Microsoft AntiSpyware, Blocking Control?

Question

This new Program has been up and running for several weeks, performing a scan every night.   It has yet to find the first issue or done anything else that I could tell until yesterday.   I have one very important old DOS Program, Pratt & Whitney's Engine Condition Trend Monitoring.   When I tried to open it, all I got was a message box streaking up the right side from bottom to top in about a tenth of a second.   Nothing (pause key, grabbing with cursor, etc.)  would stop this pass long enough to see what it was until I captured its image with 'Print Screen' and pasted it into Word.  'Microsoft AntiSpyware Alert,  [?] An Unknown Script File...'   It had been an Alert about an unknown Script File that required approval  'A script file C:\TREND\ECTM/WNT/PIF is trying to execute.  This file has been frozen from running pending your approval.  ...'   Following the 'Help' instructions to find blocked items turned up nothing, had I been able to get it to stop long enough, the alert box has a box for [Allow] and other options.   Shutdown of MS Spy Protection did allow the program to run, anyone with a better idea or is this the price of Beta,  shouldn't Microsoft want feedback from users on things that go wrong?   SpyBot S&D Always finds six or so things to remove, Ad-Aware (run second) rarely does and I have run neither for the past few weeks of MS protection.    Art Message Edited by Art on 03-16-2005 03:14 AM

DELL-Chris M · Answer

Art, You might Microsoft here. I'm sure they read this board: http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp?ICP=spyware&sLCID=us

Art · Answer

Thank you Chris,

The very first post I opened on that site is pasted below:

>-----Original Message-----
>I have my taskbar dragged from the bottom (default
>location) to the right side of my screen, slightly
>widened to see the the taskbar button captions.. I double-
>clicked a .bat file and got the Allow/Block popup as I
>should, except that instead of just coming up from the
>bottom and hanging around in the bottom right, it flew
>right past, all the way up the right side of the screen
>and off the top.. It was pretty funny to see, and I don't
>really care to have a response, but I thought I'd report
>the bug..
>.
>

I also have the taskbar along the right edge, widened to just under 5mm (2").

If that is the key to the error, I can see how it might be hard to spot in beta testing.

Art

When I went back to look for the 'Reply' that I had added to the message above, I could not find it but did see that it was a known issue"...definitely a bug: happens with vertical taskbars,
not with horizontal ones. ..."

http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp?ICP=spyware&sLCID=us

And there was a link for more info on scripting:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx

Message Edited by Art on 03-16-2005 12:33 PM

Art · Answer

My HJT (on other board) included 60+ files from MS AntiSpyware, (all ...\ggasServAlert.exe) that Diagnosis marked for removal, as well as uninstalling that whole program. It must have created another one each time the [allow-option] Box streaked up my screen.

The Program Group came with a 'Remove-Uninstall' option:robothappy: that did the job and on the next HJT, all those ...ServAlert's were gone.

During the time period of trying this beta offer, I kept the other Anti-Spyware programs updated, but only used 'immunize' from S&D and SpywareBlaster had all protections enabled.

For the entire month that MS AntiSpy... was installed and running with all options enabled, it never once found one item, but it did have the smoothest interface (compared to the other Spyware Control Programs) and I will try it again, after they squash the bugs.

First run of S&D (following uninstall of MS-AS) found one Radlite Registry Key and 10 tracking cookies to remove, Ad-Aware then removed 12 more tracking cookies.

Art

blondeguy · Answer

Art, what is the reason that you uninstalled MS ANTISPYWARE? Kirk

Art · Answer

Kirk,

The bug in it the beta program that concerned me apparently only happens when you have the taskbar parked on the side, rather than along the lower edge, as is the Windows default setting. With a 'Wide Screen', ((WXGA, WSXGA and WUXGA) mine is 21mm high by 33mm wide, having the Start, Quick Launch, Taskbar and Notification Area/Clock in a vertical mode along the right side just looks and works a whole lot better. I have it (depending on resolution) 5 to 6mm wide and this keeps a lot of open program blocks easily seen and not on top of one another, the day and date always seen and a dozen Quick Launch icons (large size) in view. I have it "Locked" but not "On Top" or "Auto Hidden" so when I want to have three large window programs open, I can still use the all the screens space. I might have Weather Map, Instrument Airway/JetRoute and Terrain depiction Maps all in use at the same time across the wide screen.

When MS AntiSpyware wants to block the opening of a program, (a DOS Bat file, in my case) it is supposed to place a box in the lower right corner of the screen for you to make a choice to Block or Open (and 'remember this').

With the screen configuration I use, this Box would just streak up the right side faster than you could see and give no opportunity to make a choice.

Beyond that, it just did not appear to be doing its job in comparison with S&D and Ad-Aware, but I look forward to trying it again after they perfect it a little.

Art

zbestwun2001 · Answer

Art, I am glad you are please with that pair of programs running. Steve

Art · Answer

Steve,

About four years ago, on the Latitude LM (with no browser open) I would be connected to one of the FAA's internet Direct User Access Terminals (DUAT or DUATS) reading some flight planning and weather text when this 8x15mm text box would appear.

It only advertised itself as a great way for you to put your company's sales promotion out to everyone, I could only imagine what someone would think of my company if they were assulted in that manner.

In addition to Ad-Aware (for cleanup tasks), there was an effective program called WebWasher that once installed, seemed to protect from such attacks.

I have not heard anything about WebWasher lately, is it still recommended for use [it used to be webwasher.comAG]

Now I have a question about another device that was highly recommended by MalWare Removal:

https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/resource.htm

I just downloaded this and upon install, it did not seem to do anything at all, perhaps some changes to the registry?

Any advice or opinion of that "IE-SPYAD"?

Art

(I have heard that some of them are as dangerous as what you are trying to stop)

JRosenfeld · Answer

IE SPyadd adds registry keys to place potentially malicious domains into the IE restricted zone and also keys to block malicious active X components that some malicious sites try to download. It is not a program that runs, as such, more like spywareblaster that does similar things, or Spybot S&D's immunize function. This is all explained on the web link you give. That also gives a link on how to 'install' it (i.e. merge the registry keys to your registry).  If you downloaded the zip file, after extracting its contents to a convenient folder, thereare some read me files that also explain. It also has .bat file that does the merging for you, or you can double click on the .reg file. There is also a .reg file to undo or delete the entries ('uninstall') in the registry if you are updating it or simply want to remove it. It has a separate .reg file to block 'adult' sites.

Virus & Spyware

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