Spyware Blaster Problem

Yesterday, I noticed that Spyware Blaster states that it does not detect Mozilla Firefox. I attach an image (Image_01) showing this. I did not know how to solve this issue; therefore, I decided to uninstall Spyware Blaster. I used Revo Uninstaller to uninstall it. Afterwards, I cleaned up the PC using Advanced SystemCare and CCleaner to hopefully ensure all traces of Spyware Blaster were gone.

I downloaded Spyware Blaster again (from Majorgeeks) and installed it anew. This has not resolved the problem of Spyware Blaster not detecting Mozilla Firefox. In fact, the attached image (Image_01) is from the newly installed version.

One problem that I thought it could be was if Mozilla Firefox was not set as my default browser, even though I was 99.9% certain it was. As can be seen from the attached image (Image_02) it is my default browser.

The cause of the issue is a mystery to me, I don’t know how to solve it, thus I’m here asking for help.

If the information is required:

PC: Hewlett-Packard s5770uk-m
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (x64) Service Pack 1
Mozilla Firefox version: 42.0
Spyware Blaster Version: 5.2

 

You need to delete your Firefox profile and reinstall FF. That fixes it.

 

Mark, try just deleting your profile to start with, without uninstalling FF. This has just worked for me on a laptop with the same problem. Problem was caused by a SB update.

 

Deleting the profile fixed the same problem for me.

 

1. I don't know - I'll check my settings and find out.
2. Yes, I do.
3. No, in fact, I've never heard of it.

 

I shall, I think there was an update just before this issue arose. It was that I thought might be the problem. But, after uninstalling SB and then reinstalling it I didn't update so that made me change my mind regarding the update.

I presume I don't need to lose my profile. Do I save it elsewhere, e.g. my Desktop, delete it from FF and them reinstate my profile? I ask because, of course, your profile contains all your bookmarks.

 

If you use FF on more than one computer, and have the two sync'd, then it's OK to delete your current profile and create a new one. Sync will restore everything to the new profile. If you only use the one computer then it gets a bit more complicated. These two Mozilla support pages should guide you through it -

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile

 

Thanks, Earthling, for the information. I have two questions. My first one is has Mozilla made this process more difficult? I am sure it used to be much easier to make a back-up of your FF profile. The second one is about the instructions in the first link you provided: the back-up and restore FF profile one. It tells you how to locate your FF profile. The next instruction is to close FF if it is open. Next it tells you to locate the profile folder per the instructions they have just given. To me this makes no sense. Of course, FF will be open, it has you use FF to locate the profile folder. To locate the profile folder following their instructions would require re-opening FF. Are they simply wanting you to close FF and start again? I can see no reason why. Alternatively, am I missing something that should be very obvious?

 

The problem with SB not recognizing Fx periodically, out of the blue, is an SB bug issue in Win 8, 8.1 and potentially Win 10, and definitely does not require the 'deletion' of a Fx profile. The current answer (from the official SB forums) - which sadly doesn't work permanently - is to close down Fx, navigate to c\users\username\app data\roaming\mozilla\firefox\ and locate profiles.ini and rename it 'old.profiles.ini' and save.
Now launch Firefox so that it opens in a new clean firefox, this will create a new 'profiles.ini', then shut down firefox and go back to the profiles.ini location.
Open the 'old.profiles.ini' with a text editor such as note pad and COPY it's entire contents, close, then open the new 'profiles.ini' and paste the saved content over the current content, save, close.
Now open SB and it WILL recognise Fx. Done. Open Firefox and the original profile contents are all there.
But until Brightfort sort out the bug this may happen again and again.

 

As a further note to the above. The problem is the 'profiles.ini' file and not the profile itself. The problem is a SpywareBlaster bug and not a Firefox bug.
Brightfort are asking users who have this problem recurring - even after the above action works for a while but happens again - to zip the 'bad' profiles.ini (renamed 'old') and send it to them for analysis

 

Thank you MaxTurner for your advice. The problem cannot be confined to Win 8 and newer versions. My PC is running Win 7.

 

Mark, you only have FF open in order to find the profile location, then you close it and do the rest in Windows Explorer. The approach described by Max Turner is functionally similar to using the method I gave you, i.e. you copy the contents of your old profile to a new profile. Once that's done it doesn't matter whether the old profile is renamed or deleted. Where you are syncing your FF across two or more computers it's OK simply to delete your profile on any one of them, though not on all of them

 

It was my mistake mark59 in typing - it's affecting all systems from Windows 7 to 10 inclusive, but the 'profiles.ini' fix does work and it is much much easier than actually doing the full profile tweak.

 

Earthling thank you for putting me straight. I would feel frustrated if I was helping me PC matters. When I help others I say you can't do any harm. You're not going to blow-up your PC by doing this, that or the other. Then when it comes to my own problems it's like all my knowledge, experience and common sense goes out the window. Best wishes for Christmas.

 

MaxTurner I'm glad in your last post you said the fix was OK to use in Win 7 as I was going ahead with it anyway. If it did not work I'd try the links Earthling posted. I have no way of knowing until I get started but I think the deleting the old profile seems easier to me. It might be between Xmas & New Year when I do it. My line manager is making me do lots of other things at the moment, lol. Best wishes for Christmas.

 

Mark, just need to stress that as a single user you must not delete your old profile until you have a new one. You would lose all your bookmarks and everything else in FF. Best wishes for Xmas to you too.

 

I will make sure I do that, thanks!

 

Brightfort have released a new version of SpywareBlaster and it has fixed this problem.

 

Yes, version 5.4 and as of now I am not seeing the same problem arise on any system.
However, Brightfort's comments on their forum at Wilders are bizarre to say the least. They say the issue only affected 'some users' (which is true but it was a lot of users and on all 3 Win systems from 7 up), and that it was caused by 'third-party' software on those systems and they know what that software is. They have ignored users there who have asked Brightfort to name the 'third-party' software that was allegedly causing the problem, and Wilders have shut the thread down.