falure to remove cookies???

[tom.tdw]

i have recently noticed that spyware doctor is repeatedly failing to remove cookies entitled 'CMCLICK' there are always just 3 cookies which are from casale media (an web advertising company) i know this is not a problem with my computer as i have seen the same thing on several that i manage. the cookies themself are quite low risk (in the advertising category) but could the same thing happen with high risk threats:confused:

[gringopig]

i have recently noticed that spyware doctor is repeatedly failing to remove cookies entitled 'CMCLICK' there are always just 3 cookies which are from casale media (an web advertising company) i know this is not a problem with my computer as i have seen the same thing on several that i manage. the cookies themself are quite low risk (in the advertising category) but could the same thing happen with high risk threats:confused:

What is it with the paranoia about cookies?

Cookies are not 'low risk' as much as 'no risk'! What's a wee text file going to do?

This from Wikipedia: "Cookies are also subject to a number of misconceptions, mostly based on the erroneous notion that they are computer programs. In fact, cookies are simple pieces of data unable to perform any operation by themselves. In particular, they are neither spyware nor viruses, despite the detection of cookies from certain sites by many anti-spyware products."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie

[Support]

Tom,

Can you first try doing a Smart Update and then a Full Scan. If the cookies are still not being deleted can you please run Malware Detective to submit your log files so we can analyse them.

Kind regards,

Nicholas
PC Tools Support Services

[security@dsnmail.net]

What is it with the paranoia about cookies?

Cookies are not 'low risk' as much as 'no risk'! What's a wee text file going to do?

This from Wikipedia: "Cookies are also subject to a number of misconceptions, mostly based on the erroneous notion that they are computer programs. In fact, cookies are simple pieces of data unable to perform any operation by themselves. In particular, they are neither spyware nor viruses, despite the detection of cookies from certain sites by many anti-spyware products."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie

What an ignorant post. I am so tired of posts by dilettantes with wrong information. Do more research than wikipedia.

[gringopig]

What an ignorant post. I am so tired of posts by dilatants with wrong information. Do more research than wikipedia.

LOL!!! Yr shaky grasp of English aside (dilatants indeed!), I think you will find that I am correct. Try reading the article.

[tom.tdw]

What is it with the paranoia about cookies?

Cookies are not 'low risk' as much as 'no risk'! What's a wee text file going to do?

This from Wikipedia: "Cookies are also subject to a number of misconceptions, mostly based on the erroneous notion that they are computer programs. In fact, cookies are simple pieces of data unable to perform any operation by themselves. In particular, they are neither spyware nor viruses, despite the detection of cookies from certain sites by many anti-spyware products."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie
may i say that i already stated that i wasn't concerned about the cookies themself but the fact that if spyware doctor fails to remove cookies when it says it did this could cause problems with threats that pose higher risk to your system. also although cookies rarely damage your computer they have the potential to leak personal information. if gringopig had actually read the article he was quoting he would have seen this
Cookies have been of concern for Internet privacy, since they can be used for tracking browsing behavior



after my latest smart update the cookies have been removed:)

[gringopig]

may i say that i already stated that i wasn't concerned about the cookies themself but the fact that if spyware doctor fails to remove cookies when it says it did this could cause problems with threats that pose higher risk to your system. also although cookies rarely damage your computer they have the potential to leak personal information.

after my latest smart update the cookies have been removed:)

Cookies far from 'rarely' damaging yr computer, in fact, NEVER damage yr computer. It is impossible! LOL!!!!

I take yr point about a possible systematic error in removal of items stated as being removed tho'. If this were the case then SD would be impotent and useless...
Best contact support should you think that the program is incapable of removing a text file...

[security@dsnmail.net]

LOL!!! Yr shaky grasp of English aside (dilatants indeed!), I think you will find that I am correct. Try reading the article.


http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,106715-page,1-c,audio/article.html
http://www.techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?NewsID=5276

Just two of a myriad of sites which refute your claim.

[tom.tdw]

Cookies far from 'rarely' damaging yr computer, in fact, NEVER damage yr computer. It is impossible! LOL!!!!

I take yr point about a possible systematic error in removal of items stated as being removed tho'. If this were the case then SD would be impotent and useless...
Best contact support should you think that the program is incapable of removing a text file...
while cookies rarely directly damage your computer they can be used by hackers to detect other ways to attack your computer

[AChen]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the info regarding the Cookie Guard. We will investigate this further. If SD's cookie guard is not removing the cookies it should, then we'll have this fixed shortly.

I'll update you on this once I get more info.

[tom.tdw]

it was also the scan that failed to remove the cookies but cookie guard didn't even detect them

[AChen]

Tom, please note that SD does not delete all cookies, only the cookies that may be malicious on your computer.

To test this, please disable Cookie Guard and visit a bunch of websites. Run a scan with SD and see if SD detects and removes these cookies. Once this has been done, enable Cookie Guard and visit the same sites and see if SD detects and removes the same cookies.

[tom.tdw]

it was detecting them in scans and then not removing them

[prihod]

Hey guys, this reply I received from PC Tools rep:

By Default Spyware Doctor includes 'Information Only' - Low level results in the scan results.

These 'Information Only' results are just to let you know that you have advertising cookies. They will appear in the scan results but they are (as the name suggests) information only and they will not be removed.

To stop the 'information only' results appearing in the scan results go to " Settings > General > Untick 'Include Information Only low level Threats in scan results'

If you have unticked this option and items are still being displayed in the ignored items then it appears that you have set certain websites/files to be allowed by Spyware Doctor.

[Reodor]

As for further info, SD does not even detect cookies in my user account if I run the scan from Admin! Ref my previous test VS Spysweeper.

[tom.tdw]

these aren't information only, those are clearly marked. i can't test as this issue has been resolved

[kam286]

I would have to agree Im having the same issue. SD found two tracking cookies, but every time I try and remove them it will say its deleting, but then tell me that SD needs to reboot in order for it to complete deleting the infection. After I reboot SD scans again, but then finds the same cookies again.

[tvaz]

I reported a problem with Cookie Guard on 4/13:
http://www.pctools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46785
It was leaving (and not apparantly detecting) cookie that it had removed in the past. If it is not supposed to remove the cookies, then what is the point of having Cookie Guard in the first place? Either it isn't working like it should or PC Tools has added dud to SD 5.

[AChen]

We have done some further testing with the Cookie Guard and it has removed the cookies found.

tvaz, please note that the Cookie Guard will remove Cookies automatically after 30 seconds to 1 minute. If you visit say www.netscape.com (same test from c_edge) and run a scan immediately, it will detect the cookies in the scan. If you wait 1 minute after visiting this website, then run a scan, it will not detect the Cookies found. If SD is not removing the cookies, send a Malware log and we can analyze this further. Remember to provide me with the ticket number.

kam286, if the cookies are coming back after the reboot, could you please send a Malware log and the ticket number and we will investigate this further.

[tvaz]

To AChen:
I removed the 179 version after about 24 hrs. because it started having the error related to SVCNTAUX.EXE at shutdown, as many people have reported. I did give it time to detect and remove the cookies, but it would do neither. In my case, it would remove the cookies during a scan. Com.com was one of the cookies, as well as statcounter. When it was working Cookie Guard would delete them and make an entry in the history log. This was happening with both Firefox 2 and IE 6. Again, it was working with both browsers in the past. I wonder if my experience is somehow connected to the shutdown error. I will not reinstall the 179 version and will not install future versions until I see evidence from people in this forum that SD 5 is stable and working like it should.

[twak]

I would have to agree Im having the same issue. SD found two tracking cookies, but every time I try and remove them it will say its deleting, but then tell me that SD needs to reboot in order for it to complete deleting the infection. After I reboot SD scans again, but then finds the same cookies again.

Exact same problem here. Scan detects cookies, then pop-up states "reboot needed to remove cookies. Intelli scan automatic upon SD restart". Then the same cookies are detected again with another pop-up and so on.

This is a problem.

[Chippa]

If you cannot remove certain cookies, send a malware log to PC Tools. The should be able to add this to the signature database.

Cheers,
Chippa

[mrkoobie]

Same problem as Twack has. What is going on.

[AChen]

We'll investigate this further and I'll get back to you once I receive more info.

[Reodor]

If you cannot remove certain cookies, send a malware log to PC Tools. The should be able to add this to the signature database.

Cheers,
Chippa

Let us try again, Chippa:

The easiest way to clean cookies: Internet options -delete cookies!

If You start using an elephant like SD to chase moskitoes like cookies, no wonder it crashes!

There is at the moment enough in this monster, please do not ask for more to slow it down. If anything should be 'added', SD should just empty the cookie file BEFORE starting scan and there would be a much better picture of what is left of risk elements. All this 'low-risk' reports containing normal surfing garbage has very little to do with what we want SD to do: Find the really 'bad guys'.

Empty the garbage can when finished the session before You go to sleep, no need to do a complete spring cleaning!

[tom.tdw]

some cookies contain important data that uses don't want to lose
Let us try again, Chippa:

The easiest way to clean cookies: Internet options -delete cookies!

If You start using an elephant like SD to chase moskitoes like cookies, no wonder it crashes!

There is at the moment enough in this monster, please do not ask for more to slow it down. If anything should be 'added', SD should just empty the cookie file BEFORE starting scan and there would be a much better picture of what is left of risk elements. All this 'low-risk' reports containing normal surfing garbage has very little to do with what we want SD to do: Find the really 'bad guys'.

Empty the garbage can when finished the session before You go to sleep, no need to do a complete spring cleaning!

[twak]

Let us try again, Chippa:

The easiest way to clean cookies: Internet options -delete cookies!

If You start using an elephant like SD to chase moskitoes like cookies, no wonder it crashes!

There is at the moment enough in this monster, please do not ask for more to slow it down. If anything should be 'added', SD should just empty the cookie file BEFORE starting scan and there would be a much better picture of what is left of risk elements. All this 'low-risk' reports containing normal surfing garbage has very little to do with what we want SD to do: Find the really 'bad guys'.

Empty the garbage can when finished the session before You go to sleep, no need to do a complete spring cleaning!

Excuse me sir, but I am not cleaning my internet cookies when I pay a good price for software to do it for me.

As the above poster stated we have info which we do not wish to lose.

So please do us all a favor and lose the arrogance, and move along.

[tom.tdw]

spyware doctor should just have an option to remove cookies without prompting.

this would save some time