Registry Tweaks

Tweaks are small, inofficial setting patches that can be set up through the registry only. This page describes tweaks used in applications by Safer-Networking Ltd. only.

They can be installed as group policies using our Safer-Networking Ltd. Registry Tweaks installer.

Usage

To create such a tweak, create a registry value in the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Safer Networking Limited\Tweaks\Application.exe\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Safer Networking Limited\Tweaks\Application.exe\

Replace Application.exe with the name of the executable it should affect, no paths used. Or, if you want the tweak to apply globally to all our products, simply use this path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Safer Networking Limited\Tweaks\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Safer Networking Limited\Tweaks\

Available Tweaks

ConserveMemory

Used by TeaTimer only currently to indicate which version of the on-access scanning engine to use. Spybot 1.x only.

ConserveMemory : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (less memory, starts faster, but scans slower)
ConserveMemory : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (the mode available by default in versions up to 1.6 beta 2)

By default, currently method 0 is set. Plans are to make the default choice depend on the overall system memory.

CreateHostsBackup

Set this to 0 to not create backup copies of the hosts file when using the immunization or fixing scan results in there.

CreateHostsBackup : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (does not create backups)
CreateHostsBackup : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (default if not set)

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy and separate immunization demo.

Based on Feature Request 140.

DisableHintOfTheDay

Use this tweak to hide the new-to-1.6 Hint of the Day in the results list. Not used in Spybot 2.x.

DisableHintOfTheDay : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (default if not set)
DisableHintOfTheDay : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (hides HotD)

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy.

DisableTempFolderCleaning

Use this tweak to completely skip the new function that tries to clear the systems temp folder to speed up scans.

DisableTempFolderCleaning : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (default if not set)
DisableTempFolderCleaning : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (does not offer temp folder cleaning on app start)

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy.

Based on Feature Request 265.

DisableUserHivesLoading

Acts the same as /nouserhives in any version after 1.6.0.

DisableUserHivesLoading : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (default if not set)
DisableUserHivesLoading : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (does not mount user hives on app start)

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy.

FloppyVolumeInformation

Set this to the value representation of a drive (A: is 0, B: s 1, C: is 2, ...) to set where optimization lookups by using drive properties is used. Since querying this could cause a floppy seek, this is by default 2.

FloppyVolumeInformation : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (starts with drive A:)
FloppyVolumeInformation : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (starts with drive B:)
FloppyVolumeInformation : REG_DWORD = 00000002 (starts with drive C:, defaulf if not set)
... continue numbers for letters in alphabetical order.

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy and RunAlyzer.

Based on Feature Request 76.

HostsBlockIP

Hosts file immunization by default uses 127.0.0.1 to block domains. Use a REG_SZ here to define another value (some people prefer 0.0.0.0).

HostsBlockIP : REG_SZ = 127.0.0.1 (default if not set)
HostsBlockIP : REG_SZ = 0.0.0.0   (common other choice)
... or any other IP you prefer.

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy and separate immunization demo.

Based on Feature Request 58.

ImmunizeIE8

IE 8 is no longer able to properly deal with larger lists of restricted sites. Therefore, Spybot-S&D usually does not offer this immunization when IE 8 is installed (unless it is already immunized, in which case it needs to be shown to be able to be undone). Set this to 1 to override this protectional behaviour.

ImmunizeIE8 : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (default if not set)
ImmunizeIE8 : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (immunize IE8)

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy after 1.6.2.

Based on News from 2009-05-25.

ImmunizeHostsOn2000

Immunizing the hosts file on Windows 2000 can make trouble if the DNS Client service is running. Therefore, Spybot-S&D usually does not offer this immunization under these circumstances (unless it is already immunized, in which case it needs to be shown to be able to be undone). Set this to 1 to override this protectional behaviour.

ImmunizeHostsOn2000 : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (default if not set)
ImmunizeHostsOn2000 : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (immunized hosts on W2k even in worst case scenario)

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy and separate immunization demo.

Based on Feature Request 164.

ImmunizeSystemAccounts

System accounts never use browsers unless the system is misconfigured; set this to 1 to show them in immunization anyway.

ImmunizeSystemAccounts : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (default if not set)
ImmunizeSystemAccounts : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (also immunizes system accounts)

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy and separate immunization demo.

Based on Feature Request 132.

ScanItemDelay

As a help for computers with improper cooling, the scan can be halted between patterns. Available in 1.6.1 after build 38 and in 2.0.

ScanItemDelay : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (default if not set)
ScanItemDelay : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (any numer of milliseconds < 100)

Based on this forum thread.

SkipAdminWarnings

Spybot-S&D tests whether the user has admin privileges (available on XP and Vista, mostly on the later regarding elevation), and otherwise warns on fixing and some of the tools. Set this to 1 to skip this warning. Spybot 1.x only.

SkipAdminWarnings : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (default if not set)
SkipAdminWarnings : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (skips warnings)

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy.

Based on Feature Request 263.

TempFolderCleanDelay

Sets up the waiting time for the new-to-1.6 option to offer to clean the Temp folders before continuing. After this has timed out, the default action will be chosen. Spybot 1.x only, in Spybot 2, this is shown as a panel on the view before the scan. In Spybot 3, this will also be an extra Tools option.

TempFolderCleanDelay : REG_DWORD = 0000000E (15 seconds are default if not set otherwhise)
... use any amount of seconds you want here.

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy.

TempFolderCleanMinimum

Changes the minimum number of files the temp folder needs to contain before cleaning is offered (since some files are always in use, there has to be some limit to not annoy the user every time).

TempFolderCleanMinimum : REG_DWORD = 00000064 (100 files minimum are the default)
... use any amount of files you want as the lower minimum here.

UserAgent

Allows to set up a custom UserAgent for the anti-spyware updating in Spybot 2 and above. Use a REG_SZ here to define a fixed value (otherwise a combination of product name and version will be used).

HostsBlockIP : REG_SZ = SpybotSearchAndDestroy/2.5.44 (default if not set)
HostsBlockIP : REG_SZ = MyCustomUserAgent
... or any other text you prefer.

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy later than 2.5 (possibly as an update to 2.4 and 2.5).

WriteProcessLog

Boolean setting that may be used to add more information on process scanning to the Resident.log log file. Spybot 1.x only.

WriteProcessLog : REG_DWORD = 00000000 (default if not set)
WriteProcessLog : REG_DWORD = 00000001 (write additional debug information into log)

Available in Spybot - Search & Destroy.