I’ve already written an article about Spybot Search and Destroy. I talk about it’s ability to help the general user and seasoned professional with Spyware, Adware, & Malware.

Since posting that last article, I’ve heard grumblings about Spybot and problems using it with Microsoft’s latest Internet Explorer (Version 8). Most of the criticism has been aimed at Safer Networking and their Spybot software. So I thought I would dive in a little deeper.

I found an article by Safer Networking, from this past March (2009) about this exact issue. Safer Networking stated that there is an apparent problem between Internet Explorer 8 and the immunization feature of Spybot.

At the suggestion of Safer Networking’s article, I tested Spybot with IE7 and then again with IE8. I also tried filling IE8 with a huge list of sites to block. As I suspected and as Safer Networking eluded to, Microsoft is tripping on it’s own feet again. Spybot is working correctly. You need the blocked sites list to protect you, whether it is provided by the Spybot software or not. If you plug the same list of sites into Internet Explorer 8 manually, that Spybot does for you automatically, you will get a similar result. So the problem falls on Microsoft and the Internet Explorer 8 web browser.

SOLUTION: DO NOT USE Microsoft Software of any kind, but more specifically Internet Explorer 8. Instead, try a flavor of Linux/Unix, maybe even a Macintosh. See the complete list of supported operating systems here!

If you must use Microsoft Windows, and you absolutely have to have IE8, you need to be using Spybot. So, a less aggressive solution would be to be patient when launching IE8. If you have Spybot installed, running correctly and protecting Internet Explorer 8, it is going to take a little bit for the program to load completely.

Filed under: Anti-Malware, Anti-Spyware, Computers, Free Software, Free Utilities, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Software, Utilities, Web Browsers, Windows | No Comments »

Microsoft says that they launched their eOpen Web Site as a way to reduce waste. You see this claim if you use the eOpen Web Site anyway. Whether it does or not is different.

As the Site’s User, if you refrain from printing out the user guides, manuals and information sheets provided for a particular software title, the eOpen site reduces paper consumption on advertisement materials, manuals, other printed literature and retail packaging. If you decide you need some printed literature though, it is at your expense.

The site also claims it reduces plastic waste because there isn’t a need to provide CD or DVD media. This claim assumes that you are always upgrading from one Operating System to another, without doing a complete hardrive wipe/format before installing the OS and without using a new/un-formated hardrive. If these scenarios exist, then you still need the installation disks. Using Microsoft’s eOpen Web Site just means that the disk/media expense is on you, instead of them.

Whether the eOpen Site is an effort by Microsoft to go green or not, doesn’t really matter, if you can’t even log in. If you are going to use this site with Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) be prepaired for issues. These issues can range from extremely long page load times, internet lag, frozen/stuck software and the apparent loss of your network connection or bandwidth.

If you want to use Microsoft’s eOpen Web Site, you do have a couple options. You can choose not to use IE8 and stay with IE7. I chose to use Mozilla’s Firefox, which seemed to work even better (Funny how Microsoft Products have problems working together, but a 3rd party’s software works!). You can chose to use Google’s Chrome, Opera or even Apple’s Safari and they will all work better on the eOpen Web Site than Internet Explorer 8 at this time.

Filed under: Computers, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Software, Web Browsers, Windows | No Comments »

If you are in the IT Field and work with Microsoft Operating Systems and/or Software, most likely you are familiar with Microsoft’s Terminal Services and Remote Desktop Protocols. Many use programs, which utilize these protocols, to save time and money when managing equipment running a Microsoft Operating System. These protocols make it possible to remotely log in to a pc for management or support purposes.

One software you could use is the Remote Desktop Connection software, which is provided by Microsoft, with many of their Operating Systems. An extension of this software is the Remote Desktop Web Connection (You can read about installing Remote Desktop Web Connection in Windows XP, here.). Windows Server Operating Systems have this option available too.

Not too long ago, Microsoft released Service Pack 3 for XP (You can read about installing SP3 here.). This new update was distributed through the Microsoft Updates Pages and was listed as an Update if your Automatic Updates option in Windows was turned on.

However, as with everything from Microsoft, the newest, latest, greatest software came with issues. One of those issues was with the ActiveX Control for Remote Desktop Web Connection. If you used Remote Desktop Web Connection before installing SP3, most likely you ran into this issue (You can read about Remote Desktop Web Connection issues after installing SP3 here.).

I ran into this exact issue immediately after installing SP3. I went to Microsoft’s Support site and read through several articles before i found the one I needed (listed above.). I tried the first two work around options Microsoft recommended. Neither of them worked. The final work around, requiring direct registry editing, did finally work. Once I deleted the registry entry Microsoft listed and rebooted my machine, I was able to re-install the Remote Desktop Web Connection ActiveX Control.

YEAH, IT WORKED…

For a while!

Just a few days ago, Microsoft officially released Internet Explorer 8 (IE8). The exact same issue came back. Of course this is considered a new issue, because it is related to IE8 and not to SP3, so there is nothing in Microsoft’s Support pages about it yet. however if you follow the same directions (found here.), you can fix the problem yourself.

Thank you Microsoft!

Filed under: Computers, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Software, Web Browsers, Windows | No Comments »