Spybot Search & Destroy 2.7

* Improved Live Protection allowing you to block and remove detected malware.
* Global system file whitelisting for Windows XP and Windows 7.
* The personal whitelisting component has been updated.
* Improved scanning speed.
* Updated browser detection and immunization.
* Updated settings for background services.
* Added URL whitelisting and cookie protection to Google Chrome extension.
* Enhanced error reporting.
* Fixes for known memory leaks and update issues.

* Reduced download size compared to Spybot-S&D 2.0 Beta 1.
* Faster installation procedure with a new option to preconfigure Spybot-S&D for a care free setup.
* Experimental plugin for Google Chrome.
* Experimental on-access scanner.
* Optional heuristic scans.
* Spybot-S&D's modules can now be directly opened from its tray icon.
* Fixed known uninstallation issues and tons of other bug fixes.

* This release has a more modern user interface and integrates lots of tools into one security suite.

Among its bugfixes and new features are:

- support for the latest Opera releases

- support for Googles new browser Chrome

- fixed support for fresh older Firefox installations

- improved support for fast user switching while Spybot is running.

Temp cleaning has moved, registry hive loading has been improved to be no longer blocking; Opera plugin immunization fixed; Chrome support added; Vista installation improved regarding elevation; and a few more.

Improved Scan Speed

Reported a few weeks ago as one of the big issues users face, Spybot-S&D 1.6 integrates parts of the future 2.0 file scanning engine to speed up the on-demand scan.

Up-to-date browser support

Both immunization and the on-demand scan are able to access a dozen different browsers, which now include the latest revisions of the most popular ones, Firefox and Opera.

Easier On-Access Use

Until now, our on-access part was able to block bad entries, but at the same time, confused many novice users by asking for confirmation on changes of other monitored system entries as well. While this is a great feature for all experienced users who want full control over their systems, we decided that we need to make this easier for the average user, and integrated automated decisions based on the system entry database built through our RunAlyzer, containing more than quarter of a million decisions.

OpenSBI

Safer Networking also announces OpenSBI, our attempt at opening up the fight against malware to anyone who wants to participate. OpenSBI means we've published documentation and tools that anyone can use to create their own malware detection patterns for use with Spybot-S&D, and share those with other Spybot-S&D users.

* Diversity - everyone can create detection templates for any software, without depending on a central authority to acknowledge its threat.
* Neutrality - we cannot be bought to remove detections from our database, but if you do not believe us, you can simply publish your own rules against some malware.
* Continuity - OpenSBI ensures that you'll get updates as long as someone is interested in updating the database (which does not mean we intend to do less work in adding new detections).
* Flexibility - as a system administrator using the network edition, you can make sure that working time is not wasted by employees playing the latest Moorhuhn clone if you add your own detection for it. Keep in mind that some relaxation is said to even improve work results.

sped up Firefox 3 support
SDFiles.exe now auto-registering
proper order of white & blacklists in TeaTimer
fixed usage tracks cookie fixing for FF3
fixed another thing related to delzip179.dll

Since Firefox 3 and Opera 9.5 support are much asked for, further speed improvements have been postponed (expect some beta update for advcheck.dll as soon as 1.6 is out though ) and we're trying to close in on the final version.

New in this release candidate is for example LASSH support for TeaTimer; in short words that means TeaTimer will now longer ask about every single registry change it does not recognize as pointing to a bad file, but will instead use the RunAlyzer LASSH database to automatically recognize and accept or deny nearly 400,000 different startup entries. This database has also been made available here on the forum, including an option for helpers to help rating new entries. Feedback on this would be appreciated.

The second new thing is that the Windows Explorer property dialog tab has been replaced by a stand-alone application (thanks to everyone insisting on this wish ) since the former was not very flexible and caused problems for some people. Instead, there is now a file/folder scanner with its own option in the context menu of files, which runs on 64 bit Windows as well (which the former solution didn't), should probably load its database somewhat faster, and allows drag'n'drop for scanning further files. Again, feedback would be welcome, especially from those who had problems with the former solution, but also about it in general.

- Beta build to test speed improvements

This is the full installer for all the bugs fixed and new features implemented since 1.5.1.15.

The installer has been updated a bit: InnoSetup 5.20 now (no idea if it fixes the floating point problems), I've improved all the localization stuff and had to move a few things around, but in general everything should be available in every language in the installer now, and I've also included the Explorer context menu option "Erase with Spybot" and the separate shredder.

Changes since version 1.4
System support

* Restored Win95 compatibility
* Improved Wine compatibility
* Fixed HyperThreading issues
* Improved 64 bit immunization
* Create Portable.ini in main folder to use app folder as data folder as well
* New warnings about missing admin rights on Windows Vista
* Support for multi-line bookmarks (IE 7 / Vista)
* New Immunization for Firefox & Mozilla
* Improved Immunization for Opera

Reports

* Added version info to bug report
* Include Errors.log now includes timestamps
* Improved Windows version display

Misc

* "Single excludes" now include filenames to be more unique
* Improved settings retrieval from registry (mixed installations)
* Fixed .reg import bugs
* Added support for automated removal of F/Ps from host lists
* Changed update UserAgent and Referrer
* Improved (Vista-compatible) support for fast user switching
* Updater now in separate executable file
* Vista manifests for assigning required rights to each application
* Deactivated list of active ports per process for Vista (incompatible)
* Fixed support for handle list on 64 bit systems
* Improved disabling/enabling BHOs
* New special error reporting for beta versions
* Support for Windows Error Reporting for public versions
* Fixed update-related crashes on Vista
* Fixed memory leaks (replaced Indy with Synapse)
* Vista-compatible MSI installer for those who like/need that
* Support for alpha tests on services and domains lists
* Added hundreds of new automated tests of internal functionality for prerelease QA
* Added TeaTimer hide icon (disabled) registry value in installer

Detection and removal of threats

* Improved PE detection all over the place
* New 64 bit detection all over the place
* Improved file removal methods
* Added optional custom RecoveryDir setting in Default.ini
* Automatic guessing of "Download Dir" folders
* Added support for renaming services before stopping/killing/deleting them
* Improved plugin support (example: current TCP/IP Plugin)
* Support for regular expressions nearly all over the SBI interface
* Much improved logic connections between files, registry and API detections (others would invent a new TLA for that *g*)
* Speed-ups through improved caches
* File version checking
* Authenticode checking
* Improved archives checking
* Faster fulltext checking
* Improved Sys Internals file location algo
* Improved hosts file location algo
* Added some more Opera 9 detection schemes

User interface changes

* Fixed "show more information" panels
* Implemented workarounds for misarranged buttons (including TeaTimer)
* Improved support for /allhives in tools section (inactive installation support)
* Fixed flag shown on shortcut bar after changes
* Fixed IE proxy import in wizard
* Changed "use proxy" button to checkbox
* Improved localization on simple dialogs
* Added option to add a proxy inside app if running on Win PE
* Improved localization of list of updates
* Added Firefox icon on Cookie exclude page
* Fixed bad keyboard handling on some exclude lists
* Fixed cookie removal selection problems
* New confirmation dialog for system restore points
* Changed default font to Tahoma
* Red cross (trademarked) replaced with green cross
* Made "Check" option unavailable during fix
* Process list now is a bit less eager on tooltips
* Improved "delay start" dialogs
* Now displays checksum for each result for better trackback of results
* Fixed "Ignore Products" column width problems on Vista
* Improved localization of product descriptions
* Adjusted wizard for new situation (external updater etc.)
* Fixed Tools snapshot comparison highlighting
* Made display of registry changes in results list less confusing
* Improved SDHelper dialogs and block/allow choices
* Update date format on info page now localized
* Displayed app version is now four digits (e.g. 1.5.1.12)
* (De+)Select all in list of old reports
* Improved Warning/Confirmation dialog IE plugin
* Configuration & Information dialog in IE plugin