Spyware Doctor Hijacks Skype

[Amaspain]

The latest update to Spyware Doctor included IM Guard which was introduced to protect Instant Message software.

I am all for this but the change also put out an advert from PC Tools in Skype. The advert appears on people who have me in their contact lists. In these people's contact list it lists my name followed by the following advert "Protected by Spyware Doctor for Skype http://www.pctools.com/".

I feel that Spyware Doctor has hijacked my Skype settings by placing this advert without my permission and behind my back. I only found out about it when one of my contacts sent me a screen shot.

I was able to remove the message, but each time I re-start Skype the message reappears.

I have currently prevented Spyware Doctor from accessing Skype to prevent the message from appearing. I would like to make use of the IM Guard but do not want the message so does anybody know how to remove this message permantly?

[SarahM]

Hi

I also have noticed this advert from PC tools with skype, but am also able to view it on my screen.

I however now have a problem that my friends are unable to hear me when i skype them. I can hear them ok. Not sure if it is just the individual i am skyping or a problem with all contacts. Only one person on line to test, and not many to test it on!!. When i skype to a landline there is no problem.

Is anyone else experiencing the same problem of their contacts not hearing them, and if so what do we do to correct it????

Cheers

(Now managed to get into the public forum!!.)

[Amaspain]

It is the Skype "mood message" that gets changed with the advert. If anybody knows how to prevent this from happening I would be grateful if you could let me know

[Amaspain]

I have emailed PC Tools about this and sent them a screenshot, but still no response from them

[creaware]

Just want to share my disgust about Spyware Doctor hijacking Skype. If they think this is good promotion, they haven't got a clue about marketing. Because of a second reason (Spyware Doctor is consuming all my CPU capacity) I won't renew Spyware Doctor anymore and switch to Spybot.

[gringopig]

Just want to share my disgust about Spyware Doctor hijacking Skype. If they think this is good promotion, they haven't got a clue about marketing. Because of a second reason (Spyware Doctor is consuming all my CPU capacity) I won't renew Spyware Doctor anymore and switch to Spybot.

Yr going to switch from Spyware Doctor to Spybot S&D? LOL!!
Good luck!
LOL!!!

[wrongworld]

Yr going to switch from Spyware Doctor to Spybot S&D? LOL!!

Well, maybe Spybot is not adequate, but IT IS NOT also adequate that Spyware Doctor has slowly(?!) converted in a real resource hog. Between Spyware Doctor and Outpost Firewall my startup time is now in the range of MINUTES, and every time SD is updated it takes again ages before the CPU load goes back to a reasonable value.

I've complained already with the tech support, but I've never received an answer that was really satisfactory. Unfortunately, that will mean that I'll not renew for my third year, and it's a pity, but sorry, I bought in principle a PC for running the applications, not for let it bogged down by an antispyware prog. :mad:

BTW, to stay in topic, I have already received complains from my friends regarding the behaviour of SD with Skype.

Andrea

[Support]

Hello all,

Let me give you some information in regards to IM Guard, Spyware Doctor and Skype:

If you would like to remove the 'Protected by Spyware Doctor for Skype' message on your Skype profile, you will need to simply disable IM Guard for Skype.

1. Click on the 'OnGuard' button in Spyware Doctor 2. Click on 'IM Guard'
3. Untick the 'Skype' box

However, Skype will now be unprotected by Spyware Doctor.

Disabling IM Guard for Skype or denying SWDOCTOR.EXE access to Skype will not increase CPU usage.

The 'Protected by Spyware Doctor for Skype' message on your Skype profile is not a hijack or an attack. However, your feedback and opinions are a very important aspect of these forums and we do consider your feedback and opinions when making decisions in how our products and features work.

We now have a new version of IM Guard currently in development which will allow you to turn off the mood message added by Spyware Doctor in Skype whilst continuing to protect Skype.
This new version of IM Guard will also resolve any high CPU issues reported by some Spyware Doctor users.


Kind Regards,


Joshua Arif
Customer Support Services Team Leader
PC Tools Customer Support Services
______________________________
PC Tools - http://www.pctools.com

[Amaspain]

The 'Protected by Spyware Doctor for Skype' message on your Skype profile is not a hijack or an attack. However, your feedback and opinions are a very important aspect of these forums and we do consider your feedback and opinions when making decisions in how our products and features work.


But it is Adware, which is what SD should be protecting us from. Definition of Adware taken from Wikipedia:

"Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used."

One of the features of SD taken from their own site:

"Detects and removes malware infections including spyware, adware, browser hijackers, Trojans, keyloggers, dialers and tracking cookies"

[Amaspain]

Just want to share my disgust about Spyware Doctor hijacking Skype. If they think this is good promotion, they haven't got a clue about marketing. Because of a second reason (Spyware Doctor is consuming all my CPU capacity) I won't renew Spyware Doctor anymore and switch to Spybot.

I won't be renewing my subscription either

[gringopig]

Well, maybe Spybot is not adequate, but IT IS NOT also adequate that Spyware Doctor has slowly(?!) converted in a real resource hog. Between Spyware Doctor and Outpost Firewall my startup time is now in the range of MINUTES, and every time SD is updated it takes again ages before the CPU load goes back to a reasonable value.

I've complained already with the tech support, but I've never received an answer that was really satisfactory. Unfortunately, that will mean that I'll not renew for my third year, and it's a pity, but sorry, I bought in principle a PC for running the applications, not for let it bogged down by an antispyware prog. :mad:

BTW, to stay in topic, I have already received complains from my friends regarding the behaviour of SD with Skype.

Andrea

I would advise you SERIOUSLY to stick with Spyware Doctor. Who else are you going to go with? Webroot? LOL!!!!
I have a subscription with them and experienced BSODs with anything over v4.5
Good stuff Webroot; the annoyance factor of yr OS shutting down is SLIGHTLY greater than yr trivial complaints. So Spyware Doctor takes a wee while to start up. Whoopeedoo. Live with it (until v5.0 hopefully)...
Please don't tell me yr going to move to Ad-Aware Pro, AVG et al. You KNOW they are seriously deficient. Believe me when I say that Spyware Doctor is the best of the bunch. I know, I've tried all of them...
:-)

[AChen]

Hi All,

The issue with Spyware Doctor and Skype has been resolved.

Please perform a Smart Update.

[Marcus]

Thanks for coding the change, but I can't seem to get the SD message out of my Skype. I have tried quitting and restarting both Skype and SD, and nothing seems to work. Yes, I have performed a smart update, and yes I have completely turned off the IM feature of SD.

Wassup? - I hope you guys learn from this, and refrain from coding ADware into your product. What could be more ironic?

Marcus




Hi All,

The issue with Spyware Doctor and Skype has been resolved.

Please perform a Smart Update.

[AChen]

Hi Marcus,

Could you please check the version number on IM guard.

Please open SD->OnGuard->IMguard->Results-> on the bottom the version number is displayed.

[Amaspain]

Hi All,

The issue with Spyware Doctor and Skype has been resolved.

Please perform a Smart Update.

I turned on the IM guard for Skype last week because I had been told that the Adware problem had been resolved.

I have just been informed by one of my Skype contacts that the advert is back. I checked and there was the same message.

So much for resolving the issue

[Amaspain]

I have had to switch off the IM Guard for Skype again. The Adware is very emabarrissing for me as I use Skype to keep in touch with clients and they are seeing this Adware from Spyware Doctor against my name.

[AChen]

As from the other thread, this issue is being looked into and will be resolved asap.

Once I recieve more info, I will pass this on.

[mroberts007]

I had Spyware Doctor 5.5 on my computer until I realized it was absolutely crippling my system.
I uninstalled it, but I still have that infuriating message in Skype.
I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Skype, but that didn't fix it.
I reinstalled SD 5.5 and then used the uninstaller to remove the program and all of its components, but the message is still there!

I'm getting seriously frustrated with this damned software.

[mjq424]

Hi
Did you use the SiteGuard add-on? If so there is a seperate uninstaller in the Add/Remove Programs list.
Hope that helps

[AChen]

I had Spyware Doctor 5.5 on my computer until I realized it was absolutely crippling my system.
I uninstalled it, but I still have that infuriating message in Skype.
I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Skype, but that didn't fix it.
I reinstalled SD 5.5 and then used the uninstaller to remove the program and all of its components, but the message is still there!


There is an option in SDv4.1 which allows you to disable this message. It also looks like a component of SDv4.1 has not be removed properly during the uninstall. To resolve this install SD 4.1, run a Smart Update, then go to OnGuard-> IM Guard-> And Turn message off.