Setting Up the Internet Explorer Shields

You can set up Spy Sweeper to continuously monitor several Internet Explorer settings. These are settings that some spyware, adware, or unwanted programs change if you are not protected.

When Spy Sweeper detects activity related to the IE Favorites, IE Hijack, or IE Home Page Shields, it displays an alert. For more information, see Handling Alerts and Warnings.

If the shields are unavailable (dimmed), you may not have access to this function. For more information, see Understanding How Spy Sweeper Works with Multiple User Accounts.

To set up Internet Explorer Shields:

Start Spy Sweeper, if it is not already open, and display the main window.
For more information, see Starting Spy Sweeper.
In the icon panel, click Shields.
For information about the Spy Sweeper window, see Understanding the Spy Sweeper Window.
The Shields panel displays, showing a summary of the available shields and their status. A check mark means the shield is turned on. An X means the shield is not turned on.
Click the Internet Explorer tab.
The Internet Explorer tab displays.
If you want to reset all of the Internet Explorer options on this tab back to the defaults used when Internet Explorer was first installed, click Reset All Settings to Defaults.
Select the options you want to use.

Click to see a description of each option.

Option	Description
IE Favorites Shield	This option actively protects your Internet Explorer favorites. Whenever a Web site tries to change your favorites, Spy Sweeper lets you know and gives you the option to accept or reject the change. Some Web sites add entries to your favorites without letting you know. This option ensures that you are aware whenever changes are made. Even if Spy Sweeper is not open when your favorites change, Spy Sweeper will detect the changes and ask you about them when you next start Spy Sweeper.
IE Security Shield	This option actively protects your Internet Explorer security settings (select Tools > Internet Options and click the Security tab). Whenever a program tries to change these settings, Spy Sweeper lets you know and gives you the option to accept or reject the change. Some programs change these options without letting you know. This option ensures that you are aware whenever changes are made.
IE Tracking Cookies Shield	This option actively watches for tracking cookies as you visit Web sites and removes them. Tracking cookies are cookies that can track your Web activities. These may include cookies that contain user names, passwords, or similar information that you enter on some Web sites. If you want to hear a sound when Spy Sweeper removes a tracking cookie, select the Enable Sound option.
IE Hijack Shield	This option actively protects various Internet Explorer functions, such as the search page, error pages, and other default pages that Internet Explorer displays. Whenever a program tries to change these pages, Spy Sweeper lets you know and gives you the option to accept or reject the change. Some programs change ("hijack") these pages without letting you know. This option ensures that you are aware whenever changes are made. Even if Spy Sweeper is not open when these pages change, Spy Sweeper will detect the changes and ask you about them when you next start Spy Sweeper.
Edit IE Hijack Shield Settings	Select this option if you want to edit the individual IE Hijack Shield settings, including the default home and search pages for IE, as shown below.
IE Home Page Shield	This option actively protects the Web site you set as your home page in Internet Explorer. Some programs change the home page that you set. The home page is the Web site that displays automatically when you start Internet Explorer or when you click the Home button. Enter the Web address of the Web site you want in the text field in the format: http://www.webroot.com and click Save.
Automatically Restore Default without Notification	Select this option if you want Spy Sweeper to automatically change the home page back to the site listed in the text field when a program tries to change your home page. To avoid seeing alerts about changes to your home page, select this option.
IE Search Page Shield	This option actively protects the Web site you set as your search page in Internet Explorer. Some programs change the search page that you set. The search page is the Web site that displays automatically when you click the Search button in Internet Explorer. Enter the Web address of the Web site you want in the text field in the format: http://www.webroot.com and click Save.
Automatically Restore Default without Notification	Select this option if you want Spy Sweeper to automatically change the search page back to the site listed in the text field when a program tries to change your search page. To avoid seeing alerts about changes to your search page, select this option.
Advanced Settings	These options are advanced configuration options used only in error conditions and/or when a system is severely infected. You can use these options to repair your Internet Explorer settings when a browser hijacker embeds itself deeply in your browser. Webroot customer support is available to assist. User—Limited users can use this drop-down list change these settings. Only the current user account is affected. These settings effectively override the system settings below. For more information about the account types, see Understanding How Spy Sweeper Works with Multiple User Accounts. System—Only the computer administrator can use this drop-down list to change these settings. Changes here affect all user accounts, unless a limited user has customized the setting. Enter the Web address of the Web site in the format: http://www.webroot.com or the path to the file you want in the text field and click Save.
Automatically Restore Default without Notification	Select this option if you want Spy Sweeper to automatically change the pages listed in the Advanced Settings drop-down list back to the site or path listed in the text field when a program tries to change one of these pages. To avoid seeing alerts about changes to these pages select this option.