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Spybot 1.5 released

JDPower

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craigathus

craigathus

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The HOSTS file backup isn't a problem per say. I was just letting everyone know that uses the Immunization feature and has a large HOSTS file that Spybot-S&D will create a backup version of the HOSTS file each and everytime you run Immunization - over time those backup HOSTS files will start using up some hdd space.

 

I don't use TeaTimer or any other resident anti-spyware, sure I've dabbled a bit with TeaTimer but it just isn't for me. I just don't get infected with nasties so I see no use for any resident anti-spyware on my system unless of course if it were merged and combined within an anti-virus application. Plus I don't want to be bothered with that type of resident anti-spyware which constantly asks is this and that is alright to add into the registry because in my views it should be smart enough to know if it needs to block a nasty and only then notify me of it doing so.

Hi Andavari :rolleyes:

About "HOSTS file" were can you find it to check how big it is?

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds   :)

 

http://www.piriform.com/docs   :)

   

http://www.postimage.org/   :)

 
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Andavari

Andavari

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About "HOSTS file" were can you find it to check how big it is?

WINDOWS HOSTS FILE LOCATIONS:

Windows Vista = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

Win 98/ME = C:\WINDOWS

________________________________________

Source for this info came from the middle of the page at http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

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craigathus

craigathus

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WINDOWS HOSTS FILE LOCATIONS:

Windows Vista = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

Win 98/ME = C:\WINDOWS

________________________________________

Source for this info came from the middle of the page at http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

 

Thanks for the info Andaravi :)

This is what I found.

 

Files that have been created and or modified since installing SpyBot S&D 1.5 on: 7/September/2007

hosts 175KB File

hosts 1KB BACKUP File

hosts 175KB BACKUP File

 

Do newer backup files replace "over write" old ones? or does the file just keep getting bigger?

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds   :)

 

http://www.piriform.com/docs   :)

   

http://www.postimage.org/   :)

 
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Andavari

Andavari

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Do newer backup files replace "over write" old ones? or does the file just keep getting bigger?

Spybot-S&D will create a brand new backup each time you add or remove it's HOSTS file. From what I've seen it won't overwrite or append anything hence the reason to manually remove them every now and then.

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craigathus

craigathus

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Spybot-S&D will create a brand new backup each time you add or remove it's HOSTS file. From what I've seen it won't overwrite or append anything hence the reason to manually remove them every now and then.

 

Andavari I'm not sure what you mean by (add or remove Spybot-S&D HOSTS file)? :huh:

So which files do you remove? just the ones called backup? and can you just delete them?

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds   :)

 

http://www.piriform.com/docs   :)

   

http://www.postimage.org/   :)

 
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Andavari

Andavari

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Andavari I'm not sure what you mean by (add or remove Spybot-S&D HOSTS file)? :huh:

So which files do you remove? just the ones called backup? and can you just delete them?

Add or Remove the Spybot-S&D HOSTS file just means either enabling it or disabling it. It also implies when the Immunization database has been updated which will update the Spybot-S&D HOSTS file entries with any new entries.

 

The files to remove all end with the extension: .backup

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craigathus

craigathus

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Add or Remove the Spybot-S&D HOSTS file just means either enabling it or disabling it. It also implies when the Immunization database has been updated which will update the Spybot-S&D HOSTS file entries with any new entries.

 

The files to remove all end with the extension: .backup

Ok so, Spybot S&D HOSTS file has to be enabled through the program? it's not on by default?

And when Immunizing, the HOSTS file backup won't change "grow bigger" if the Spybot S&D Hosts file is not enabled?

Sorry for all the questions Andavari :rolleyes:

I really do appreciate your help, explanations and advice :)

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds   :)

 

http://www.piriform.com/docs   :)

   

http://www.postimage.org/   :)

 
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Andavari

Andavari

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Ok so, Spybot S&D HOSTS file has to be enabled through the program? it's not on by default?

And when Immunizing, the HOSTS file backup won't change "grow bigger" if the Spybot S&D Hosts file is not enabled?

Sorry for all the questions Andavari :rolleyes:

I really do appreciate your help, explanations and advice :)

As soon as you Immunize I think it will automatically add it's own HOSTS file list into the Windows HOSTS file (I think it's enabled by default). It won't remove what's already in the Windows HOSTS file though. There's also the original way to install/remove the Spybot-S&D HOSTS file list in: Tools->Hosts File

 

The HOSTS file list installed by Spybot-S&D will only get bigger when they update them, and only if you remember to apply Immunize again.

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login123

login123

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Problem is the .backup extension is used by several programs, not just Spybot-S&D, but yeah CC could remove them.

 

In SpyBot 1.4 you had to insert or remove the Spybot hosts file manually, and each time Spybot made a .backup file. The second picture shows Spybot in "Advanced" mode, with "tools", "Hosts File' ticked. At the top are the Add or Remove buttons.

 

You can remove those extra backups by just deleting the files with the .backup extension (the ones in the hosts folder, that is). Below is a picture of mine, as soon as I log off here I will remove the .backups that were made today and put in a "real" hosts file.

 

Better wait 'till Andavari confirms this, he knows a lot more about this than I do. :D

 

 

 

 

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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login123

login123

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Your picture of all those .backup HOSTS files explains it better than words. :)

Those are what will start eating up some space over time, of course it does really depend upon how big of a HOSTS file is used.

 

Thanks for the kind words. I gotta get into this "hosts file" business, never fooled with it before. Can I just trust good ole Spybot to an effective hosts file in for me?

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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Andavari

Andavari

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Thanks for the kind words. I gotta get into this "hosts file" business, never fooled with it before. Can I just trust good ole Spybot to an effective hosts file in for me?

Spybot-S&D's HOSTS file is tiny compared to some others like the MVPS.org HOSTS file which protects against a ton of ad's and malware sites, and they even go through the trouble of listing next to an entry why it's blocked like (the actual URL was removed to protect people from curiously clicking upon it to see what happens):

127.0.0.1 somebadsite.com #[html/TrojanDownloader.Agent.BP trojan]

 

You can learn a bunch information about the HOSTS file from MVPS.org.

 

Just remember though if a site you like and know is safe is blocked and not loading that it could be because of what's in the HOSTS file.

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Faust

Faust

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The shredder is gone! :o

http://forums.spybot.info/project.php?issueid=28#note160

sybot now uses an external shredder Eraser, if you have this installed then things still get shredded. :)

What if love's intolerable pain never leaves us?

Do we dash our bleeding hearts on the rocks of loneliness?

And cry unto the lords above who turn away in haste?

MY DYING BRIDE

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David_L

David_L

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Meh. I uninstalled 1.5 and reinstalled 1.4. I have Spybot set so it checks for updates automatically when I open it and the three times I tried to open Spybot 1.5 all three times it would hang and sit and sit and sit and sit when it would do it's updating. Plus I wanted my shredder back :P

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login123

login123

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tried to open Spybot 1.5 all three times it would hang and sit and sit and sit and sit when it would do it's updating. Plus I wanted my shredder back :P

 

FYI: I just updated spybot 1.4, and it hung before it finished, also. Maybe the site? :mellow: Also, Eraser is pretty good, with or without Spybot.

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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David_L

David_L

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Since reinstalling 1.4 I've not had the problem of it hanging. With 1.5 all three times, or maybe it was twice, I had to control-alt-delete and stop the program. That little box with the green bars that shows the update progress would show all green bars but then it wouldn't go away and Spybot itself would never open. When I did finally get it to open even manually running the update thing it would act clunky. I may give it another try later, but last night I had run out of patience with it. I read the link Faust gave regarding Eraser but I'm a simpleton when it comes to this stuff so i didn't quite understand all the talk about dll files and I'm not clear if there's a setting within SpyBot 1.5 or a button to click like there was in 1.4 with its built in shredder.

 

EDIT: In response to Andavari, I noticed last night that 1.5 was much slower to open compared to 1.4, just seemed clunky. Since reinstalling 1.4 it works just as it always had for me in the past.

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Andavari

Andavari

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I noticed last night that 1.5 was much slower to open compared to 1.4, just seemed clunky. Since reinstalling 1.4 it works just as it always had for me in the past.

Well I'll give it a few more days until they update it again, and hopefully they correct whatever it is. Luckily I still have the version 1.4 installer archived on a couple of backup CD-R's if I also need it.

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