1. For some time now, both before and after my recent renewal and update of my SpySweeper program, when I boot up I get a SpySweeper Error Alert stating that SpySweeper has encountered an error during a previous session and giving me the option of sending an error report. Each time I have exercised that option and I have also written SpySweeper support about the problem but have gotten no reply. But the error alerts continue.

I am wondering if those alerts mean that SpySweeper is not able to do its job properly?

And I am wondering if there is anything I can do besides what I have done to try to correct the situation so that the reason for the alerts no longer exists?

SpySweeper does do the daily scan that I have scheduled for it.

2. Until this morning, when I booted up the first thing on my screen would be a notice from SpySweeper, apparently just to let me know that it is looking after me. But I got no such message this morning. (Later, SpySweeper did do the daily scan that I have scheduled for it.)

Can I just ignore that or does it indicate that SpySweeper is not functioning as it should?

3. In its sweep this morning, SpySweeper detected and quarantined an Internet Explorer hijacker. It then gave me a message saying that if my IE settings "have not improved" I should click Shields, then click the IE tab, and then click "Reset IE page settings to default".

Although I didn't do any checking to see if I was having a problem with IE, I went ahead and clicked the Shields button. The resulting window does not have an IE tab. It has these tabs: Shield Summary, Web Browser, Network, Windows System, and Startup Programs.

I clicked on Web Browser but the resulting page does not have any kind of Reset option.

Since I haven't detected an IE problem, perhaps the question is moot. But I still wonder why the directions I got don't work?

4. When I was in Shields, I also clicked on Startup Programs and saw that Startup Items was checked and under that "Alert only for potential threat changes to startup items" was checked.

I have the Startup Inspector program. And I wondered if I chose "Alert for all startup item changes" instead of the one above that is already checked if SpySweeper would then do the same job as Startup Inspector, so that I could then remove Startup Inspector if I wanted to?

One thing Startup Inspector started doing recently which it used to not do is to alert me every time SpySweeper comes on to do a scan, requiring me to approve of SpySweeper. That is one reason why I might want to get rid of Startup Inspector.

Thanks, grandpaw7

Hi it's possible you have been Hijacked.
I recommend that you download,install and update Superantispyware,then run it in safe mode
SUPERAntiSpyware free Home user version
How to start Windows in Safe Mode
also install and update then run in safe mode
Spybot - Search & Destroy and Tutorial: Using Spybot S&D

Let us know if you've any questions or if need further help.

Thank you boopme. I've taken the steps you suggested. And as I was doing so, I got an email from SpySweeper, I suppose in response to my email to SpySweeper support, which instructed me to uninstall and then reinstall, and gave me the tools for doing so. So I'll see how that works out.

I was surprised that SpyBot detected some several spyware entries. I had been counting too much on SpySweeper to get rid of all of them. So now, I have both Spysweeper and Superantispyware and also running SpyBot periodically.

Thanks for you input. grandpaw7

You're welcome grandpaw7,
It appears that no one product gets them all. The general rule in malware gear goes: 1 Antivirus and 1 firewall. Then several layers of ad/spyware protection. Another note is that those 2 products are free (I also use them) and Super has a pay version also. These as free need you to run/check updates weekly and prior to running a scan. Another good free tool that runs in the background is...
Spywareblaster
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Let us know how you make out with spysweeper

spy sweeper is a great tool. every time it has found something on my computer, it has also been able to remove it. it looks like you have a nice collection of anti-spyware tools. i also like avg, but it helps itself to my startup list.