Update Failure

[KoHoSo]

OK, let's get all of this out of the way first:

Windows XP Pro SP2
Comodo Firewall Pro 2.4.18.184
PC Tools Spyware Doctor 5.0.1.200
Database Version: 5.07480
CA Anti-Virus

specific SD files allowed through firewall:
swdoctor.exe
swdsvc.exe
Update.exe

Smart Update error message:
Update Failed Error downloading the list of updates. Please try
again later

And now, my story and complaints.

After many years of using AdAware, I became totally dissatisfied with the new version of that program. So, I went searching for a new anti-spyware application. I downloaded the starter version of SD and was highly impressed. I could not believe all of the major stuff it found (far beyond mere tracking cookies) that AdAware had failed to detect.

The problem was that SD would not update itself either through the Smart Update feature or automatically. I like to think that I'm fairly informed on things like this, but I couldn't fix it myself. So, I began what has ended up being a few go-arounds with PC Tools' customer service. After finally getting past what I thought were answers generated by a "bot," I finally figured on my own that there was some obscure EXE file that I needed to add to the exceptions in my firewall. PC Tools provided me with the list (which I now see has been added to their FAQ section). But, this did not work. Being tired of dealing with any company that doesn't give good tech support, I decided to give up and look elsewhere.

Now I break for a comment. Yes, at this point, I was (and still am) using a free version of their product. Maybe I'm old fashioned. But, it would seem to me that it would behoove (yes...behoove ) PC Tools to want to impress the folks using the free versions of their products so that it might encourage them to purchase the full versions. I don't care who you are...starting off with "bot" answers bites, sucks, and blows.

Anyway...I had yet to find another anti-spyware program that I was impressed with. I had resumed my search earlier this morning and saw that the Google Pack came with SD. So, I figured that this might be a good way to get a version that would truly work. So, I fully un-installed the previous version of SD -- registry entries, leftover files, the whole nine yards. Then, I let Google Pack do its thing, taking only Google Earth along with SD.

Before bringing up SD's GUI, I checked my firewall to make sure that the three executable files were still allowed Net access. They were. And, in a "trick" I learned that fixed a past problem with AdAware 2007, I also allowed those same three EXEs access through Windows Firewall even though I have that total piece of crap shut off.

As you might imagine by now, SD still will not update via any method. As suggested somewhere in this forum, I totally shut down my all of my anti-virus processes through the task manager and then tried to update SD. No dice.

I have gone through tons of posts around here as well as the PC Tools site and still have not seen any answer that fixes this problem. And, from what I can see, it has been something that has been going on here and there for quite some time, hasn't it?

Again, I cannot stress how pleased I was with SD's original scan of my PC and how it easily removed all of the garbage that it found. But, if I can't keep it updated to stay ahead of all the buttmonkeys out there who want to horn in on my PC for their own nefarious purposes, it doesn't do me much good after a few weeks, does it?

So, in addition to wanting an answer to this problem, I just want to add my voice to many of the others I have seen around here about how PC Tools is handling their business. We are now well past 10 years since Al Gore invented the Internet... ...so, by now, everybody should be fully informed on what it takes to properly beta test program updates...unless you work in Redmond. And, it is high time that companies of all sorts start looking again at the cost benefit analysis of what they lose in sales while trying to save money on providing proper tech support.

I am still hoping to see SD work completely in its starter edition. And, if this can be fixed in a reasonable amount of time whether it be through a new version or some "trick" somebody posts here, I'm still very open to paying for the full version. But, my patience runs thin when I get the run-around and see a significant number of unhappy people on a company's forum. I would suggest to PC Tools that it is time to address all of these problems. PC Tools, you are not Microsoft and thus cannot afford to put out crappy products with crappy service. Change your ways now before you find yourselves on the scrap heap of Internet history.

[Reodor]

Welcome to the 'back Yard' of PC Tools. You might have noticed that You did not find us under the support tab, but I'll try anyway to help out.
A few things I do not understand.
Your version is stated to V200. Personally I run 258, but that is a different story. The present official version I think is 205, and my DB version is 5.07900.
This seems to be what You get if You download today, and 205 have been around for quite some time. The only place I've found 200 lately have been on e-bay and Pirate-bay together with rather old DB versions.
Then You said the starter version cleaned off a lot of garbage from Your comp, the starter version does not clean much more that the IE 'internet options 'delete all' does. The Giggle pack version however should do a bit more, it is mainly some guards missing in that one.

So I suggest You un-install whatever verions You've got, do a proper clean up, even in the firewall, then do a new download, Starter or Giggle and start from scratch with correct version. During download and install, disable firewall (commodo)to be sure all files gets correct and not interrupted. If the update check during install runs without problems with Commodo disabled and starts acting up after enabling, then You know where to start.

[vecchio]

hi
try this:
completely uninstall SD*ALL older references,not only the registry keys but ALL older elements
install SD again(most recent version,becase it seems the update not work in older versions)
allow update.exe,swdoctor.exe,swdsvc.exe on the firewall
if the updates still not working after follow this,you can try the kernell compatibility mode under "settings - generall settings"
hope this helps

[mjq424]

Hi
There is another process that may need internet access:
svcntaux.exe - The Spyware Doctor Auxilary Service.
@ KoHoSo
Try temporarily shutting down your firewall to see if it is firewall access that is the problem.

[KoHoSo]

Originally Posted by Reodor

Your version is stated to V200. Personally I run 258, but that is a different story. The present official version I think is 205, and my DB version is 5.07900.
This seems to be what You get if You download today, and 205 have been around for quite some time. The only place I've found 200 lately have been on e-bay and Pirate-bay together with rather old DB versions.

You have lost me a bit on this "V" stuff and the numbers in the 200's. The first version I got came from Cnet's Download.com. The one I have now (and the one for which I listed the versions in my original post) came from the Google Pack download. I can assure you that at no time have I ever downloaded this program from any other source including whatever you mean by "Pirate-bay"

Then You said the starter version cleaned off a lot of garbage from Your comp, the starter version does not clean much more that the IE 'internet options 'delete all' does.

I doubt that IE's "delete all" flushes out leftover registry entries from spyware programs. Unfortunately, not knowing that I was going to get to this point, I did not save any information from that original scan before I removed the first copy of SD. I can again completely assure you that SD removed more than just cookies and temporary files.

So I suggest You un-install whatever verions You've got, do a proper clean up, even in the firewall, then do a new download, Starter or Giggle and start from scratch with correct version. During download and install, disable firewall (commodo)to be sure all files gets correct and not interrupted. If the update check during install runs without problems with Commodo disabled and starts acting up after enabling, then You know where to start.

I have done this. Please read on.

Originally Posted by vecchio

completely uninstall SD*ALL older references,not only the registry keys but ALL older elements

This is what I did the first time around with one exception. This time, I deleted the entries in Comodo before proceeding. I also made certain that there were no references to SD in Google Updater since that's how I got the version that I was using. I then rebooted before going to the next part.

install SD again(most recent version,becase it seems the update not work in older versions)

I went to Download.com again to get a fresh EXE because I did not specifically see the starter version on the PC Tools site. Download.com has version 5.0.1.201 that was posted there on July 1, 2007 (showing as 5.0.1.201a in SD after install). With that date, this means that this is the same exact version that I got in my first attempt to use SD (but, is one version past the one being given out in the Google Pack). Before clicking the download, I totally disabled all of my firewall and anti-virus processes through the task manager. I also kept them off during the install process which went smoothly as usual.

allow update.exe,swdoctor.exe,swdsvc.exe on the firewall

Yep.

if the updates still not working after follow this,you can try the kernell compatibility mode under "settings - generall settings"

I did that and rebooted as instructed.

Originally Posted by mjq424

There is another process that may need internet access:
svcntaux.exe - The Spyware Doctor Auxilary Service.
@ KoHoSo
Try temporarily shutting down your firewall to see if it is firewall access that is the problem.

You came in just as I was finishing my other responses. I first tried just allowing svcntaux.exe, then I shut down my firewall as you suggested.

Through all of that from top to bottom, I am still getting the same error.

[tom.tdw]

hi
could you try updating from safemod with networking (don't do anything else from safemode with networking)

the download on pctools.com is for both the free and the registered version (but not the google pack version), they have the same installer but the version you get depends on weither you have already registered for the full version, it is advisable that you use that link or googles one as it will always have the latest version, the download on download.com may be for an older version and many of the old versions had errors related to updates

the version NO is shown here:
http://www.screencast.com/t/SBRMtfptXkl
the current version is 5.0.1.205
if you have an earlyer version then you should try to update ASAP
if the version google is providing you should contact them

[swannie]

Hi Reodor,

Sorry to interrupt but how are you getting on with version 258? It seemed great to me on a very short acqaintance.

[Reodor]

Originally Posted by swannie

Hi Reodor,

Sorry to interrupt but how are you getting on with version 258? It seemed great to me on a very short acqaintance.

Not much difference noticed from previous builds, same slowliness. IE 7 has acted up a couple of times, so I have to stay with Firefox. Still no cookie cleaning in Firefiox, but history tells it is looking for updates' but nothing if it has found anything or which DB. It flaggs up 'uppdated' from time to time. However I do not run AV , Mail Guard and Site guards which I think was what caused the re-call.

[tom.tdw]

have you tryed the ie tab plugin for firefox?

it should render any page firefox can't (these days that's only microsoft's sites), and you don't have to open another browser

Originally Posted by Reodor

Not much difference noticed from previous builds, same slowliness. IE 7 has acted up a couple of times, so I have to stay with Firefox. Still no cookie cleaning in Firefiox, but history tells it is looking for updates' but nothing if it has found anything or which DB. It flaggs up 'uppdated' from time to time. However I do not run AV , Mail Guard and Site guards which I think was what caused the re-call.

[Reodor]

Originally Posted by tom.tdw

have you tryed the ie tab plugin for firefox?

it should render any page firefox can't (these days that's only microsoft's sites), and you don't have to open another browser

I try to keep that lap-top as 'light' as possible. Uses it mainly for reading news/blogs and light browsing on the net, switches to my Dells if need of IE7.

However as an add on to my 258 comment, it seems that scanning time (full scan) has gone concidderable down ,25%, but again the number of scanned files have changed. If it is the counter or real scanned files I do not know. The number have been up to around 250.000, now only 207.000.
Then the history files have got another odd behavior: previous dates where scans have been made all of a sudden disappears and leaves the same date holes as before. Noticed it as yesterday I had 3 days since last scan, today 9 days. Tried to scroll down, but all holes.

Just does not hope Vecchio sees this (scanned files numbers) or we have it going again!