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Other => General Topics => Topic started by: hines232 on January 21, 2009, 03:04:21 AM
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Is there another application out there that is as good as SAS ? Why? I have been using it since last April, but in the past few weeks it has become slower, and slower doing updates. Now after the first update down loade, the second half of the down load finally tells me (ctrl/alt/del), SAS is no longer responding ?? Today I un installed and reinstalled it twice.same prob. (WINDOWS ME). THANKS
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SAS has never been fast on updates as it downloads the complete signature database unlike avast's incremental updates. Though I'm on dial-up so that is a little over 2MB so it is sloooow but that hasn't changed substantially since I started using it.
So it may be more to do with your connection, though not responding certainly isn't a connection issue. You are going to be hard pressed to find quality anti-spyware applications as good as SAS that will even run on winME.
I don't know if MBAM will work on winME, its downloads are a little smaller about 1.2MB.
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I have recently noticed that the "gap" between the first (and main) part of the SAS updates has become a bit longer, then the second part of the update proceeds relatively quickly.
Try giving it a little longer. Could also try updating at different times of the day, there may be a particular time window when the servers aren't quite so busy.
As David says, SAS is a quality app; MBAM is the only other I know of in its' league. I don't know if that works on ME.
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I just can't understand why doesn't they implement incremental updates...
I use SAS very little times, I just update it when I need...
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I agree with others that it's likely a connection issue... I've got SAS on both this machine, running Windows Me and my other which runs XP Pro and the downloads are slow on both due to a dial-up connection...
As to the issue of MBAM on Windows Me; I believe I checked that and learned that it is NOT possible to run MBAM on a Windows Me machine...
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I just can't understand why doesn't they implement incremental updates...
I use SAS very little times, I just update it when I need...
I asked them that very thing, explaining that as a dial-up user downloading the full database every time is a pain in the rear, not to mention the additional bandwidth and load on their servers. I also mentioned avast's incremental update as a great example to follow.
I got a prompt response saying that it was to ensure integrity of the database so that someone/malware couldn't remove signatures and we all know avast can do that too with incremental updates, we do get a little spoilt with the avast updates ;D
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Thanks to all !!!, and Tarq57, same identical situation.
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I recently added MBAM (free version) to my defense "arsenal", so now include that and SAS for my weekly on-demand scans. Since both products update with full-database replacement rather than incrementally, I quickly decided there was no point updating other than just before a scan.
One other thing I'd like to see changed for both products, besides incremental updates (if possible). Neither one apparently cleans up after itself after updating, so there's 3 or 4 megs of temp files left behind each time that need removed with Disk Cleanup. Not a big deal, it just seems a little sloppy to me for such otherwise high-quality apps.
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@MikeBCda;
Might I suggest a little program that I use... It's called "CleanTemp"... You can Google it to find it... Works fine on both of my machines and cleans up after SAS quite nicely... :)
I run this automatically first thing in the morning so that I don't have to worry about running Disk Cleanup or the like manually.
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SUPERAntiSpyware.com Replied:
Hi
You must be using a dial-up connection. SUPERAntiSpyware is a very Internet-heavy application (our updates are very large). It is normal for it to take a long time to download and start up. Our program will be "not responding" while downloading while over dial-up. Our updates are about 8mb if you want to use that in your estimation on how long it will take, based on what you know if your connection speed.
Sorry we can't be more help
SUPERAntiSpyware Customer Service
What I received back from SAS :-\
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Well their guestimate on updates is way off 8MB would take 24-32 minutes on dial-up at 3-4 mins per MB. My updates take about 5-6 minutes, though I don't tend to time it, just start it off and continue browsing (normally the forums).
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I don't know DavidR, When I start and end SAS it is about 45min to an hour for me, and I am on dial-up. It has just (for me any way) gotten longer and longer and that was there answer.
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If MBAM works with winME the updates are about half the size.
But even though I have the Pro version of SAS I generally only update once a week and carry on browsing whilst it is downloading in the background.
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Assuming the temp files left behind are essentially a copy of the downloaded update, SAS is currently around 2.8 megs (total for both parts) and, as others have noted, MBAM about half that.
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I don't notice any temp files left behind, what are they called and were are they located ?
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Just for grins and giggles this morning I timed my update of SAS and it was less than 15 minutes... And that was on a dial-up connection of 43.2Kbs... Then again, that was also at around 0530 local time here in Texas... Could be that the time of day has an impact...
When CleanTemp runs the day after an update to SAS, the file shown is SSUPDATE.EXE... At least that's what I see... I didn't catch where it was located though I think it was in "TEMP".
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That SSUPDATE.EXE file as far as I'm aware is the update process itself it is in the superantispyware folder and is 156KB in size, see image.
I have ccleaner but I don't run it on a regular basis so it wouldn't be getting rid om mine and I haven't noticed any.
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Well just to satisfy my curiosity, I just did an SAS update whilst browsing and answering questions in the forums. The time take was a little over 11 minutes, which given my other activity wasn't bad on dial-up.
I also had a look for elusive temporary files, I did find a copy of ssupdate.exe in the C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Temp folder and that matches the other one in the superantispyware folder.
I didn't find any large files in any of the other tem folder locations, windows\temp, etc.
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Well their guestimate on updates is way off 8MB would take 24-32 minutes on dial-up at 3-4 mins per MB. My updates take about 5-6 minutes, though I don't tend to time it, just start it off and continue browsing (normally the forums).
I concur, David. That 8MB claim has got to be way off. My Dial Up connection varies between either 26400bps or 28800bps and the SAS Updates have always been slow. That's one of the reasons I switched from running a scan every week to just periodically. I've never timed the Updates, but I'm gonna guess mine are about 10 minutes. I'll time them next time. At least now I know WHY they take so long. I didn't know they were friggin' downloading the whole database every time. Sheesh! The actual Scans on my computer take about 40 minutes.
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I don't notice any temp files left behind, what are they called and were are they located ?
Sorry David, never bothered to check and haven't a clue. Disk cleanup simply shows 2.8 megs temp files for SAS alone or 4-plus for both, and that's only after doing their updates, so (barring a wild coincidence of timing, of course) that's almost certainly where they're from.
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I will try and remember to check it out next time I update.
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Downloaded and installed Version 4.25.1012 of SAS and it's gone south on Windows Me... This is the latest version and is suppose to run on all flavors of Windows... So the questin is: what defines 'all flavors of Windows'...
Numerous uninstalls and reinstalls have failed to fix the problem as initially identified in this thread... Guess it's time to query the SAS forum and see what they have to say...
Needless to say I'm not a happy camper...
Edited: I've contacted SAS with this issue... Will update the thread when/if I hear something from them...
obtw; MalwareBytes is NOT usable on Windows Me... "Requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista"...
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ProgrammerGuy,
Hi you could download this ewido micro scanner, also very good: http://downloads.ewido.net/ewido_micro.exe (I use it from a USB stick -File size: 149.55 KB),
polonus
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Thanks 'polonus' I'll check it out as a possible replacement for SAS on my Windows Me computer... :)
I downloaded it, created a shortcut to it and double clicked on it... Nothing shows up in Task Manager... Does it run in background something like SpywareBlaster does or what?
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Hi ProgrammerGuy,
You just put the icon in a folder, and then clcik that icon, you wait for it to start loading the new detection files, and then scan with it, a shortcut to it does not work, because the icon is that executable program, it is rather small, that is why it is called micro...
pol
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Downloaded and installed Version 4.25.1012 of SAS and it's gone south on Windows Me... This is the latest version and is suppose to run on all flavors of Windows... So the questin is: what defines 'all flavors of Windows'...
Numerous uninstalls and reinstalls have failed to fix the problem as initially identified in this thread... Guess it's time to query the SAS forum and see what they have to say...
Needless to say I'm not a happy camper...
Edited: I've contacted SAS with this issue... Will update the thread when/if I hear something from them...
obtw; MalwareBytes is NOT usable on Windows Me... "Requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista"...
I started the thread "programmergru" Same OS as you. SAS seems to take for ever to START, RUN, and to LOG OUT OF, but it dose run. MY start to finish is about half an hour. It just lately got slower. see the response I got from them in first part of this thread.
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Thanks for the input 'hines232'... You get a lot farther than I seem to...
Here's the thread at SAS:
Feb 03 2009 (Tue)
4:40:01 AM PST
Wrote:
I downloaded and installed Version 4.25.1012... I cannot get SAS to run except from "Repair"... When it does run it wants to update the definitions... After the initial download SAS stops responding and tends to lock up my computer. I've tried running RUNSAS.EXE however, I get two errors: "Expects a newer version of Windows" and "A device attached to the system is not functioning"... I'm beginning to think that even though you indicated that SAS is good for 'all' versions of Windows; it isn't... Multiple uninstalls and reinstalls have failed to correct the problem...
Feb 03 2009 (Tue)
9:56:01 AM PST
SUPERAntiSpyware.com Replied:
Hi John
SUPERAntiSpyware won't start up at all? The main program window never shows up, or does it lock up or crash?
Feb 03 2009 (Tue)
1:27:05 PM PST
Wrote:
Sorry, I guess I should have said that it won't start at all.... The 'splash screen' never shows up and cannot open it from the icon the system tray...
Feb 03 2009 (Tue)
3:37:06 PM PST
SUPERAntiSpyware.com Replied:
I checked around with my fellow support gurus, and it looks as though we have had a report or two of this happening with the older versions of Windows. For now, I would revert to the previous release, it sounds like our developers will have to track down the problem and do another release in the next week or so.
Here's a link to the previous version:
http://www.superantispyware.com/downloads/SUPERAntiSpyware.4.24.1004.exe
SUPERAntiSpyware Customer Service
For now I'm going to do as they suggest and go back to an earlier version and NOT update anything but the definition files... Let's see if they find, and fix, the problem :(
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AOK My friend, I have the latest ver. and it is very SLLLLLLLLow.