Can't run Spybot on Win 95

If it started immediately then it must have come from Earthlink. They do have a NASTY habit of hiding stuff . And so does Other ISP Software.

You are right. You should not have to expect that kind of stuff.

Dell is doing the exact same thing with the exact same answer to SpyBot questions.

And from what bit I have heard from Friends that use AOL they may be doing the same. But that is hearsay. So I have no real proof of that.

.

Yes I suppose there is. But I think if you had downloaded it ( before Earthlink software ) you would know.

I am inexperienced and too trusting about some things

I was there once too. And had some of the same problems with stuff loading that I did not need or want.

There is also a possibility that there was a yes/no question to install that program or not. I have messed up in that area several times when installing things.

BillyBob

 

Please see this and see what you think

I the link above works the little box on the right says that Spyware Blocker is installed as part of Total Access.

I am reading wrong ?

EDIT/ADD

Further down the page is says that the latest version of Total Access INCLUDES Spyware Blocker.

I would assume that the latest is the version that The Stoofer has.

BillyBob

 

Seems that DennisB is having the same problem.
http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=15866

ski123

 

Hi Stoofer,

Tracked down *Spysweeper*: http://www.webroot.com/wb/land/land-spysweeper6_6.php?rc=576

I also suggest that you ask about this at the SSD forum: http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi Scroll down to the SpyBot forum site.

Regards - Charles

 

From being involved in this post and reading the one that ski123 pointed I have have made this assumption.

Right, wrong or indifferent I have made it.

Spyware Blocker is the name of the Program.

Spysweeper is the EXECTUABLE that runs it.

That may be what is causing some confusion. Spyware Blocker is NOT ON THE HD as such.

Earthlink may call it one thing on the Web or on paper but changes it to something else when installing it.

They may figure that if the user can't find it they won't turn it off.

VERY NASTY habit of some of the newer stuff.

This is why I have tried to remember to run MSCONFIG in 98 and TaskManager in XP. To see if what new things may have been added.

I also use Startup Cop which helps a lot as most new stuff will show up there. And they can be turned off from it.

BillyBob

 

charlesvar

Thank you for that info.

Now I maybe see why Spyware Blocker does not show up anywhere on the HD.

Between all of the info being turned up we may just solve this delemma yet.

BillyBob

 

Seems that DennisB and Stoofer are one in the same.

ski123

 

Yes, ski, one and the same. I should have mentioned this earlier that I had posted over at Lavasoft forums under another name.

I'm waiting for someone over there to check out my HijackThis log to see if they can determine anymore about this problem.

BillyBob, you're probably right about SpySweeper being the Earthlink Spyware Blocker.

 

Hi Stoofer,

I posted to Lavasoft prior to knowing that it was you as DenisB.

I also posted to Spywareinfo http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=20298

The answer I got is interesting. So I think as of right now the verdict is out on this.

Regards - Charles

 

The possible causes here are almost endless.

OK. I have looked over post this post and the ones linked to on the other site.

I have also looked through various pages about Earthlink Total Access.

I seem to see different version of Total Access. One with and one without Spyware Blocker ( SpySweeper )

Results may depend on which set was used. If the set that says to run the UPDATES after the original install then SpySweeper would be installed.

But the one BIG problem is that they name it Spyware Blocker but after install it is Spyweeper.

Now back to Stoofer and his machine.

It looks like Total Access is customizable during install.

If Stoofer buy chance missed a step somewhere ( if he did then he is no different than me )

But I would bet on the fact that a default install WOULD mess things up.

I do not agree with Mike on the other site ( I think that is the right name )

Because.

As I read it all was well on the machine of Stoofer until AFTER the initial install of Total Access.

I will be out for most of the day but I will be back later.

Stoofer

Please do not take offense to anything I say about you making possible mistakes. I have made them too. The worst one I ever made lead to a reformat. ( I believed Microsoft when it said a file was wrong. ) I have not believe MS since.

BillyBob

 

Stoofer

Is your system also windows 95 ?what vesion of IE do you have ?
Have you tried to uninstall/install again both Adaware and SpyBot ? its always best not to over the top install unless they say so specificaly
Adaware is simple just uninstall ,, better to restart the pc before installing again..
heres how I go about it with SpyBot.
this will all change when the new version comes out.
=========
A clean install

Do a clean uninstall , then install again(with all Internet explorers closed)
Open to immunize page and uncheck all protections
Go file uninstall (part uninstall)
close the program
uninstall it through control panel > addremove or the uninstall shortcut
restart the PC
navigate to the default installation folder and delete that to
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy

navigate to and delete the delete the configuration file
(which is named Configuration.ini). Where it is located depends on your Windows version...
For Windows 95/98, the file is located in C:\Windows\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\.
For Windows ME, the file is located in C:\Windows\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\.
For Windows NT/2000/XP, you will find it in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Spybot - Search & Destroy\.
Then install again from a fresh copy
========
Lonny

 

Lonny,

I'm as up-to-date on my MS downloads as I can be. I have MS Java VM build 3810 and the browser has all of the critical updates. However, I'm still running Windows 98SE.

I also have ZA and NAV, and I do take the time to go to Housecall and Panda every once in a while also. As far as trojans, I haven't bothered. I know that I should, but I stay away from what I think are risky sites.

Right now, Adaware and Spybot are both running and I can get updates on the internet. This occurred after I disabled SpySweeper in msconfig. However, I can't find any reference to a SpySweeper folder using Windows Explorer or MSDOS with hidden files unhidden. The only reference to it is in the registry at the following key:


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Webroot\SpySweeper

one of the key values = [ab id "C:\Program Files\Earthlink Total Access\Spyware Blocker"]

and then this at the same key:


also this key value = [verspy "2.1.0 (Build 39)"]

How this was installed, I guess, is the question right now.

 

This may be just my wild idea but lets go over a few known issuses here.

If all was running well before the install of Total Access?

If the probems started as soon as Total Access was installed ? And before anything else was installed ?

If Total Access calls the Program Spyware Blocker. But not a trace of same is to be found on the machine? To me that means that SpySweeper is the actuall program. and WELL HIDDEN. And says to me that Earthlink may well have some sort of agreement with the company the makes SpySweeper. Otherwise they would not be able to ( legaly ) use the name.

If Sypot and Ad-Adaware now work fine with SpySweeper Disabled.

If all of ( or even some of ) what I think is true then there is no way that I can see SpySeeker getting into the mess without being in the install process of Total Access.

Sorry. But ISPSs ARE doing this and DEll has also done the same thing.

Most ISP software is meant to be put in and not touched, And when an answer that says ( in effect ) " Sorry we do not allow 3rd party software." I think that says a lot.

ISPs and OEMs are doing their best to discourage us from using so called 3rd party software.

I agree that I could be wrong. But every piece of the puzzle that I read points to Earthlink Software.

BillyBob

 

Hi BB,

*" Sorry we do not allow 3rd party software. "*

That's what I'm not ready to accept as of yet. Granted, a lot of the evidence points to EarthLink, but I don't think its definitive. The people in the security community are now aware of this issue and will come to a judgement. If you look in the Ad-Aware forums, there is an ongoing effort to find out.

On the Dell issue, I don't agree at all. Dell has stopped advising their users on the use of 3rd party software - in this instance - on security issues. That is a whole other matter than not allowing 3rd party software or interfering with it as in this case.

Regards - Charles

 

I would like to apologize for this thread. It would seem at this point that my problem is related to a memory resource problem brought on by the installation of the Earthlink software. I'm running a Win98SE with 192Mb so I wasn't expecting this issue to come up, but it has.

 

Hi Stoofer,

Thanks for the feedback, it was worth the exercise, for me as well, bet you learned a lot

How did you come to find this out?

Regards - Charles

 

I put this here as I feel it is a continuance

I was messing around with Exposed this morning.

Via it I ran across a Spyaudit Program.from Webroot.

It found Adware not Ad-Aware to be Spyware.

It pointed to Spy Sweeper.

My test results after running SPYAUDITRC2 Which was pointed to through Exposed.
----------------------------------------------------
Spyware Found on Your Computer

Trojans 0
System Monitors 0
Adware 3
---Alexa Toolbar
---HTTPer
---Internet Washer
Adware Cookie 0

Audit Details

Adware and/or Adware cookies were found on your system.

This spyware is generally not malicious, but will result in profiling of your online activities and increased exposure to advertising.
The presence of spyware, even non-malicious forms, illustrates vulnerability to infection and the risk of more devastating consequences in the future.

BillyBob

 

So this stills leads me to the strong feeling that SpySweeper was installed by Earthlink Total Access and will in turn disabled Ad-Adware and apparrently SpyBot.

And the timing of things still point to my above thinking.

And also in my World Wide travels the last few days I saw a message on my screen about needing SpySweeper.

But like the idiot that I am I did not in any way keep track of the site.

There is also a possibility that SypSweeper snuck in that way on the machine in question.

BillyBob

 

Possible cause of Stoofer problem.

I downloaded and installed the free version of Spy Sweeper and there appears to be no problems. Both Ad-Aware and Spybot run Just fine with Spy Sweeper loading at startup.

But Ad-Aware and Spybot do not load at startup.

But I do not have Earthlink Software either.

The the text below showed up.

Breaking News.

Important announcement for Earthlink users.

Earthlink and Webroot recently announced the availability of Spy Blocker a, new spyware protection tool based on Webroots Spy Sweepers Technology. This tool will be included free-of-charge to Earthlink subscribers as part of Earthlinks Total Access tool set. Webroot is proud to be an Earthlink Partener and we salute their efforts to enhance their customers online provacy.

You can only have ONE of the two applications installed on your system at a given time, so you will need to choose to either keep the installation of Spy Sweeper or install Spyware Blocker. Which will uninstall Spy Sweeper.

I am now thinking the something may have gone wrong during the original install of Total Access.

BillyBob

 

I let it Spy Sweeper remove Alexa, HTTPer and Internet Washer.

Now I am getting hang ups on the Web that I was not getting before. This site for one is BAD.

Spy Sweeper does have a Memory Shield setting that did appear to possibly cause a slight problem. But I gotta work on that.

The possibility also exist that Spy Sweeper may just well be one of the hundreds of other software that does not run well on every machine.

BillyBob