# How to update LavaSoft Ad-Aware SE Personal ?



## Windows98User (Oct 30, 2008)

Hello ,

Is it still possible to manually update LavaSoft Ad-Aware SE Personal free edition on a Windows 98 (not Windows 98 SE) computer ?

I had not updated my program since December 2007 when the automatic downloads stopped being available. Today I found the instructions for manually updating as described in an archived thread which appeared earlier in 2008. I unzipped the most recent October 2008 defs.ref file into my Ad-Aware program but when trying to run an
Ad-Aware scan the program says the definitions file cannot be loaded. 
Lookoinmg into the files of within Ad-Aware, defs.ref file is definitely present but for some reason is not being recognized by the software.

How do I get Ad-Aware to recognize the presence of the def.refs file ?

If it is no longer possible to use Ad-Aware SE Personal Free on a Windows 98 (not Windows98 SE) computer, what spyware removal 
software do you recommend ?

Thanks


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## ekim68 (Jul 8, 2003)

Welcome to TSG...If I may say so, you have a lot on your plate...The fact that you were still able to stay with Ad-Aware SE without the aid of Win98SE isn't a small feat...

I think Spybot still supports Win98...

http://www.majorgeeks.com

(They may have it..)


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Even if you do a manual that last update you could get that worked was SE1R247 13 May 2008 for Ad-Aware SE.

You can as ekim68 said get the Spybot - Search & Destroy.
http://www.spybot.info/en/download/index.html


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## Windows98User (Oct 30, 2008)

Thanks for the replies so far.

As for Spybot , the few past years I have been using both 
Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy every week to clean my machine. Ad-Aware always seems to find much more than Spybot even when performing a Spybot scan before an Ad-Aware scan. Sometimes Spybot finds something Ad-Aware does not, but for the most part
Ad-Aware has always seemed more thorough.

In addition to Spybot, how are other options such as "SuperAntiSpyware", " Spyware Blaster", and "Spyware Doctor Starter Edition", all of which were mentioned in archive threads about replacing Ad-Aware on a Windows98 computer ?


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## Windows98User (Oct 30, 2008)

Within my program files for Ad-Aware I see the inoperable October 2008 update file is named " defs.ref " and the previously operating but long outdated December 2007 update file is named "defs.ref.old". 

If I delete the inoperable "defs.ref " file then rename the "defs.ref.old" file as "defs.ref", will the Ad-Aware program recognize and use the December 2007 update as it had for the past ten months ? Although the spyware world has evolved past the December 2007, the December file had still been very useful for me but the program has not been accessing it since yesterday downloading the inoperable October 2008 file .

Also , is the replier's mention of file update SE1R247 May 13 2008 available anywhere for download ?


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## Blue Zee (May 18, 2007)

SUPERAntiSpyware is excellent and, no doubt, one of the best anti-malware programs available. There is a Free version that runs on Win98 and above systems:
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispyware.html

SpywareBlaster is a must, it's also Free, and it also runs on Win98 systems and above:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

I have never used Spyware Doctor.

Zee


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I think I have the SE1R247 May 13 2008 zip file on my old computer so will see if I can find it. Got troubles on the old computer so it's hard to start but will try.

OK go here and download the defs SE1R247 13May08-GOOD zip.

http://www.speedyshare.com/922205193.html


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## Windows98User (Oct 30, 2008)

Thanks , Hewee . I downloaded the file and it works. 

Before downloading Hewee's Ad-ware May 2008 update file I experimented by deleting the inoperable October 2008 update file (defs.ref) and renaming the December 2007 update file (defs.ref.old) as defs.ref. Ad-aware was able to then recognize and use the December 2007 update file as it has for the past ten months. I ran a scan and Ad-aware found some registry items it wanted to delete , but I left them alone.

I then downloaded the May 2008 update file and scanned again. 
Interestingly, the registry items were not detected when scanning with the six month newer file update. 

I wonder why the December 2007 Ad-aware file definitions would detect items the May 2008 update would not ? If anything, I would have assumed the later update would be more thorough than a six month old update.


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

30.10.2008 update.
Available here.
http://www.lavasoft.com/support/securitycenter/blog/


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

blues_harp28 said:


> 30.10.2008 update.
> Available here.
> http://www.lavasoft.com/support/securitycenter/blog/


I was getting all the def files there and the defs SE1R247 13May08 was the last good one. All ones after that were not working. I think the manual updates only work on the paid versions after the SE1R247 13May08 update.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Windows98User said:


> Thanks , Hewee . I downloaded the file and it works.
> 
> Before downloading Hewee's Ad-ware May 2008 update file I experimented by deleting the inoperable October 2008 update file (defs.ref) and renaming the December 2007 update file (defs.ref.old) as defs.ref. Ad-aware was able to then recognize and use the December 2007 update file as it has for the past ten months. I ran a scan and Ad-aware found some registry items it wanted to delete , but I left them alone.
> 
> ...


Your welcome. Keep the zip file so your have in if its ever needed again.


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

hewee said:


> I was getting all the def files there and the defs SE1R247 13May08 was the last good one. All ones after that were not working. I think the manual updates only work on the paid versions after the SE1R247 13May08 update.


Thanks hewee.
Now we know. :up:


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Windows98User said:


> Thanks , Hewee . I downloaded the file and it works.
> 
> Before downloading Hewee's Ad-ware May 2008 update file I experimented by deleting the inoperable October 2008 update file (defs.ref) and renaming the December 2007 update file (defs.ref.old) as defs.ref. Ad-aware was able to then recognize and use the December 2007 update file as it has for the past ten months. I ran a scan and Ad-aware found some registry items it wanted to delete , but I left them alone.
> 
> ...





blues_harp28 said:


> Thanks hewee.
> Now we know. :up:


Your welcome. I tried to find the older post at Lavasoft Support Forums on it also but guess they deleted them. 
They had it for months where the auto update stopped working but you could for months get the manual updates but then they killed that. It worked for some but not others and it seem it was not working on any free versions.


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## almostsmart (Jul 30, 2003)

If you will go to the site that blues harp indicated and download the file under "downloads" (imagine that) it will unzip to Ad-aware free SE program and work.
It is a defs zip file. When unziping put it in program files\lavasoft\adaware. Just did it today so know it works.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

almostsmart said:


> If you will go to the site that blues harp indicated and download the file under "downloads" (imagine that) it will unzip to Ad-aware free SE program and work.
> It is a defs zip file. When unziping put it in program files\lavasoft\adaware. Just did it today so know it works.


Not going to do it on my old computer. It's dyeing but if you say it works then it started working again because for months and months it was not updating and that May def file was the last good update for Ad-Aware SE Personal free edition. 
Note I said the free version so if you got the paid version then you can get the download file to work and that is why it is still at the site to download because of all the paid versions of the older Ad-Aware out there that got a lic. that was for 2, 3 years or what ever they are putting updates out for them.


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## almostsmart (Jul 30, 2003)

My bad. Worked on Win 2000 but today would not work on 98 when I realized I had not updated 98. Maybe they have quit 98.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

almostsmart said:


> My bad. Worked on Win 2000 but today would not work on 98 when I realized I had not updated 98. Maybe they have quit 98.


Yes it stopped working on 98 and 95 and ME back in May.
Now maybe it works on 2000 like you say because is it not the NT system that XP also uses so guess it works on 2000 because of that reason. 
But who knows but support will come to a end soon on it when there will be no zips to download for Ad-Aware SE Personal.


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## SDFOX 7 (Apr 29, 2007)

I think I speak for everyone in this forum when I say that we accept there are no more updates for Windows 95/98/ME, whether from Microsoft or vendors.

Unfortunately (or not) all software reaches a point where programmers are unable or unwilling to provide updates for their products after an extended time, due to costs or other circumstances.

However, it is also very likely that everyone in this forum is able to get past this fact, and that is why they continue to use these operating systems. Microsoft hasn't supported Windows 98 in over 2 years but that doesn't stop me from using it. It just means that, like a Harley-Davidson 58 Panhead, it needs some TLC to keep it going. Windows 98 was Microsoft's last DOS-based operating system (I don't count ME) and has value to it; it can run a massive range of software from the 80's through the 00's.

You can still access Microsoft's Windows 98 support page here at http://support.microsoft.com/w98 (previously http://microsoft.com/windows98)


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

For me most of what I used Ad-Aware SE Personal on 98 for and I say this because I keep 98 clean was to clean up MRU's and that can be done with other programs. Plus just me using the computer it's no big thing to even clean them up.


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