Broadband Tech > Security > Security > IE8 compatibility with SpywareBlaster/Spybot

IE8 compatibility with SpywareBlaster/Spybot

Why not just check at the SpywareBlaster and Spybot sites?

reply to ie8ornot
I don't think anyone knows at this exact point in time. MS's position is that apps like those are no longer needed in IE8. I get around this by using the HOSTS file from hphosts. It pretty much covers the same sites (or most of them.)

As I recall, I ran immunization with Spybot after I installed IE8, just to see if I could kill IE8. I failed to kill it.
Maybe others have been more successful.

I do not use Teatimer with Spybot, however.

reply to ie8ornot
There is still an issue with the way IE8 handles sites in it's restricted zone, that is the issue. You can still use SpyBot and SpywareBlaster just don't use the immunize feature in SpyBot or the restricted zones option for SpywareBlaster and you will be fine.

reply to ie8ornot
I no longer use Spybot or SpywareBlasters IMMUNIZE feature to populate the restricted zone with bad sites. IE8 doesn't handle too many sites loaded in the restricted zone.

However, I do agree with the developers statement in that if IE comes with a specific feature, it should be supported fully... and not crippled. Until Microsoft fixes this (if they choose to) I'm just using a lengthy HOSTS file.

reply to ie8ornot
Hmm... I decided against using the MVPS/hpHosts file as they are a little extreme... hosts files don't restrict; they block entirely. I prefer using restrictions to limit the damage infectious sites can do, but still allow them to be visible.

Has Microsoft made any public statements about this yet, and are they going to fix IE8 to support large amounts of restricted sites? Also, has anyone used IE8 and what are your opinions?

reply to ie8ornot
I'm using IE8 & SpywareBlaster together on WinXP SP3 with everything immunized in SpywareBlaster without any conflicts.

I like IE8, I haven't had any problems with it so far. It seems to be faster than IE7.

reply to ie8ornot
Sorry, Spybot. You've lost me as a user.

I finally decided that Restricted Sites and other browser protection methods that rely on blacklisting have finally become obsolete. An estimated 3500 malicious domains are published every single day, and Spybot's Immunization feature scarcely protects me against all that. Besides, most of the blacklisted sites are already defunct, and protection against them would be pointless. Since Spybot's detection capabilities are already ranking last among the big names like Superantispyware and Malwarebytes, plus the not-so-often updates, I only kept it on my computer for the Immunization feature. And now that I have decided that it is no longer useful, das vedanya, Spybot.

However, I've kept SpywareBlaster due to its Cookie protection capabilities, which can save me the trouble of sifting through Tracking Cookie detections when I scan my computer. Simply by disabling its restricted sites protection, I find that IE8 runs without a hitch.

And btw, IE8 is excellent. I love it. A lot. The installation was flawless, it runs faster, displays webpages faster, and even though I have disabled the SmartScreen filter, it still is one notch up in terms of security above IE7.

reply to ie8ornot
I didn't know that IE8 was not compatible with them. After reading this thread I don't understand why it is not. Why doesn't it support a lot of sites in the restricted zone? Why wouldn't you still want to set the killbit on all those sites even with IE8? I went back to IE7 on Vista because IE8 will not work correctly (several severe display problems with it) and

I rarely use IE though and when I do it is usually IE6 on my host machine not one of my virtual machines.

I just installed Spyware Blaster on XP Pro with IE8 and enabled the restricted zones option. I don't see any more problems with IE8 than I usually have. All sites have to be in compatibility mode and even then IE 8 loses the connection about every other click and I have to try again (Fx has no problems like that nor does Opera). But IE8 problems have been there since beta1 so they have nothing to do with Spyware Blaster. I think it is fine with IE8.

I wish this site would not log me out on Fx when I login on IE.

reply to ie8ornot
Saying that IE8 is not compatible with SpywareBlaster and/or Spybot is somewhat incorrect. The problem in IE8 is that IF there is a long list of Restricted Sites in the Restricted Site zone of IE8, IE8 will openly more slowly than if the list of Restricted Sites is short. This problem is within IE8, not SpywareBlaster or Spybot.

For example, on my Vista SP2 RTM x64 system, IE8 will open in ~0.5-1.0 second if there are no restricted sites in the Restricted Sites zone. IF there are ~1000 restricted sites in the zone, IE8 will open slightly slower....hardly noticeable. However, if there are 4000+ restricted sites, the slow down is 3-4 seconds which is very noticeable. My definition of "slow down" is the period of time between when I click on the URL icon and the first screen appearance of IE8. Once IE8 appears, there does not seem to be any slow down in the population of the IE8 window itself. And this slow down only occurs on first IE8 window. Opening speed of additional tabs is not noticeably affected.

During IE8 beta testing, this was apparently not a problem. However, something changed in the LCIE handling between the last RC issue of IE8 and the final release of IE8. And Microsoft has been made aware of this issue.

Setting of killbits in the system registry by SpywareBlaster or any other program is in no way a part of this IE8 slowdown. In SpywareBlaster, all the ActiveX entries under "Internet Explorer" protection are killbit items and do not adversely affect the performance of IE8. I see no IE performance degradation with the SpywareBlaster cookie protection enabled.

I have ~70,000 entries in the HOSTS file (MVPS + HpHosts) and there is no slowdown of IE8.

On my systems, IE8 is performing very well and better than IE7. I have temporarily removed all restricted sites from the Restricted Sites zone and am relying on the HOSTS entries plus my cadre of security programs (Avira Premium Security Suite V9, TrojanHunter, SuperAntispyware PRO, and including IE8's Smart Screen filter) to provide protection.

The above is my experience on both Vista SP2 RTM x64 and XP-SP3 x86 Home Edition with IE8.

reply to ie8ornot
Woah... siliconman01... that's a lot of helpful information. Thanks!!

I just wanna add that IE8 deserves a chance. It performs extremely well (on all five of my machines) and much better than IE7. However, since I disabled the Phishing Filter in IE7 coz it slowed down the loading of webpages, I too have disabled the SmartScreen Filter.

reply to ie8ornot
Just thought I would add my "2 cents."
I have SpyBot and SpyBlaster and AVG8.5 on my WinXPsp3 notebook and had IE 7 and had no problems with them getting along together.
I installed IE 8 and noticed that the SmartScreen Filter does not stay ON. When I open IE 8 I have to turn the SSF on. When I exit IE 8 and then go back, I notice the SSF is now OFF and I have to turn it ON again.
Some folks said AVG is causing this 'problem (disabled Resident Shield - which didn't solve problem);' others said it was SpyBot (no tea timer) and others said it was Spyware Blaster.
As it stands now, I have to keep turning SSF on every time I want to work in IE 8. Really a PAIN.
I wish someone would have definitive solution.
Alice

reply to ie8ornot
I agree with siliconman01 on everything he mentions.
Also, IE8 is just fine here as well.

reply to ie8ornot
While I no longer run SpyBot, IE8 talks nicely with SpywareBlaster.
See javacool comments here >
»www.wilderssecurity.com/showthre···t=247837

reply to ie8ornot
The slowdowns with many restricted domains was solved in some update to IE 8 a while back. IE 8 runs fast wityh Spybot immunization and/or sywareblaster's

reply to ie8ornot
After trying all the suggestions from this site and others, what worked for me: I have Webroot SpySweeper and going through the settings re: Shields/Windows System Tab/Clicked on "File System Shields Options" and then I Un-Checked the Box "Scan On Read" and voila, My IE8 now works like a Charm.

Ray

reply to Dustyn