Hiya Grandpaw,
It's you and me again........ ![]()
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
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

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