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General discussion

Use of SpywareBlaster tools

Nov 1, 2004 9:30PM PST

SpywareBlaster comes with a variety of bells and whistles. Would the average newbie or the average nontech user benefit much from using one or more of them?

It's a truism that most people are aware of that "it's up to you". The problem is that most newbies know too little to make an informed decision. Getting input from you smart guys and gals can be very helpful in that regard. No need for a detailed analysis, though that would be fine for those willing, but just an opinion would provide some helpful guidance. As compared with taking hours to try out the different tools blindfolded and trying to figure out if they help or hurt.

These are the SpywareBlaster tools a person who wants to get optimum benefit out of the program would consider:

System Snapshot: how does this compare with XP's System Restore? I presume that most nontech users should ignore this, right?

Browser Pages (I note that a number are listed for IE but none for Firefox,which I have been using for some time; is that unexpected?)

Hosts Safe: since most people won't know the hosts file from a hole in the ground, should most ignore this?

Misc. IE Settings: would most users benefit from clicking the box to "disable the IE Home Page settings in the Internet Tools Control Panel"?

Flash Killer: too invasive for many users?

Custom Blocking: looks too advanced for me and maybe most.

Any comments would be appreciated. Would the most useful one be: ignore all of these tools and get on with your life?

When I boot up, I've been getting a popup saying "SpywareBlaster was unable to download the latest updates. Check your connection settings." I have purchased the automatic updates; when I do check for updates I get a message that SpywareBlaster has kept me up to date (words to that effect). I presume I can ignore the popup, right?

grandpaw

Discussion is locked

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Re: Use of SpywareBlaster tools
Nov 2, 2004 4:57AM PST

Hiya Grandpaw,

It's you and me again........ Happy

I use Spywareblaster as well and I like it. It works in the background and you don't have to perform scans with it as it prevents spyware from taking hold in the first place by innoculating certain registry keys. This is different from Spybot S&D which scans your hard disk to search for infections, before removing them.

Also, Spywareblaster compliments Spybot. Spybot says so, (grin).

I tend to trust Spywareblaster implicitly. I don't understand all of the ActiveX, and dll's and cookies it protects against, and like you, I am not at all sure I understand the importance or significance of the Hosts File.

However, this is what I do;

System Snapshot - I don't see this like Windows XP System Restore at all. XP SR, (excuse the shortcut), allows you to roll back a computer to a previous time for a number of reasons, eg, to undo an install program problem or uninstall program problem, to correct a corrupt system file or application, etc. It can also be used to roll back to a previous state before a virus infection, but in my opinion it is better to treat the infection rather than hiding from it.

Spywareblaster's System Snapshot allows you to roll back as XP's SR does, but generally only if you have updated Spywareblaster's definitions, and protected against them, and found that "something" is not working right afterwards. I suppose it could be used in place of XP's SR, but I don't think it would be as comprehensive as the XP one. I do a system snapshot everytime before I apply updates.

Browser Pages - Yes, I only have 2 Mozilla browser pages listed, (I use Netscape 7.1), but many more IE pages. I wouldn't worry if you don't have any. Perhaps it is because you do not have a Home Page set in Firefox. I am not sure why Spywareblaster would give us the opportunity to change these pages. Presumably in case a virus amended them in the first place.

Host Safe - I know that a corrupted Host file, or an infected one, can cause major problems on a computer, but I don't know why. I made a back-up of mine in Spywareblaster.

Misc IE Settings - Spywareblaster help file isn't much good here is it. No surprises there then! If you tick this, then goto Internet Explorer, Tools > Internet Options, in the General tab you will find that the option to change your Home Page in IE is greyed out. I have assumed that this prevents viruses from changing my home page to their own. Mine is ticked. (I also entered my name in the "Change the text to be displayed...." box. I wanted to get rid of my IE's Tiscali name, (the name of the ISP that Dell wanted me to sign up to when I purchased the machine).

Flash Killer - I have "not" ticked my option to disable Flash. I use Flash myself and I quite like it for the most part. Some websites have good flash content, some do not. I accept there is a risk that any web site I visit may have flash adverts, but I don't mind that. I have a cable connection, so flash gets downloaded pretty quickly. For people on dial-up, perhaps ticking this option will speed up web page downloads.

Custom Blocking - Yes I agree Grandpaw. Too advanced for me, and I have nothing in here. Apparently you can enter here any ActiveX controls you find annoying to block them. I wouldn't know where to start.

A question for you Grandpaw. When you update Spywareblaster's definitions, do you "Enable All Protection" in the Protection window? I do everytime.

Should people ignore these tools and get on with their life? LOL - I think people should try and understand the programs on their computers as mush as they are able to do. Like you are doing.

The pop up has stumped me Grandpaw. I haven't spent my pennies on the paid-up version yet, and I don't get pop ups. I believe Spywareblaster is attempting to connect to the internet for updates whenever you switch on your computer. If you are on dial-up, naturally this fails. Yes you can ignore the pop-up as you regularly check for updates. I must admit I would find this annoying, and try to disable it somewhere. But then if you have the full version which includes automatic updates, that is what it is there for.

Good luck again Grandpaw. I hope this helps

Mark

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Thanks Mark!
Nov 2, 2004 6:38AM PST

Very thorough post and explanation. I learned something... just never realized or used the "System Snapshot" feature. A snapshot has now been made. Thanks! Wink Learn something new every day from these forums.

Glenn

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Re: Thanks Mark!
Nov 2, 2004 8:19AM PST

You're welcome.

Mark

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Re: Use of SpywareBlaster tools
Nov 23, 2004 2:31PM PST

Hi Mark,

Great review of a great product!

However, I would like to add one small thing -- your thoughts on the Misc IE Settings seemed just a bit ambiguous for a computer newbies forum. So, if I may...Happy

Lock your home page settings! Meaning, do as Mark had done - under the Misc IE Settings tab, place a check mark in the "Disable the IE Home Page..." box.

SpywareBlaster is highly useful in many ways -- but for the option of that one setting makes it worth a million bucks! I'm sure all would agree if your IE home page was hijacked by some rude website (or wherever these sort of things come from) and firmly locked itself in! I had this happen to me one or twice and it absolutely drove me up the wall.

BTW, I myself use About:Blank ( which is in Internet Options>Home Page; click the "Use Blank" box)and also have a Goggle Tool bar installed on my IE. This way I get to open IE, and with no waiting whatsoever the world is at my fingertipsHappy

Thomas

PS -- I also have "ie Spell" installed. Its usefulness is "beynd descrptien"Happy -- especially to a heavy forum user like myself. Overall, my 'netting experience is safe, enjoyable and fun. Just as it should be.

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Re: Use of SpywareBlaster tools
Nov 23, 2004 6:40PM PST

Thanks Thomas, and I agree your clarification.

You're right. Internet Exploring "should" be fun, and Spywareblaster helps us to enjoy it.

Mark

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Re: Use of SpywareBlaster tools
Nov 23, 2004 9:36PM PST

Just an added note here that I just now found out pertaining to this setting.

"Lock your home page settings! Meaning, do as Mark had done - under the Misc IE Settings tab, place a check mark in the "Disable the IE Home Page..." box."

I somehow missed that setting when I installed SpywareBlaster and I also think it is a GOOD setting but I wanted to make people aware that a short time after I checkmarked that box I did an Ad-Aware scan and Ad-Aware caught it as a critical item because it changes a registry value which is also GOOD because that means that Ad-Aware is also doing it's job. Anyone that is using both SpywareBlaster with that setting enabled and also Ad-Aware should just put that notice into the "ignore list" in Ad-Aware. I did a small "doubletake" when I saw it until I realized what it was LOL.

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Much Thanks, Mark
Nov 24, 2004 8:59AM PST

Such a good job, Mark. Makes me even more embarrassed.

I haven't been using System Snapshot but need to start. However, with automatic updates, which is now working, should I just periodically open SpywareBlaster and click the "Enable" button?

On Browser pages, I have a number of IE pages but no Firefox pages; but I'll not worry about this function.

On Hosts Safe, I didn't have any backups listed so I put one in.

I checked the Disable box in Misc. IE Settings.

I didn't diable Flash because I just finished looking at a website that I liked a lot and that required FlashPlayer. I expect that I may want it for other websites as well.

I'll ignore Custom Blocking.

When I have manually updated, I have checked "Enable All Protection". But I still have the above question about Enabling with automatic updates. I'm surprised that All Protection is not automatically enabled but I'm sure there is good reason).

Automatic Updates is now working. The problem apparently was that the update exe was listed twice in my Norton firewall, one time permitting it and a second time barring it. So I deleted the second one and it seems to work okay now.

Again, Mark, I appreciate your willingness to take the time to do such a good and understandable job, something sometimes missing in some support posts.

And now my little granddaughter is demanding equal time with the computer, so we'll play a bit.

grandpaw

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Oh, boy!! Embarrassed again.
Nov 24, 2004 7:30AM PST

Mark, as I have done a number of times, I forgot to subscribe to this thread that I started. I just now ran across it when I was looking for something. Once again, you have gone way out of your way to help me. Sorry about that. I am now studying your replies and those of others so I can respond. It takes me a lot of time to reoient myself and to make sure I understand the explanations. grandpaw

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Re: Use of SpywareBlaster tools
Nov 23, 2004 7:44PM PST

"When I boot up, I've been getting a popup saying "SpywareBlaster was unable to download the latest updates."

That happens when you have it set for automatic updates. If you use a dailup connection, the automatic updates will fail unless you have you internet connection set to automatically dial and connect.

I don't use automatic updates for any program. If you don't, you need to be the type that checks for updates on a regular basis.

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Re: Use of SpywareBlaster tools
Nov 24, 2004 9:05AM PST

glb, my automatic updates is working now. Apparently the problem was that I had the update exe listed twice in my Norton firewall, one time permitting it and a second time denying it. So when I deleted the second one, the updates started coming.

When you say " If you use a dailup connection, the automatic updates will fail unless you have you internet connection set to automatically dial and connect", I presume you mean that my ISP will go to work when I boot up without my needing to tell it to. But I don't have it set up that way so I am not sure if I am understanding you.

Thanks, grandpaw

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Re: Use of SpywareBlaster tools
Nov 24, 2004 8:11PM PST

From what I've read, you are using a dialup connection. Unlike cable which is on the minute the computer boots, a dialup connection needs to be started either manually or automatically. That can happen by clicking on a shortcut or opening your browser software.

Go to the control panel, internet options then click on the connection tab. There you can make a dialup your default and select "always dial my default connection". If you have your useer name and password saved, your ISP's dialup connection will automatically dial and connect.

I know of a lot of people who have programs set to run and update at startup. I don't because I want control over what connects and what is downloaded. If you do have a program, like Spyware Blaster, set to connect and update and you have a dialup connection, you must have it set to automatically connect. If you don't, you will get the message the update failed. You don't need to have the browser running to connect to your ISP unless you are using AOL or MSN. Does that explain things better?

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Updates yesterday
Nov 23, 2004 8:39PM PST

For those that DON'T use the automatic updates,in case you were not aware, there were 13 more definitons created yesterday so hit the update button and don't forget to enable the new ones once they are installed.