You have toasted (i.e. destroyed) 100's...maybe 1,000's of people's machines. The solutions are complex and take advanced knowledge (like is the Bart CD good on Win 2000 Pro?....it looks like XP only)....it takes an advanced user to create this disk and load the three files. Thanks. Your software is worse than the baddest virus out there....complete destruction...and thanks again!! Your free software is not so free now! Would you like to come to my party and fix my computer. Yep...the best virus out there....SPYBOT
Hellzlittlespy (great work guys)
- Thread starter walker
- Start date
spybotsandra
New member
Hello,
Please have a look at this blog we have just written about this problem:
http://forums.spybot.info/blog.php?b=14
That should help to solve it.
Best regards
Sanra
Team Spybot
Please have a look at this blog we have just written about this problem:
http://forums.spybot.info/blog.php?b=14
That should help to solve it.
Best regards
Sanra
Team Spybot
Hello,
Please have a look at this blog we have just written about this problem:
http://forums.spybot.info/blog.php?b=14
That should help to solve it.
Best regards
Sanra
Team Spybot
Yes, thank you all at Spybot (best virus in the world) for toasting my computer. I wonder if we can name a new virus...the hellzlittlespy Vers. 1.3 virus that wasn't a virus...but toasted more computers than any before? I have now spent 7 hours trying to fix the registry of my computers using all of the methods on this and other forums. Your "Solution #2" does not work. Guess what...it does not work. I burned the image onto cd and booted from that cd. Everything went as shown on the screen shots, but the registry was not changed from the one that is now defective.....due to your software...and only your software. In the beginning of trying to use the iso disk, it comes up with a statement that the computer has to be started in Safe Mode twice because no changes can be made without this. However, the computer cannot be started in Safe Mode due to your software removing the code it needs in the registry to start in Safe Mode. Why don't you screw up one of your computers.......and see that your solution does not work.....what now Sherlock?
Does that ring a bell? Whenever you scan with an old version like 1.3, it'll tell you that it's incompatible. Unless you've decided to go to the settings page and disable this warning. Search the forum for this message and you'll see that many users do actually notice this message.
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.
....uuugh....don't even try this........there was no "warning" at ALL......if there was, I certainly would not have just "ignored" it. Is this some kind of a sick joke to blame the victim? It's like my computer was raped...and now you want to blame me. Not Funny At ALL! I had the installed version of 1.3......I used it quite often and upgraded using the buttons on the interface. The only pop-up message was about conflicts with Adaware.....and even that message I did not disable. If you want to help, that is one thing.....but please, don't even try this blame game b.s. dude.
If you search the forum for "Include errors.log", you'll find 66 discussions from other people who asked what this message means. Here's a screenshot of what I refer to:
There is on option on the settings page, called
Ignore if single detections in include files need a newer program version.
which would make this message go away if checked, but otherwise, it should show up on each scan, probably multiple times.
Are you sure you haven't seen this during scans?
And since you said you upgraded quite often, take a look at the updates that all versions of Spybot-S&D download (warning, tech talk ahead):
http://www.safer-networking.org/updates/spybotsd.ini
It's a bit technical, but in the group [Main update 1.5.2], there is no MinBuild parameter, meaning that it will show to all versions up to the MaxBuild one, which here is 20071230 (1.5.2 itself). Both the "Importance=Hoch" and the exclamation mark in front of the "Info" field tell the update function to pre-check this update in the list of updates Spybot-S&D shows. So, from the technical perspective, everything looks quite like 1.3 would show the main update.
That is theory alone of course and quite technical maybe, so I went ahead, took a fresh 1.3, searched for updates, and voila:
The main application update shows, and installs when clicking the download button. Unless you right-clicked the entry and told Spybot-S&D to ignore this update, it would show up again and again. And if you stopped the update after starting it, the setup file to install the new version should still remain visible on your desktop.
Between 1.3 and 1.4, I have to admit there might not have been a full installer, just a message that told you to download the newer version, which is no longer reproducible today, so I can't retest that condition.
There is on option on the settings page, called
Ignore if single detections in include files need a newer program version.
which would make this message go away if checked, but otherwise, it should show up on each scan, probably multiple times.
Are you sure you haven't seen this during scans?
And since you said you upgraded quite often, take a look at the updates that all versions of Spybot-S&D download (warning, tech talk ahead):
http://www.safer-networking.org/updates/spybotsd.ini
It's a bit technical, but in the group [Main update 1.5.2], there is no MinBuild parameter, meaning that it will show to all versions up to the MaxBuild one, which here is 20071230 (1.5.2 itself). Both the "Importance=Hoch" and the exclamation mark in front of the "Info" field tell the update function to pre-check this update in the list of updates Spybot-S&D shows. So, from the technical perspective, everything looks quite like 1.3 would show the main update.
That is theory alone of course and quite technical maybe, so I went ahead, took a fresh 1.3, searched for updates, and voila:
The main application update shows, and installs when clicking the download button. Unless you right-clicked the entry and told Spybot-S&D to ignore this update, it would show up again and again. And if you stopped the update after starting it, the setup file to install the new version should still remain visible on your desktop.
Between 1.3 and 1.4, I have to admit there might not have been a full installer, just a message that told you to download the newer version, which is no longer reproducible today, so I can't retest that condition.
PepiMK...I haven't used ""quote" as that would be a waste of space....but let me say the following.
You are obviously a much smarter guy than me when it comes to this particular issue. I am heated up as I now have three computers that are toasted.....and they all contain things that I need on a daily basis. My life is at a standstill.......although I do have copies of a lot of files, etc. and can get the information if I am willing to reformat, re-enter all the programs and transfer files.
We can argue about what screens came up and what was downloaded for a long period of time. The fact is that no message ever came up that you show in the first screen shot and I don't really understand where you are going on the second screen shot. Everytime I downloaded the updates, the boxes would turn to green check marks. Everytime I used Spybot, I updated. I never got any error messages about error logs, versions or anything else. I certainly never got any message about updating to a newer version....because I gladly would have. I certainl;y did not go into settings. All boxes were checked. Believe me...this is just another glitch in the softare as it relates to Win 2000 Pro and the Service Pack that I use....which would be the latest according to the Microsoft updater. Arguing about this does not do anyone any good. You are only trying to justify what happened and it certainly seems that someone at Spybot added some malicious code.
Can we please just move on from what has passed? Can you help me to add the registry line that is necessary to boot? Someone at Spybot needs to spend the time to figure out what to do. The fixes (three methods) do not work. Can you help?
You are obviously a much smarter guy than me when it comes to this particular issue. I am heated up as I now have three computers that are toasted.....and they all contain things that I need on a daily basis. My life is at a standstill.......although I do have copies of a lot of files, etc. and can get the information if I am willing to reformat, re-enter all the programs and transfer files.
We can argue about what screens came up and what was downloaded for a long period of time. The fact is that no message ever came up that you show in the first screen shot and I don't really understand where you are going on the second screen shot. Everytime I downloaded the updates, the boxes would turn to green check marks. Everytime I used Spybot, I updated. I never got any error messages about error logs, versions or anything else. I certainly never got any message about updating to a newer version....because I gladly would have. I certainl;y did not go into settings. All boxes were checked. Believe me...this is just another glitch in the softare as it relates to Win 2000 Pro and the Service Pack that I use....which would be the latest according to the Microsoft updater. Arguing about this does not do anyone any good. You are only trying to justify what happened and it certainly seems that someone at Spybot added some malicious code.
Can we please just move on from what has passed? Can you help me to add the registry line that is necessary to boot? Someone at Spybot needs to spend the time to figure out what to do. The fixes (three methods) do not work. Can you help?
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The second screenshot should have shown that the main application update to 1.5.2 should actually show and install during regular updates. But you're right, moving on to fix the problem would be the more sensible thing than arguing
I must admit though that with all the voices around, I haven't read up everything on the issue yet; I will have to read more and possibly run a test here to get the complete picture to not give any wrong advice.
I must admit though that with all the voices around, I haven't read up everything on the issue yet; I will have to read more and possibly run a test here to get the complete picture to not give any wrong advice.
Thanks.....I'm standing by hoping someone can help. I'm trying not be be an ass...le......but this is a big problem for me.....and I have not seen anything quite like this....ever.
By the way, I am working from the only working computer in my house. The situation is the same here.....Spybot v.1.3......the updater does not have any error messages or version update requests...and I have never gone into settings.....this is admin. controlled and no one has access to this one.....but as you agree, let's move on....and thanks for your help.
By the way, I am working from the only working computer in my house. The situation is the same here.....Spybot v.1.3......the updater does not have any error messages or version update requests...and I have never gone into settings.....this is admin. controlled and no one has access to this one.....but as you agree, let's move on....and thanks for your help.
Hellzlittlespy-UserInit issue
I went with method 2. All went well with download of offline registry tool.
When I come to-- "On the next prompt choose "9" Registry editor" it changes pages and prompts "What to do" "Simple registry editor"
I enter: cd Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon--just like example.
It gives back: (...)\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
as though it can't read it.
I have repeated 4 times.
Thanks for your help.
Should I start a new thread for this?
I went with method 2. All went well with download of offline registry tool.
When I come to-- "On the next prompt choose "9" Registry editor" it changes pages and prompts "What to do" "Simple registry editor"
I enter: cd Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon--just like example.
It gives back: (...)\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
as though it can't read it.
I have repeated 4 times.
Thanks for your help.
Should I start a new thread for this?
hellzlittlespy
I too got stuck on the log-on screen after removing HellzLittleSpy with Spy-bot. However formatting your hard-drive is like burning the village because a child caught a cold. Believe me, I've burned many villages. The first time I got stuck in the log-on screen I booted from my winXP cd and I reinstalled windows over my current windows directory then spent most of the day doing updates. Approx fix time 6.5 hours. Hovever by overwriting my existing windows directory I managed to save my desktop settings and all my installed programs still existed in windows.
Then I got really stupid, I ran Spybot again and 'fixed' my system which started the problem all over again. Luckily I have two computers on my desk and am able to look up information on the fly while one is down.
Thank you JOE for you link to page showing System restore from Recovery Console.Total fix time 45Min's. Including Internet search for the answer, and then only because I had to retype lines several times before I got the spacing correct. Line should be :
copy(space)_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE(...
etc...
Fortunately I remember a little dos from the olden days.
Now the important question, do I have a key-logger in my system or not? Spy-bot says I do, my spyware says I don't.
Obviously I won't be checking my bank balance on-line anytime soon.
Ominious Knowes
I too got stuck on the log-on screen after removing HellzLittleSpy with Spy-bot. However formatting your hard-drive is like burning the village because a child caught a cold. Believe me, I've burned many villages. The first time I got stuck in the log-on screen I booted from my winXP cd and I reinstalled windows over my current windows directory then spent most of the day doing updates. Approx fix time 6.5 hours. Hovever by overwriting my existing windows directory I managed to save my desktop settings and all my installed programs still existed in windows.
Then I got really stupid, I ran Spybot again and 'fixed' my system which started the problem all over again. Luckily I have two computers on my desk and am able to look up information on the fly while one is down.
Thank you JOE for you link to page showing System restore from Recovery Console.Total fix time 45Min's. Including Internet search for the answer, and then only because I had to retype lines several times before I got the spacing correct. Line should be :
copy(space)_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE(...
etc...
Fortunately I remember a little dos from the olden days.
Now the important question, do I have a key-logger in my system or not? Spy-bot says I do, my spyware says I don't.
Obviously I won't be checking my bank balance on-line anytime soon.
Ominious Knowes
This is ridiculous!
I have to agree with Walker. Thousands of people trust Spybot to keep them safe....NOT destroy their machines. Mine is also toast. Please quit arguing over whose fault this is....IT IS NOT OURS! I really can't afford to send my computer somewhere and have it fixed. Can we move on and find a way (if there is one) to fix this.
I have to agree with Walker. Thousands of people trust Spybot to keep them safe....NOT destroy their machines. Mine is also toast. Please quit arguing over whose fault this is....IT IS NOT OURS! I really can't afford to send my computer somewhere and have it fixed. Can we move on and find a way (if there is one) to fix this.
Hellz Little Spy
I recently had the same experiences with Hellz Little Spy. However, I was lucky enough to find the following site: http://www.icompute.info/System_restore_from_xp_cd.htm and it gave directions for doing a system restore from Recovery. I have Windows XP and this site worked well for me. Good Luck!
However, I still can't get Spybot to stop telling me I have Hellz Little Spy and Cool Search.
I recently had the same experiences with Hellz Little Spy. However, I was lucky enough to find the following site: http://www.icompute.info/System_restore_from_xp_cd.htm and it gave directions for doing a system restore from Recovery. I have Windows XP and this site worked well for me. Good Luck!
However, I still can't get Spybot to stop telling me I have Hellz Little Spy and Cool Search.
.....anything for win 2000 pro?
Spybot managed to disable two XP computers at us, too.
We fixed them using BartPE. Followed the instructions from here: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/peboot.htm
I think it is ridiculous that this can happen just because a user did not upgrade the software, only the definitions. I don't upgrade a software just because a new version is out. The definition ugrade process should sense the version of the software and download relevant definitions only.
The makers of Spybot should be very ashamed now.
We fixed them using BartPE. Followed the instructions from here: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/peboot.htm
I think it is ridiculous that this can happen just because a user did not upgrade the software, only the definitions. I don't upgrade a software just because a new version is out. The definition ugrade process should sense the version of the software and download relevant definitions only.
The makers of Spybot should be very ashamed now.
In all the research you did...did you notice if Bart's will work on Win 2000 Professional? It seems it is only for XP....but I'm not sure...even though I have been reading now for about 30 hours!!!!! Thanks!
This solution also seems to be for XP.....any knowledge of a solution for 2000 Pro?
By the way, I also got away lucky the first time. I didn't know what the crash was about (didn't connect it to a recent exclusion of Hellzlittlespy)...and was able to build from a previous system state in Norton Systemworks. Unfortunately, after the second removal of "Hellz"...Norton crapped out. (GoBack was never a stable environment)