FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I install and run SpyBot ???
1. Open your Web Browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla etc…) and go to http://www.download.com
2. In the search for box, type Spybot
3. Click Go
4. Scroll down the page and find SpyBot –Search & Destroy 1.4, it should be the first in the list.
5. Click the Download button
6. When you see a box asking you to if you'd like to Run this file, save it or cancel, click on Save.
7. It's easier to save to your desktop rather than to save somewhere and go hunting for your file, so drop down the “Save In” box to Desktop if it's not there already.
8. Click on Save.
9. If your download is complete, and the download box has stayed open, close any open windows (ie. Internet Explorer, Mozilla…etc…), click Run and proceed with step #11.
10. If the download box has closed, close any open windows (ie. Internet Explorer, Mozilla…etc…)find the SpyBot Setup icon on your Desktop and double click to start setup.
11. Windows XP users may see the following Security Warning box: (or a similar warning box)
Click on Run to get setup running.
12. Click Ok to the Language Selection box.
13. Click Next on SpyBot's Welcome Page:
14. Click the radio box to accept the license agreement and click Next
15. Accept the default installation path and click Next (c:\Program Files\Spybot –Search & Destroy)
16. Do a Full Installation with the default settings checked:
(Note: We have had download problems with the Download Updates Immediately option. We will manually download the updates later on in the installation.)
17. Accept the default Program Menu Folder and click Next:
18. Check the checkbox next to “Create Desktop Icons” and click Next
19. Click Install to begin the installation
20. Click Finish. SpyBot will automatically launch if you left the box checked to Run SpybotSD.
21. You may see a little warning box, check the “Don't show this message again” checkbox and click Ok
22. The first time you run SpyBot, you will be given some options. First is to make a backup. Click Create Registry Backup to make a backup. This may take a few minutes, but may be worth it if something gets messed up. When it is finished, click Next.
23. The next step is to check for updates. This may fail, we have had it have download problems here as well. Unlike step 16, it is worth a try here. Click “Search For Updates”.
24. You will see the updates appear in the main SpyBot window. (#24a). Click”Download All Available Updates” (#24b).
25. If successful, you should see all green checkmarks in the main SpyBot window next to all the updates. (If unsuccessful, there will be a red slash instead. If it fails, we will try something different later on, so skip this step by clicking next anyway.)
Failed Attempt
26. The next step is immunizing your PC. Click the Immunize This System button. In a nutshell, immunization by SpyBot protects your PC from basic spyware Programs that can be caught via Internet Explorer. You will see a little summary of how many products are being blocked by SpyBot. Click Next.
27. The last step here is to Start Using SpyBot, unless you want to read the help files. Click the option you want to do next. If you'd like to read the help files or the readme, click the option you want. Close when you are done, or click Start Using SpyBot to continue with the help files open.
28. If your initial updates and immunization ran successfully, continue with step #39. If they failed. The next thing we will try is to do each one manually. Sometimes SpyBot's servers can get overloaded, so a one by one download seems to work. Click on Update on the left side of the SpyBot window (#28a), then click on Search For Updates (#28b).
29. Check the first checkbox, in the above screenshot it would be “Detection Rules”, then click Download Updates. Go down the list one at a time following this pattern. Each download should be good. If so continue with Step #30. If not, something may be infecting your PC that is preventing SpyBot from downloading the new updates properly. Try running SpyBot first, then try this step again. Also, sometimes rebooting your PC helps to get a successful download.
30. To immunize after successful updates from Step 28 and 29, click Immunize on the left side of the SpyBot window as shown in the above screenshot. (#29). If there is anything to immunize against, it will pop up a box telling you how many new “bad products” you need to immunize against. Click Ok.
31. Click the green + Immunize button (#31a) if you get that there are new things to immunize against. It will silently immunize them then give you back control of the SpyBot window. Click Search & Destroy (#31b) to start scanning.
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To Start SpyBot For Normal Use –
Regularly Scheduled Updates and System Scans
32. Find the SpyBot icon and double click to open
33. You should try to update SpyBot a couple of times a week as there are usually new definitions out for new Spyware, as well as new immunizations. Also, you should do this first if you haven't run SpyBot for awhile. There are 2 ways to run updates for SpyBot: First, find the Update button on the left (#33a). Second is to click the Search for Updates (#33b). Either way will take you to the same screen. The only difference you will see is that clicking the Search For Updates will automatically search for you and will immediately show you what updates there are. If you just click Update, you will have to click Search for Updates on the next screen to show you the new updates.
34. Once you see the new updates that are available, check the checkbox next to each available download and click Download Updates. Once successful, you will see the green check marks next to each download to let you know the result. If any have failed, (Usually it fails with a “Bad Checksum” error) follow the same procedure as marked out in step #28.
35. Click on the Immunize button on the left hand side of the SpyBot window to update the immunization database.
36. If there are any updates, it will let you know how many and prompt you to Immunize.
37. If there are immunization updates, click the green “+ Immunize” button.
38. The blue circle will change to a green circle with a check mark when complete and it will also tell you how many items are being blocked.
39. Click on the “Search & Destroy” button on the left.
40. Click the “Check for Problems” button to begin the scan.
41. As your scan progresses, you should see a green progress bar go across the bottom of the window with some numbers and spyware names. This number will vary based on how many updates you have and other various factors, but the number to the right side of the slash should be greater than 30000 now. If it only scans around 30 objects and is finished in a couple of seconds, something is wrong. Uninstall, reboot, reinstall and try again. Sometimes SpyBot has minor bug issues like this.
Notice # 34714. Again, this will vary, but will be about this size if SpyBot is working properly
42. When SpyBot has finished scanning, it will show you a summary of what it has found. Usually everything is checked by default. Sometimes things that are less of a threat are not checked. Click on the “Fix Selected Problems” button to have SpyBot fix what it has found.
43. SpyBot will ask for a confirmation, click Yes to autofix.
44. SpyBot will fix what it can and tell you how many problems were fixed. Click Ok.
45. Exit SpyBot!