Spysweeper update includes more than what I want

When Spysweeper updates to Webroot Secure Anywhere, by default it updates to the basic version that only says "Webroot Secure Anywhere."  That is normal.  wsainstall.exe is the correct installer.  I'm not sure what this "Clean My PC" is, as Cleanup is not a function of the basic antivirus version.  Perhaps that's third party software.  We'll have to take a closer look.  It also should have removed SpySweeper automatically when Webroot Secure Anywhere was installed.  A situation like this merits closer attention that we can't really provide on the forum.  We may need to get log information or perhaps arrange a remote session to further assist you.  Can you please create a support ticket here? https://detail.webrootanywhere.com/servicewelcome.asp
 
If you've already made one, please PM me your email address so I know which ticket to look for.  (Click my name and click "send this user a private message" on the right side of the page.)
 
Jim M.
Escalation Engineer
Webroot Technical Support

Thank you both (Josh C and TripleHelix) for your quick replies.
 
One more question, if you don't mind:
 
3) After upgrading to WSA, short of reverting to an earlier state of my system via an image backup application, is there an easy way to retrograde to Spy Sweeper?
 
 
 

Hi, Josh.
 
Thanks, again, for your fast and direct answers to my questions.
 
I'm more than a tad apprehensive when it comes to upgrading key components of my system, not the least of which would be security applications.  Please consider the gravity of your comment:
 
Even performing a system restore or reverting to a previous image may not restore complete functionality to SpySweeper and is not recommended, at all.
 
You are recommending an upgrade procedure which cannot be reversed, according to you, under virtually any circumstance -- even an entire image restore! Your argument for my taking such a draconian step is, in effect, "trust me." You seem like a trustworthy guy, ready and willing to help, but surely you can appreciate my incertitude in the face of potentially crippling downsides -- imagined as they might be.
 
Suddenly, putting up with SpySweeper's daily upgrade reminder until the product's end of life seems like a minor annoyance, akin to having to kill SpySweeperUI.exe manually via the Task Manager when not needed.
 

@hkguy
 
One of the things to remember in this day and age is that computer security is rarely a static produc", like a program that you download, but rather a service.  If you take into account that even without "upgrading to SecureAnywhere", your SpySweeper installation undergoes nearly daily updates and upgrades, you can see where this comes into play.  That is also why security is a subscription, rather than a software purchase.  Without the services, updates, and support provided by the security company (ANY security company), the program itself is useless.
 
In the case of SecureAnywhere, we at Webroot made the decision to change the manner by which we are providing the security service.  Keeping in mind that we wanted our existing subscribers to have the option to continue with service, SecureAnywhere was designed to provide superior protection and still fit into the same space as our Antivirus products and also our SpySweeper product. 
 
In general, by purchasing a subscription to SpySweeper, you are buying Webroot's service to protect your computer against threats.  SpySweeper specifically counts as "We will watch for Spyware and keep out of the way of other Antivirus products."  SecureAnywhere just changes the delivery of this service in a manner that works better for you, takes less of your time and gets in your way less.  It still watches for Spyware and keeps out of the way of other Antivirus products.  But it also watches for other malware and threats while stillstaying out of the way, takes up fewer computer resources, and works much more efficiently for you.
 
While I hate to put it this way, I guess in the long run it comes down to whether or not you trust us to do the right thing for you and protect your computer, even if this update is a major change in the methodology.

Please be cautious when speaking about "Consumer rights", since the rights a consumer gets are those given in the contract, whether it be a bill of sale or a service contract.  There are legal rights, of course, however changing the customer-facing endpoint of the security subscription does not violate those.  If it were a democracy, you're outvoted by several million folks who prefer the new system.  That doesn't mean that we expect to make everybody happy all of the time.  We have lost a few thousand customers and gained a few hundred thousand for every hundred we lost. 
 
From the technical standpoint:
SpySweeper is on end of life stage one with regards to support.  In the event that anybody has a technical issue with it, they will be assisted with removing any remnants of it and installing SecureAnywhere.  It will eventually go to final stage end of support life at which point it will no longer receive pattern updates either.  At that point, yes it will still block threats that it knew about contained in the patterns it has, but it will not be able to block anything newer.
 
Josh's information about a system restore is accurate, but not very detailed.  A system restore point is for the system, but does not cover installed third party software.  This means that going back to a restore point which contains the SpySweeper install will possibly only recover the system view of things, but not replace tertiary files, such as definitions.  As such, a system restore would not recover the software into a working state.
 
A system image is a full image of the hard drive.  While this will recover the software into what is technically an operational state related to the local computer, it will recover a snapshot from that point in time.  This means that any server interactions will be out of synch, and the definitions will not cover anything that was added since the snapshot was taken.  The server state being out of synch can also complicate the restoration of the definitions and other aspects of the software to the then-current state.  So it COULD work, but if it doesn't, it's up to you to handle it as you see fit, and we cannot provide any support or assistance other than to help remove the broken remnants and install the current agent.
 
Is it possible that SpySweeper will continue to have definition updates until that point? Yes.  Is it likely?  Not at all.
 
But please do keep in mind that this is not an "Upgrade Experiment".  This is the full update to the current end-user agent software which has been out for almost six months.  This is not a "Try it and see if you like it".  This is "This is the software agent we are using to provide the service you paid for.  As such, to continue to receive this service, the upgrade will be necessary."  This is not a beta.  This is not a drill.  Just like the analog to digital TV swap, this is for real, and not optional.  We provide 100% support and zero cost to you through the whole changeover.
 
We don't take away your ability to chose.  But, just like you don't have a choice to order a wedding cake at McDonald's, we do not give you certain choices with our service either.  The choices that you do have:  You may continue to use SpySweeper with no support other than definition updates while they last.  You may update to the SecureAnywhere endpoint to continue receiving the protection that you paid for and substantially more that you get for free.  Or you may discontinue using the service altogether with the understanding that our refund period is a 70-day from purchase period.  Most folks prefer the SecureAnywhere update.
 
Given that every single legitimate SpySweeper customer is being informed at every check-in from the product that they need to update to continue receiving the service, we do expect that the end of pattern support life will come sooner than later.
 
The technology is moving forward.  Dropping Webroot to move to anything else at all would simply be ending up with a worse deal for the change-out than by using the SecureAnywhere agent that you have already paid for.  That and every security provider does the same thing.
 
We absolutely hope that you'll stick around and move to SecureAnywhere smoothly, but we will not be able to support you if you decide to try not to.

Here is a message I received from Webroot support...
 
 "Hello, Webroot’s latest product line, SecureAnywhere 2012, does not quarantine cookies. Cookies and their uses have evolved since their introduction. They are designed to provide a service many Internet users find beneficial, in which they deliver specific information to you, based on your preferences. For instance, if you make frequent purchases from an online store, you might see an advertisement for a sale at that store when browsing other pages. The latest browsers enable you to easily manage your own cookie settings. Browsers have cookie protections built in, and you can delete or even block cookies altogether, if you’re concerned about tracking. Each browser has slightly different instructions on how to set these configurations. To find out more, we recommend consulting the Help documentation available for your browser. Because of these changes in browser personalization, Webroot has changed how we handle cookies to better fit today’s Internet user needs. For too long, the security industry – including Webroot – has expected our customers to manage security products for themselves. Quarantining relatively harmless cookies and expecting you to know how to handle them was part of this burden. Just as Webroot SecureAnywhere no longer requires you to repeatedly download resource-intensive signature files, we’re no longer asking you to worry about non-malicious files like cookies. Regards, The Webroot Support Team"...
 
 THE BOTTOM-LINE IS WEBROOT HAS KILLED OFF THE ENTIRE SPYSWEEPER FUNCTIONALITY. Now each user in our company will have to manually access the browser on their PC or Laptop and setup their own spyware settings. I originally bought Webroot Spyweeper to address these issures. I do NOT need a second antivirus software app. I need a spysweeper app that can be used accross all of our computers...
 
 Since Webroot killed that product, BEFORE THE LICENSE EXPIRED, I request a full refund for all the licenses we bought.. The new update does NOT perform the same functionality I originally bought and paid for our company. Now we will have to investigate if there are any alternatives to preventing spyware on and individual and on an ENTERPRISE level.

 
 
 
WSA "might" be the cats pajamas, but killing off vanilla spysweeper is a mistake. The last two laptops i have seen upgraded to WSA became raging doorstops and could only be resurected from a Zombie existance by complete  removal of webroot.  I would have prefered that we the user had the option to stay or return to "vanilla" Spysweeper.  I have been recommending Spysweeper to my clients for years but that may have to stop now. 
 
Living in the very rural desert south west, not everyone has access to high speed internet, many folks here are still on dialup access providers so anything "web based" is usally a problem
 
Sorry but local experience will have to outweigh salesmans promises for now.  I wish we were not being left behind by the discontinuation of  vanilla Spysweeper but i think when it goes away or as subscriptions run out, If nothing changes to improve the situation as I see it, I think i'll be moving my clients to a subscription to Malwarebytes - AntiMalware.:mansad:
 
Its been a good ride till now..
Vince
 
P.S.  I'll never understand this facination with "the Cloud".. Sure every cloud has a silver lining, but silver tarnishes and its not a good idea to stand out in the rain..  I guess when everything is "Cloud based" I may, by necessity, become a Luddite 😞