Why don't manual updates reduce list of "updates to download"?

[dgrrr]

AFter installing spybot, I notice that if I "search for updates", it gives me a list of EIGHT possible updates. If I choose one and choose "download", it installs the update -- and if I subsequently "search for updates", that update will no longer be shown in the list. (I have eliminated one "available update" from the list)

On the other hand, if I do NOT do the above updates, and instead I do manual updates, by downloading and installing these files:
01 - Detection updates 2006-04-14\spybotsd_includes.exe
02 - Tools update 2006-03-31\spybotsd_tools.exe
03 - Advanced check library update 2006-03-31\spybotsd_advcheck.exe...

... If I then choose "search for updates", I still get the original EIGHT suggested updates.

Why doesn't the manual update reduce the # of available updates?


I ask this question because it's just a little unsettling -- I want to make sure that any manual updates I may have to do in the future are actually working.

By the way, I notice that, in the above scenarios, the "Help / About" menu seems to reflect both the INTEGRATED adn the MANUAL updates ("latest update [todays date]") -- Can I trust this to confirm updating?

[md usa spybot fan]

Why doesn't the manual update reduce the # of available updates?

The integrated update facility appears to work as follows:

• The update process downloads the following file:
  
  • http://security.kolla.de/updates/spybotsd.ini (Spybot 1.3)
  • www.safer-networking.org/updates/spybotsd.ini (Spybot 1.4)
• The spybotsd.ini file is then copied to:
  
  • C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Updates\online.ini
• Using control information from the Configuration.ini file (Note #1), the online.ini is compared to the following file to determine what updates (if any) are required:
  
  • C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Updates\downloaded.ini

If the downloaded.ini does not exit (initial use of the integrated update facility), Spybot inspects its files to determine their update date and will create the downloaded.ini when it closes.

Once the downloaded.ini is created it is only updated when updates are successfully downloaded using the integrated update facility. Manual changes to Spybot's files are not reflected in the downloaded.ini file and therefore do not influence the list of updates presented when you do a "Search for Updates" using the integrated update facility.

Note #1: The Configuration.ini file stored in one of the following folders:

• Windows 95 or 98:
  C:\Windows\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy
• Windows ME:
  C:\Windows\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy
• Windows NT, 2000 or XP:
  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy

I ask this question because it's just a little unsettling -- I want to make sure that any manual updates I may have to do in the future are actually working.

The logs produced during a scan show the dates of the various files used during that scan. If you look at the logs from before and after an update you can see the files that were updated. By default there are two Checks.yymmdd-hhmm logs produced during a scan. The second Checks.yymmdd-hhmm has the details of what the scan found as well as the dates of the files used. A Fixes.yymmdd-hhmm log is also produced if you fix or attempt to fix something.

There are two methods to view these reports.
[list][*]Method 1:
[list][*]Go into Spybot > Mode > Advanced mode > Tools > View Reports > View Pervious reports. Look for the Checks.yymmdd-hhmm or Fixes.yymmdd-hhmm file that contains the desired information. Open it.[*]Method 2

• The Checks.yymmdd-hhmm and Fixes.yymmdd-hhmm files are stored in the following folders:
  
  • Windows 95 or 98:
    C:\Windows\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Logs
  • Windows ME:
    C:\Windows\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Logs
  • Windows NT, 2000 or XP:
    C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\Logs
• Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the correct Checks.yymmdd-hhmm. Double click on it and it should open with Notepad.