Spybot free download frustration!

Tao81

Maybe I should simply just be in bed at this time of night! - but my problem is that I have followed a link on here to download spybot which is free right?! Well when I download it and it scans my computer it comes up saying that before it can clean the 77 parasitic files it has found from my computer I have to register! and then this takes me to a page where it give you the option to pay!

.......Anyone know what i am doing wrong?!!

krishna

The key words here are "the option to pay". Spybot is freeware, but obviously they want to try to encourage donations. You don't HAVE to pay for it, but they do appreciate contributions if you find it useful.

ollyk

Tao81 wrote: »

Maybe I should simply just be in bed at this time of night! - but my problem is that I have followed a link on here to download spybot which is free right?! Well when I download it and it scans my computer it comes up saying that before it can clean the 77 parasitic files it has found from my computer I have to register! and then this takes me to a page where it give you the option to pay!

.......Anyone know what i am doing wrong?!!

Can you give us the address to this website? I might be wrong but I don't ever remember getting any such suggestions / requests...

I always find it best to go to File hippo or other trustworthy host sites when looking for first time downloads..

megazoid

Spybot should only be downloaded from here really http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Its posible you have a dodgy version or something, spybot is free and but has and option to voluntarly donate.

Regards

Megazoid

Tao81

Thanks all.

Yeah, Megazoid I used this page but the difference after reading your post was that you had been wise enough to mention that it should be downloaded from safe-networking.org site only. :T This made all the difference as there are so many different options of websites to download this program from!

I think I've managed to do it properly now!

sleep2much

This is a typical trick on many spy cleaning software, make sure your getting the free ones before doing a scan, the dodgy ones use the scan feature just as an advert really, "look 10987 problems, fix them now for $$" adaware and spybot as said above are free for home users, if you download the new adaware from lavasoft, it gets to the buy a licence part, just press cancel and it installs as a home version.

pchelpman

On a side note the current version of S&D has a couple of annoying glitches.

When you start v1.5.1.15 the program tries to access the floppy drive (if you have one) and has a long delay between clicking the launch icon and seeing the user interface.

Well, the first problem still isn't fixed but Team Spybot are offering the following fix for the time delay problem.

NOTE >> THIS IS A BETA TEST PATCH. USE AT YOU OWN RISK (although it seems to work for most people including me ).......


> Download this fairly small patch your desktop......

http://www.safer-networking.org/files/beta/SpybotSD.exe -1.5.1.16-2007-09-24-issues-76-78-79-84-85.zip

> Right click on it and use either 7-zip (the free zip tool that's very fast) or Winzip and choose "Extract to here" or "Extract here" (depending on which program you use).

> You should see two new items on your desktop ... a folder: "Includes" and a file: "SpybotSD.exe".

> Drag/drop or cut/paste both these into your Spybot folder which is probably inside your programs folder, C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy

> When prompted that you already have a SpybotSD.exe click "yes" to overwrite the existing file.


Close the folder and click on the Spybot launch icon .... the program will probably still try to access the floppy drive but the launch time should be now about 10 seconds instead of a minute.


PCH

Tao81

Yeah, thanks pchelpman - Had noticed takes ages and was wondering why? I don't have a floppy disk drive on my machine but it seems to take quite some time to launch itself once you click on the icon or click run.
Will have a go at taking the steps you suggest to patch this glitch - wish me luck because it seems a little complex for a dummy like me!;)

I don't have a zip program so I presume I have to download one? I haven't used one since using winzip when there was a free version, which has apparently gone now! Do you know where I can find 7-zip free please?

Donnie

Here: 7-zip

Chippy_Minton

Tao81 wrote: »

I don't have a zip program so I presume I have to download one?

No, you don't need to download a zip program. You can just use the one built in to Windows. Just double-click the downloaded .zip file and click 'Extract all files' and extract the files directly to the C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\ folder.

ollyk

Hmm this begs the question, which thread had this faulty link then?

BTW I agree you should only go to the originators site but in cases like this there is obviously a flaw in that argument! - for the record Filehippo is quite safe type "spybot filehippo" into google to see what I mean
Also they have a smashing app called filehippo update checker which looks at software in your system and informs you of the latest updates etc... Great stuff!