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Thread: Passive Protection Part Failure?

  1. #1
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    Default Passive Protection Part Failure?

    Hi,

    I am encountering a part failure when running Immunization as I get '4 Unprotected' in: Windows 'Global (Hosts) (C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.)'

    Can anyone tell me how to rectify this please, as re-running Immunization fails to protect these 4 'problems'
    While I am at a loss to establish exactly what they are.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Spybot Advisor Team Zenobia's Avatar
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    Hi.
    There were two others who also had 4 unprotected in the hosts file recently, so perhaps you are having the same or a similar issue:
    https://forums.spybot.info/showthrea...y-Immunization
    I couldn't find what was causing it, so you could open a Support ticket to talk to Team Spybot if you would like:
    https://www.safer-networking.org/sup...ket/technical/

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    Quote Originally Posted by Zenobia View Post
    Hi.
    There were two others who also had 4 unprotected in the hosts file recently, so perhaps you are having the same or a similar issue:
    https://forums.spybot.info/showthrea...y-Immunization
    I couldn't find what was causing it, so you could open a Support ticket to talk to Team Spybot if you would like:
    https://www.safer-networking.org/sup...ket/technical/
    Hello Zenobia,

    Many thanks for your reply and the link to the other two SpyBot users.

    While I too have Malware Bytes installed which i believe is running in the background, running a scan on it produces 'Nothing found'.

    I also have Zone Alarm which I must say is much better behaved than AVG which I had and was very glad to see the back of as like Norton it was attempting to take control of my laptop!

    The Zone Alarm is for both Virus protection and Firewall but again when a full scan is run like Malware I get the result of 'Nothing found'

    I had a look at the file I mentioned in my original post, and there are 35 files of this type........All 'Backup'
    'hosts.20160714-222619.backup 30/10/2015 BACKUP FILE 1KB

    While I wrote the details of the first BACKUP file the remainder are around 448KB in size.

    So I am wondering if they might be 'interfering' with the immunization process and should be 'Deleted'?

    If you are unsure of the answer then I will raise a ticket as you suggest as the other 2 users have not posted any update, so I presume they still have the issue/problem.

    Cheers

  4. #4
    Spybot Advisor Team Zenobia's Avatar
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    You're welcome.

    By the way, could you let me know which version of Windows are you on, is it Windows 10?

    The hosts.20160714-222619.backup files are all backup files created by Spybot when it immunizes your hosts file. No need to delete them, they won't interfere with immunization.

    It is possible that another program with real-time protection might be removing the hosts file entries made by Spybot, but if that were happening you would likely be notified by the security program.

    I see Malwarebytes has real-time protection with the premium version only:
    https://www.malwarebytes.com/premium/
    Do you have the premium or the free version? If you have the free version, that should rule out Malwarebytes.

    I do see that Zone Alarm Antivirus and Firewall does have some kind of on-access scanning and/or also real-time protection?
    http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/in..._onaccess.html
    http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/in..._overview.html
    Does that notify you if it finds anything?
    If this page is up to date, I see there are logged Virus events. I'm not 100% sure if it shows anything found by on-access scanning or not, but you could look at the Virus Events and see if they correspond to times when you have been immunizing Spybot:
    http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/in...ress_scan.html

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    Hi Zenobia,

    I am using Win10 64bit.

    I will have a look at those points you made while I made this 'find' this morning but not sure if it is causing the 'problem'.

    I tried running Immunization in Spybot without any updates and it came back telling me that I needed to 'Close' Firefox(SYSTEM)?

    I opened up Task Manager and looked at all running 'Processes' and there was nothing there.

    So I closed down Spybot and then opened up Firefox, which is taking a heck of a long time to open up!

    I then ran CCleaner which told me Firefox needed to be closed down so I allowed CCleaner to close it and continue, except it struggled and found it was taking a long time to close down so CCleaner then forced it to close.

    I then closed down CCleaner and opened Spybot and ran Immunization directly with no update and lo and behold the 'Close Firefox(System)' message came up again while the 4 'Unprotected' items remain in place. (File attached)

    Seems weird but having I am not sure if the 4 'Unprotected' are related to Firefox.

    Hope this throws some more light on the 'problem' or maybe it gets more 'confusing'!

    Cheers

    Oops......Forgot to mention that I have the free version of Malwarebytes, while Zone Alarm does notify me of anything. The logged 'Virus Events' are from when Zone Alarm AV 'found' a suspected virus which is a false positive as it is the program for the activation code for Microsoft Office 2010, so I chose to allow it, but the virus event remains in place, while this was never a 'problem' when using AVG and Spybot, but the activation program was also allowed to remain in place and be active when it was found by AVG.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Traveller11; 2017-08-06 at 09:04. Reason: Missed replies to ???

  6. #6
    Spybot Advisor Team Zenobia's Avatar
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    Hi.

    I am using Win10 64bit.
    Okay, thanks. I guess this is not Operating System related somehow, because I have Windows 10 64bit also, and my hosts file immunization is complete. I see by your screenshot that you are being prompted to run as administrator when you run Immunization, so that is as it should be.

    Spybot will prompt you to close Firefox to make sure immunization is successful because sometimes Firefox immunization will fail when Firefox is open while Spybot is immunizing it. That should not affect the hosts file immunization, though.
    But just to be on the safe side, could you please try rebooting your computer, leave Firefox closed, then opening Spybot immunization once again, just to confirm that the "Open browsers detected! You should close "Firefox(System)" to make sure immunization is successful" is no longer there?

    Okay, that should eliminate Malwarebytes removing hosts file entries with real-time protection since it is the free version, and since there is only one false positive with Zone Alarm Antivirus and Firewall, if it does log On-Access events, then that should eliminate On-Access scanning and/or any real-time protection that it has as the culprit, barring unforeseen circumstances in either case.

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    Hi Zenobia,

    I will say now that my default browser is Chrome and not Firefox which I only use infrequently.

    The laptop has been shut down for the last 6 hours and switching on I went into Chrome and the Forum to see if there was a reply and there was from you.

    I then opened Spybot and went straight into Immunization and guess what?

    Nope it didn't work as I got that same message 'You should close "Firefox (SYSTEM)" to make sure an immunization is successful'

    Nice to know that the other programs should not affect the immunization process.

    I am just wondering if I should try taking a backup of the URL's and security from Firefox and stick it on a memory stick, then remove the Firefox program including the folders that are sometimes left behind, then clean out the Registry, then shut the laptop down, reboot and open Spybot first and try the immunization.

    Decided I will and will let you know the result...........soon!

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    Hi again Zenobia,

    Well I now have a laptop that does not have 'Firefox' anywhere in it...............

    BUT
    Unbelievably I am still getting that same message when I open up Spybot & Immunization!
    'You should close "Firefox (SYSTEM)" to make sure an immunization is successful'

    I am now 'Up a creek without a paddle' as I don't know where to go next or what else to try.

    It looks like that Technical Support Ticket is getting very close!

    Look forward to your thoughts.......

    Cheers

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    NEW UPDATE!

    Hi once again Zenobia,

    It looks like some elements of the Firefox Program remained as I just did a reinstall of the browser from a new download and when I opened it up I found all my Bookmarks and 'security' items still in place!

    While I had 5 entries in the Registry it looks like some folders on the 'C' drive still had Firefox files in place, but interestingly a Windows Search did not identify them.

    So I guess I need to do it again and look for the folders where the other bits are!

    Watch this space!
    Cheers

  10. #10
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    Hello Zenobia,

    I don't know if the attached Log File from Spybot Search & Destroy can throw any light on this 'problem' but in reading it through there does not seem to be any 'errors' identified regarding the operation of Mozilla/Firefox?

    Oops!.......

    While I am supposed to be able to Upload 'txt' files in the Attachments I am getting a message on here via 'Manage Attachments' that the 'Immunization-Browsers.txt'
    is Invalid for Upload!

    I converted the file to a '.doc' file which is also supposed to be able to be Upload-able but that was also refused saying 'Invalid file'

    I am beginning to think that the 'problem' is somewhere in Spybot.

    Any ideas would be welcome as I am once again totally stumped!

    Cheers

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