG Free 8.0.175. Originally had 2 User accounts (both Administrative), neither of which had any problems for >3 yrs. After XP3 update and SpyBot download, one of the user account profiles was inaccessible, and Windows loaded that user with a default user profile. I then created a new user account to start fresh, but this morning after doing a SpyBot update, THAT user profile also wouldn't load its settings.

I've read this entire thread, and wonder what to do now - will downloading the new SpyBot patch (1.6.1.37 ?) fix everything? Where best to download it? Or, if I need to edit the registry using regedit, which PE_C keys should be deleted, and which saved?

Please help, this whole thing has been so very frustrating. I thought this was an XP SP3 problem all along and am surprised that SpyBot is involved. Maybe AVG is, too?

[PepiMK]

This happens wheneven Spybot closes "not normally", but the situatios should be solved after a reboot, just fast user switching and logoff/login situations should be affected when something has "killed" Spybot (like thep udate which forces Spybot a bit harsh to close).

Other applications, especially security/monitoring applications, might be "at fault" as well because they detect the loaded registry and look into it when Spybot tries to unload it again.

Please do not delete any PE_C_ keys. They should be no longer loaded after a reboot.

If you want to use this file, the archive includes just SpybotSD.exe, which needs to be extracted to C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\, replacing the SpybotSD.exe that is there. You probably need to make hidden and system files visible in Explorer to do that.

[MrGreg]

Hi Madeline,

I just wanted to comment on your problem. I partially disagree with PepiMK about the PE_C keys. Under normal circumstances if the PE_C keys do not get unloaded when Spybot terminates, they will be removed after a reboot. However two of my clients that use Spybot, had the PE_C key get stuck in such a way that a reboot did not remove the stuck keys. Others that posted in this thread also experienced a stuck PE_C key that was not removed after reboot. In this case you will need to use Regedit to remove the stuck keys.

First reboot the machine. Log in to an account that has Administrative privileges (Not the account you are having trouble with). Do not run Spybot after reboot. Then run regedit and expand the HK_USERS hive. If you see any PE_C keys then these keys are stuck and need to be removed. Highlight the PE_C keys one at a time. The click on File in the menu bar and select Unload Hive. Click yes to the confirmation message and the hive will be unloaded. You will now be able to login to the account(s) that were inaccessible. Hope this helps...

[K-Rock]

As for resources, MS says that XP etc. do not have a registry size limit any more. But I already wrote about that

Sorry for the slight thread jack, but at what point did you experience the problems. According to windows my profile is 2.39GB and the wifes is 1.98GB. I figured the two profiles would allow her to be able to install things she like without affecting my installs and settings very much. Also, maybe I missed it, seven pages of reading does that, but does the version that you download from the main download page have the /noprofile (or what ever it was) set or do I need to update my shortcuts untill the next version is out?

[patmac]

Could someone please take a look at the first half of another thread I started, Titled; Problems After Updating? Reading this thread here makes me think I may have a similar issue, but I'm not advanced enough to tell. Just the first half of the thread. I'm using version 1.6.0.31 WinXP home SP3. Here's the link;
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=35866
Thanks

[madeline]

Hi Mr. Greg,

Thanks for commenting. I agree that rebooting does not fix whatever problem I have, since I've rebooted and also completely shut down many times over the past few weeks. The new user account that I set up earlier is now working again, so that one might have been somehow repaired with a reboot. But my main (old) user account (which has 1.42 GB of important data) still won't let me open any files or programs.

Using the new user account, I could not find any PE_C keys under the HKEY_USERS section using Regedit - there were a bunch of different folders there, starting with ".DEFAULT" and then lots of folders with numbers similar to 5-1-5-18. All of these folders contained different folders, and I'm wondering if the PE_C keys might be somewhere inside one of those? (I'm not that familiar with registry folders, as you can tell). One question: If you adjust the registry using one (administrative) User account, does the change apply to all other user accounts on the computer?

I did finally get a suggestion from a MS Tech, to rename (in Safe Mode) the UsrClass.dat file (found in C:\Documents and Settings\problem user account\Local Settings\ApplicationData\Microsoft\Windows\for the problem user account to UsrClass.datold. For some reason, I could not rename the file in Safe Mode - my keyboard input was not recognized at the cursor in the file rename box. I rebooted and renamed the file in regular mode, but it didn't fix anything.

(Of course I changed the settings so that all the hidden files and system files are displayed.)

I'm wondering if Uninstalling Spybot might help, although I'm reluctant to do that, but I'm getting desperate. Also, what about AVG Free 8.0, maybe I should uninstall that? It gets so complicated, all in the name of security.....

Any ideas will be much appreciated!

Hi Madeline,

I just wanted to comment on your problem. I partially disagree with PepiMK about the PE_C keys. Under normal circumstances if the PE_C keys do not get unloaded when Spybot terminates, they will be removed after a reboot. However two of my clients that use Spybot, had the PE_C key get stuck in such a way that a reboot did not remove the stuck keys. Others that posted in this thread also experienced a stuck PE_C key that was not removed after reboot. In this case you will need to use Regedit to remove the stuck keys.

First reboot the machine. Log in to an account that has Administrative privileges (Not the account you are having trouble with). Do not run Spybot after reboot. Then run regedit and expand the HK_USERS hive. If you see any PE_C keys then these keys are stuck and need to be removed. Highlight the PE_C keys one at a time. The click on File in the menu bar and select Unload Hive. Click yes to the confirmation message and the hive will be unloaded. You will now be able to login to the account(s) that were inaccessible. Hope this helps...

[madeline]

Thanks for commenting. What happened to the beta "hot fix" for user profile problems mentioned earlier, is that no longer available? Rebooting does not help. (Yes, all hidden and system files are visible.) Do you think a complete Uninstall of Spybot might help?
Thank you!

If you want to use this file, the archive includes just SpybotSD.exe, which needs to be extracted to C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\, replacing the SpybotSD.exe that is there. You probably need to make hidden and system files visible in Explorer to do that.