pegs1:
There are actually two Spybot resident programs:
- Resident "SDHelper" (Internet Explorer bad download blocker).
- Resident "TeaTimer" (Protection of over-all system settings).
The Resident "SDHelper" is based on a Browser Helper Object and therefore only works with Internet Explorer. The primary purpose of SDHelper is to block selected third party (tracking) cookies. The blocking of third party cookies can be accomplished in Firefox by following the instructions in the FAQ here:
Resident "TeaTimer" has two functions:
- TeaTimer's process monitor - TeaTimer monitors processes that are initiated in the system. If the process being initiated matches a list of known malicious processes in Spybot's detection files, the process is terminated and a dialog is issued to notify you and allow you to make choices as to how to handle the same process during future detections.
It immediately detects known malicious processes wanting to start and terminates them giving you some options how to deal with this process in the future: You can set TeaTimer to:
- Inform me again.
- Automatically kill this process.
- Allow this process to run (NOT RECOMMENDED).
There is also an option to:
- Delete the associated file.
- TeaTimer's registry monitor - TeaTimer also monitors changes to certain critical registry keys such as System Startup, ActiveX Distribution Unit, Browser page and Browser Helper Object, etc. When any change is detected to these Registry keys a pop-up dialog is issued asking you to "Allow" or "Deny" the change and if you want TeaTimer to remember that decision so the same action is taken in the future.
Resident TeaTimer is not browser dependant. It works regardless of the browser you use although some of the registry key that it monitors in the registry monitor function are Internet Explorer related and are not used in FireFox.
When you right click on Spybot's system try icon and select Settings it brings up TeaTimer's "White & Black List". There are four (4) buttons:
- Allowed processes
- Blocked processes
- Allowed registry changes
- Blocked registry changes
The lists displayed by the first two (2) buttons, "Allowed processes" and "Blocked processes", are only populated if you receive a process termination dialog and override the default option of "Inform me again". If you select "Automatically kill this process" an entry would be place in "Blocked processes". If you select "Allow this process to run (NOT RECOMMENDED)" and entry would be placed in "Allowed processes".
The lists displayed by the second two (2) buttons, "Allowed registry changes" and "Blocked registry changes", are only populated if you receive a registry change dialog and checked "Remember this decision" when answering the dialog with either "Allow change" or "Deny change".
The list of processes that TeaTimer terminates as well as the list of registry keys that TeaTimer monitors are internal to TeaTimer and can not be displayed using the "White & Black List".