Spybot S&D 2.0 Beta cause of browser & Windows Explorer crashes
For the past couple of months I have had a beta version of Spybot Search and Destroy 2.0 installed on my Windows 7 computer. At first glance, it appears to have been functioning perfectly. but, sometimes things aren't as they seem.
For the past week or so I have been fighting with two very annoying problems, which I tried to fix by running SFC /ScanNow, then a complete in-place reinstallation of Windows 7. The two issues were as follows.
1: Whenever I clicked on a browser "mailto" link to send email from Windows Live Mail, or to "send a link" to a page (via WLM), the browse would crash. This happened on all three of my installed browsers: Microsoft IE9, Firefox 6.02 through 7.01 and the latest Google Chrome.
2: When I opened an Explorer window to view files in a drive or folder, then tried to alter the "View" settings, or click on the "Organize" button, the Explorer windows would become unresponsive and crash (close).
As I mentioned before, I tried using the System File Checker, but it found nothing wrong. Yesterday, I performed an in-place reinstallation of Windows 7, which is not a trivial task. This reinstallation required me to re-run Windows Updates several times to get up to date with patches. But, one update kept failing to take: Internet Explorer 9.0. I tried installing it no less than 7 times, rebooting after each failed upgrade. Nada. Nyet.
I updated my security programs: Trend Micro Internet Security and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and scanned with both. Neither found any problems. I even resorted to rewriting the Master Boot Record, to no avail. Hmmmm. The game is afoot Watson!
Since the standard repairs to my computer failed to produce the desired results I put on my thinking cap. What, besides corrupted system files could interfere with functions like browser links to open a new email message, or altering an Explorer view? Why, it could only be a system watching program. I only had two programs that performed real time monitoring of my activities: Trend Micro Internet Security and Spybot S&D, 2.0 Beta. Watson, I do believe we have our suspect!!!
On a hunch (I am good with hunches) I uninstalled Spybot S&D 2.0 Beta and rebooted. When I logged back into Windows and opened my default browser (Firefox) to a saved page, I went directly to File > "Send link..." I held my breath as I waited for the browser to crash ... but it didn't! Instead, a new email message box appeared, just like it's supposed to! The link was already filled in and everything was good in Whoville again.
I opened an Explorer window and played with every View and Organize setting. Everything worked, without any crashes. Then I went back to Windows Update and tried to upgrade IE to version 9.0. This time it worked! Spybot's "TeaTimer" (a real time protection module) was blocking the upgrade to IE 9.0! It did this to "protect" the browser from "hijacking!"
The lesson I learned and am passing on to you is this. If you choose to install "beta" software, even from a company you know and trust, don't be surprised if strange things begin to happen to your computer. It may take a while to manifest itself, but beta software is called that because it is still in test phase. It was not released through the normal update channel, but was offered because I had selected the option to check for and install beta updates to Spybot S&D. My bad.
So, if like me, you installed Spybot 2.0 Beta and are experiencing browser and Explorer crashes when you try to use certain built-in link functions (which call other programs to open), first try closing TeaTimer. I'll wager that this allows the link to function normally. If this works, you can either disable the TeaTimer real time monitor, or uninstall the program, as I did. I already had plenty of protection from Trend Micro, by browsing with the latest version of Firefox, with the NoScript Add-on, and by running as a "Standard User" rather than an Administrator.
If any of you are still operating as Computer Administrators, for your daily browsing and email, you are totally at risk of having your PC taken over by a sneak malware attack. By reducing your normal account to a Standard User (Windows Vista and 7), or Limited User (Windows XP Home, or Power User (XP Pro), you reduce the likelihood of malware completely taking over the PC. If you need more information about how to reduce your user account privileges, read my web page about User Privileges.
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