You can access this setting by choosing “Configure Proxy“ in the “Updater“ menu on the left. Or you open the Spybot – Search & Destroy “Start Center“ and click on “Settings“. Choose the tab “Internet Connection“.
Here you can switch to “Do not use any proxy trying to access the Internet“.
Now click “Apply“ and “OK“.
Using a Home or higher Edition updates are automated.
Spybot – Search & Destroy will create Windows task scheduler entries to keep your Spybot 2 up to date automatically.
Regardless if you are logged in as an administrator or not, thanks to the our Update Service Spybot 2 will be able to update every file without any further interaction from you.
To have a look or change the scheduler entries please open the Updater and select “Configure schedules” from the navigation bar on the left.
You can also access this setting by opening the Start Center and click on Settings and choose the tab Schedule.
Here you can Add, Edit or Remove Scheduler entries. But it is recommended to use the default entries here that have been created by Spybot 2.
If you search for updates and a ‘bad checksum’ error is displayed, this has a simple reason – millions of people trying to download from the same server. Please try again later.
Or download the updates manually.
Please use the Spybot – Search & Destroy program folder as Destination Folder to store the update:
(by default)
Windows XP: C:\Program Files\Spybot – Search & Destroy 2
Windows Vista or Windows 7 or Windows 8: C:\Programs (x86)\Spybot – Search & Destroy 2
SDUpdate can freeze up if the servers are reacting very slowly. This can happen the day new updates are released (usually on Wednesdays), when too many people try to download them at the same time. But Spybot 2 isn’t really freezed up, it’s just delayed. There are a few solutions for this problem:
1. Wait a minute, it should be active again.
2. You can still use the manual updater.
Download the current one and install it, and you’ll be up-to-date. Here is the direct-update-link where you can reach the latest update everytime.
Please use the Spybot 2 program folder as Destination Folder to store the update, by default:
Windows XP: C:\Program Files\Spybot – Search & Destroy 2
Windows Vista or Windows 7 or Windows 8: C:\Programs (x86)\Spybot – Search & Destroy 2
A general recommendation is that you download all updates presented when you do a “Search for updates”. Updates usually can be divided into the following categories:
Detection updates and plugins:
These updates are usually preselected when you use the updater, it is highly recommended to download them whenever there are updates available, since these are responsible for the detection rate.
These are usually named: Detection rules, Advanced detection library, Detection support library or Some plugin.
Localized updates:
Language files and localized product information. These files are not necessary if you use Spybot – Search & Destroy exclusively in English. If you use only one other language, you just need your local ones.
Beta updates:
If you are willing to help us improve Spybot 2, you might download these as well. Do not forget the usual beta disclaimer though: there might be a bunch of new features, but there is also the risk of new bugs.
Malware documentation and help updates:
As the name already indicates, these are for those who like to read up some information, on malware and on Spybot 2.
Full updates: Rare, but when a new release comes out, it will usually be available through the updater.
1. The error message “Error retrieving update info file” usually appears when Spybot – Search & Destroy has accidently imported bad Internet Explorer proxy settings. In this case, it helps just to disable the proxy option in Spybot 2. You can access this setting by choosing “Configure Proxy“ in the Updater menu on the left. Or you open the Spybot 2 “Start Center“ and click on “Settings“. Choose the tab “Internet Connection“. Here you can switch to “Do not use any proxy trying to access the Internet“. Now click “Apply“ and “OK“.
2. Please check your firewall.
Most people who do not have problem #1 do have Spybot 2 accidentally blocked in their firewall.
3. If nothing else works, you can still use the manual updater, which is available on the website: Detection Updates
Using a Home or higher Edition updates are automated. Spybot – Search & Destroy will create Windows task scheduler entries to keep your Spybot 2 up to date automatically. Regardless if you are logged in as an administrator or not, thanks to our Update Service Spybot 2 will be able to update every file without any further interaction from you. Of course manually updates like in the Free Edition are possible, too.
To perform the updates manually:
Please open the “Spybot 2 Start Center” by double clicking. Now activate the “Advanced User Mode” at the bottom by ticking the check-box. Under “Advanced Tools” you will find “Update” which you can simply tick.
Here you have two options:
You can use the “Update” button on the lower right or choose “Update” through the menu on the left. You also have the possibility to start the Updates through the Spybot 2 tray icon (on the lower right of your Desktop beneath your clock). Just rightclick the Spybot 2 tray icon and choose “Update”.
There are two options to download Spybot 2:
Please search for new updates after installing Spybot 2.
If you search for updates and a “HTTP Error 403″ or “bad checksum” is displayed, this has a simple reason – millions of people trying to download from the same server.
In order to overcome the problem, please have a second look at the update menu bar after searching for new updates. Therefore choose Update from the navigation bar on the left. Now you will see the update menu bar. It has a pull-down item to select a mirror. Click the arrow beside it, and select a different location (first try the ones located nearest to you), where you will most probably have better chances to download.
You can also download the updates manually, either from our Website or by using the direct download link. Just download and run that file – it is self-installing.
Updates usually can be divided into the following categories:
Detection updates and plugins: these updates are usually preselected when you use the updater, it is highly recommended to download them whenever there are updates available, since these are responsible for the detection rate. These are usually named Detection rules, Advanced detection library, Detection support library or Some plugin.
Localized updates: language files and localized product information. These files are not necessary if you use Spybot-S&D exclusively in English. If you use only one other language, you just need your local ones.
Beta updates: if you are willing to help us improve Spybot-S&D, you might download these as well. Do not forget the usual beta disclaimer though: there might be a bunch of new features, but there is also the risk of new bugs.
Malware documentation and help updates: as the name already indicates, these are for those who like to read up some information, on malware and on Spybot-S&D.
Full updates: rare, but when a new release comes out, it will usually be available through the updater.
The second and third option are not displayed by default; in version 1.4 you can enable these categories on the settings page, since version 1.5 there are two checkboxes for them on the start page of the new updater application.
The most common reason for this problem is that you need to use a proxy server to access the internet. If this is the case, the proxy server is already set up in your browser. You can check the settings here and use them for Spybot-S&D.
In Mozilla, you can find the Proxy settings if you open the Edit menu, choose Settings… at the bottom, and navigate to the section Advanced – Proxies.
In Internet Explorer, see the Menu Extras – Internet options, go to the tab Connections and click the Settings button at the bottom.
In Opera, see the Menu Tools – Preferences, go to the tab Advanced, section Network and click the Proxy servers button. Look for the HTTP proxy there.
Back inside Spybot-S&D go to the Advanced Mode (via menu Mode), then choose Settings → Settings, and scroll down to the entry Automation – Web update – Use proxy. Now check the box below it, and a dialog will appear where you can enter your proxy settings.
The format is host:port (the host is the name, the port the number you found in your browser). If you need to access your proxy using a login, you can use the format username:password@host:port.
Spybot-S&D can appear to hang if the servers are reacting very slowly. This often happens the day new updates are released, when many people try to download them at the same time.
There are a few possible solutions for this problem:
Wait a minute, it should get active again.
Select a different download location: After Search for update, you can select another mirror in the toolbar. To do that, click the small arrow next to the currently selected mirror name.
Please try again later.
Information about updating is also available in a ‘How To’ on this site.
Please take a look at the security settings of your firewall (if you are using one) and make sure that Spybot-S&D is not blocked. If it is blocked try un-block it. That should help to get into the updates. If Spybot-S&D is not blocked it is also possible that our server is temporarily not available. Please try again a few hours later.
If this does not help please download the manual updaters from our website. The manual updaters are self-installing, you just need to run them.
1. The error message “Error retrieving update info file” usually appears when Spybot-S&D has accidently imported bad Internet Explorer proxy settings. In this case, it helps just to disable the proxy option in Spybot-S&D: Open the Settings section and go to the Settings page. Locate the Use proxy entry in the Automation – Web update category, and disable it. If you cannot see the Settings section, start Spybot-S&D in advanced mode (see your Start menu group for Spybot-S&D).
2. Please check your firewall. Most people who do not have problem #1 do have Spybot-S&D accidentally blocked in their firewall.
3. If nothing else works, you can still use the manual updater, which is available on the website. (Notice: if the Info page does not show the correct update date after installing the updates with the manual updater, please ignore that – this will be fixed with the next release)
There was a problem with compatibility under Windows Vista.
You can solve the problem as follows:
1. Download this new SDUpdate.exe.
To use this beta file, extract the downloaded archive into the main application folder (usually C:\Program Files\Spybot – Search & Destroy\) and replace the old file with the new one.
2. If this does not help go to your SDUpdate.exe file in your program folder:
C:\Program Files\ Spybot – Search & Destroy\
Rightclick the file and choose properties.
Then choose the tab compatibilty.
Activate the checkbox in front of “Run this program in compatibility mode for” and select from the drop down menu “WindowsXP”. Now click “Apply” and “OK”.
That should fix the problem.
This problem has also been discussed in our forum.
