Mary Beth's dashboard

Hi JayBerk,

Try copying and pasting the key. The "invalid key" message means that there's been a typo or it's missing a character.

Hi JayBerk,

Thank you for posting. What message do you get when you attempt to activate CounterSpy? Does it say that the key is invalid or does it say that it is expired?

Hi Crobin,

Thank you for posting! If you have any other add-ins for Outlook, they could conflict with VIPRE's email security. To check the COM add-ins:
Tools > Options > Other tab > Advanced Options button > COM add-ins

If there's anything other than VIPRE in that list, remove it.

Hi IshKennedy,

Thank you for posting. First please make sure you are on the most recent software version (3.1.2315) and definition version (2256).

I also suggest running a scan in safe mode. This will prevent the trojan from starting automatically with your system, giving CounterSpy a better chance to remove it.

If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.

Start tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options Menu appears. If you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a "keyboard error" message. To resolve this, restart the computer and try again.

Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected.

Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.

Open CounterSpy and run a manual scan.

When you are finished with all troubleshooting, close all programs and restart the computer as you normally would.

Hi DaveG,

Thanks for posting. I apologize for the issues you are experiencing with CounterSpy.

1. Open the CounterSpy program
2. Click on 'Help' followed by 'Register'
3. Enter your key, name and email address and click OK.

Once you complete this process your trial version will become the full subscription version.

Hi barbh,

Thanks for posting. Sunbelt Personal Firewall 4.6 DOES NOT run on:

* Any 64 bit Versions of Windows
* Windows 2003 Server
* Windows 2000 Server
* Windows NT4
* Windows Me
* Windows 98
* Windows 95

The following instructions will uninstall VIPRE 3.x.

These uninstall instructions have been tested on both Windows XP and Windows Vista 32-bit.

Note: these instructions use default locations for standard directories such as \Windows, \Program Files, and \Documents and Settings, etc. If you have installed Windows to alternate drives or directories, the substitute those directories as appropriate.

1) If VIPRE is still running, shut it down by right-clicking the tray icon and selecting "Shut down VIPRE" from the menu.

2) Kill any remaining VIPRE processes via Task Manager. Processes to look for include:

sbamsvc.exe (Sunbelt VIPRE Antivirus Service)
sbamtray.exe (Sunbelt VIPRE Tray App)
sbamui.exe (Sunbelt VIPRE User Interface)

3) Merge the uninst-vipre3.reg Registry file (included with these instructions) into your Registry by double-clicking on it. This file should remove most significant remaining VIPRE 3.x Registry keys.

4) Remove the VIPRE device drivers by doing the following:

- Open the Computer Management console utility (Control Panel >> Administrative Tools >> Computer Management).

- Select the "Device Manager," then do "View" >> "Show hidden devices."

- Expand the "Non-Plug and Play Drivers" tree. Scroll down until you find the following device drivers:

sbaphd
sbapifs
SBRE
sbtis

Note that you may not find all of the above drivers.

- For each driver, right click on driver entry and select "Uninstall."

- The console utility will now prompt you to reboot. (If you find no VIPRE device drivers, you should still reboot.)

5) After rebooting, merge the uninst-vipre3.reg Registry file into your Registry again, to clean up any remaining VIPRE Registry keys.

6) Remove the main installation directory for VIPRE. The default install directory for VIPRE is:

C:\Program Files\Sunbelt Software\VIPRE

If you elected during setup to install VIPRE to some other location, you should remove that
custom install directory.

7) Remove all VIPRE folders or files in any of these locations:

Windows 2000/XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sunbelt\AntiMalware
C:\Documents and Settings\[User]\Application Data\Sunbelt\AntiMalware

Windows Vista:
c:\ProgramData\[User]\AntiMalware
c:\Users\[User]\AppData\Roaming\Sunbelt
c:\Users\All Users\Sunbelt\AntiMalware

...where [User] is your username/account.

8) Open the following folder:

C:\WINDOWS\Installer

In that folder will be a collection of randomly named .MSI files, one of which is the VIPRE .MSI installer file. Locate the VIPRE .MSI file by looking for an .MSI file that is roughly 2 mb (2000 kb) in size and has a time/date stamp around the time you installed VIPRE.

To verify the identity of .MSI file, right click and bring up the "Properties." Look at the "Summary" tab for indications that the MSI is an installer for Sunbelt VIPRE Antivirus+Antispyware (should be hard to miss).

Once you find any the VIPRE .MSI file, delete it.

9) Check C:\Windows\System32 for the following file:

sbbd.exe

Also check C:\Windows\System32\Drivers for the following files:

sbaphd.sys
sbapifs.sys
SBREDrv.sys
sbtis.sys

If you find any of the above files, delete them.

10) Remove any remaining icons for VIPRE on your desktop and Start Menu.

11) Download and install the following utility:

Windows Installer Cleanup Utility
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb...

After it's installed, run it from the shortcut should be on your Start menu. The utility will display a list of programs installed through Windows Installer. If you find any entries for Sunbelt VIPRE Antivirus+Antispyware in the "Installed Products" listing, select it/them, then hit "Remove" and let the cleanup utility do its thing. (Note: this utility merely cleans up Windows Installer Registry data for the selected products; it does not perform a full uninstall of the products.)

Again, reboot.

At this point your system should be completely clean of any version of Sunbelt VIPRE.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Notes: Uninstalling w/ the VIPRE 3.x Installer

Open a Command Prompt window (DOS box) in the location where you have your VIPRE 3.x installer. At the prompt, type:

Installer.exe /x

...where Installer.exe is the actual name of the VIPRE 3.x setup file. This will launch an uninstallation process for VIPRE 3.x. If the process asks you to reboot, then do so.

I apologize and understand your frustration. You can use the instructions below to gather Vipre's Scan History logs.

1. Go to Start > My Computer

Open this location: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sunbelt\AntiMalware\History
(NOTE: Application Data is a hidden folder, to view click on Tools > Folder Options > View tab > Check 'Show hidden files and folders' > Apply.)

*In vista: C:\ProgramData\Sunbelt\AntiMalware\History

Hi Tommy,

Thank you for posting. To alleviate further freezes during scans (especially 64-bit versions):

1. Please open up VIPRE

2. Click file and then settings.

3. Please click on Scan Options.

4. Please find the scan setting labeled Enable rootkit detection.

5. Under quick, Deep system and custom, please uncheck the boxes next to this setting.

6. Once this is done, please click ok at the bottom of the VIPRE interface.

You should now be able to run a scan with out VIPRE freezing when scanning rootkits. We are working on upgrading the VIPRE engine so that in future builds, it will not hang when scanning for rootkits. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Hi Amaru,

Thank you for posting.

1. Please click on the following link to download an SPF registry cleaner. http://apollo.sunbelt-software.com/ih...

2. Your web browser will ask you “Do you want to run or save this file?” Please Click Save. Save this file to the desktop.

3. A box will appear that asks you where you want save. Look for the save in field and then click on it. Look for the desktop and then click on it. Then click save.

4. When it is done downloading, you will receive another box that asks “do you if you want to run this file?” Choose yes.

5. You will receive an internet explorer warning. It says “Do you want to run this software?” Click run.

6.You will receive a Windows warning. It says “Are you sure you want to add the information” Click Yes.

7.You will receive a pop up. It says “Information Has been successfully entered” Click Ok.

Hi Glynderi,

This particular threat is listed in our threat database, so VIPRE should detect and remove it. http://research.sunbelt-software.com/...

Please be sure that your copy of VIPRE has the latest definitions (as of now 2228). If Windows XP is the only operating system installed on your computer, boot into Safe Mode with these instructions.

If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.

Start tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options Menu appears. If you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a "keyboard error" message. To resolve this, restart the computer and try again.

Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected.

Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.

From there, please open VIPRE and run a scan.

Hi,

Thanks for posting. You can use the Microsoft Windows Clean Up utility if VIPRE is not showing in the Add/Remove Programs list.

Save to your desktop and run: http://tinyurl.com/42ul9 The go to Start > All Programs > Windows Install Clean Up. Once in there locate VIPRE and hit remove.

Yes, and in the windows that pops up, check both the boxes to add to the "Always Allowed" list and to "Submit to Sunbelt for Analysis".

From what I can tell, bass.dll goes along with PopCap Games for the open source PopCap Games Framework

Hi Neil,

First, please be sure that you have the latest definitions for VIPRE. As of today, the latest version is 2225. If you have the latest version and feel that bass.dll is legitimate and has been incorrectly identified as malware, you can submit it here: http://research.sunbelt-software.com/... Once validated, it will be corrected in a future definition update.

As for PopCap Games, I looked it up and see that it a site hosts web games that require you to download a client of some kind. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PopCap_G... for more information about this company.

If you don't recall installing this application or do not wish to have it on your system, I recommend that you first try to remove it using the Add/Remove Programs utility first.