Tea Timer

Tea Timer is a utility provided for free as part of Spybot - Search and Destroy. It can block or warn you when potentially malicious files attempt to start processes, add browser toolbars, or add entries to the startup section of your computer's registry. However, it can also warn you about files that are completely innocent, and so the use of Tea Timer is only recommended for people who feel comfortable that they can sort out what is necessary and good and what is not.

Enabling and disabling Tea Timer

You can enable the Tea Timer utility either during the setup of Spybot or afterwards. To enable it during setup, check the appropriate box on the Additional Tasks screen. To enable Tea Timer from within the program, you must be in Advanced Mode. To enter Advanced Mode, click on the Mode menu and then click Advanced Mode. Three new sidebars should appear. Select the one labeled Tools, and then click on Resident. Check the box next to Resident "TeaTimer" (Protection of over-all system settings) active.

If you decide you want to disable Tea Timer, uncheck the box.

Using Tea Timer

If you have Tea Timer enabled, you will see an icon in your system tray (near the clock). If you right click on the icon and select Properties from the menu, you can see which processes and registry entries you have made a decision about in the past and change any of them.

You will also see pop-up windows on occasion asking you whether a certain process should be allowed to run, and whether registry keys should be added or deleted. You will be given some information about the change and asked to either allow or deny the change. You can also check a box to remember your choice for this particular entry in the future and not be asked again.

Note: This screenshot is from v1.4beta as v1.4 seems to currently have a bug that cuts off part of the window. If you are having this problem, please be aware that the left button is the Allow button and the right button is Deny, as in the screenshot above. Hopefully the Spybot developers will fix this soon!

General rules for what to choose:

• If Tea Timer thinks a process is bad, it probably is - it only blocks processes on a special blacklist. However, it is possible to have false positives, or you could need the bad program to make another program work and/or comply with its license. In those cases, you should allow the process.
• If you are willingly installing, uninstalling, updating, or changing the settings of a program, it's probably ok for registry entries to be changed. However, if something is being added to your startup that you do not want there, this is exactly where you want to deny the change.
• If you are removing viruses or spyware with a scanner, it is probably safe to let settings be deleted.
• If you don't think you're installing, uninstalling, updating, or changing the settings of anything at the moment, be suspicious of registry changes - ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE JUST GONE TO A WEBSITE YOU DON'T FULLY TRUST.
• Adding registry entries for things like Microsoft Update and the Network Registration? program allows them to function properly. Denying these or some other changes could cause programs to function poorly or not at all.