Reputable software suggesting scams? (CPU-Z and AIDA64)

[pantsaregood]

This is something I've noticed lately: "tools" such as "BiosAgentPlus" are being advertised in CPU-Z and AIDA64. If any of you aren't familiar with it, this is a program that claims that your BIOS is outdated and charges you $30 to "update" it.

Any ideas why these tools are supporting such scams?

 

[lxskllr]

Money. Are you getting them from the dev's site, or are they repacks from a "download site"?

 

[Cerb]

MajorGeeks and Softpedia are about all I'll use of download sites, these days. Now even Source Forge installers are downloaders with crap added .

Tip: add "mg" to the end of your google search terms, and majorGeeks will be one of the first hits, of the software exists there .

 

[readymix]

aida64, if I read it correctly on their forum has hooked up with google and will be feeding you adds. paid version too.

 

[pantsaregood]

Sadly, the versions I'm referring to are not repacks. The version of CPU-Z was directly from CPUID, and includes a link to "BiosAgentPlus" inside the program (under "tools"). It's very disappointing to see a scam linked from a program I trust.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

It's the only way to get any $$$. True "freeware" is going extinct. Free with ads is becoming a more common strategy.

 

[taq8ojh]

Sadly, the versions I'm referring to are not repacks. The version of CPU-Z was directly from CPUID, and includes a link to "BiosAgentPlus" inside the program (under "tools"). It's very disappointing to see a scam linked from a program I trust.

At least it's just a link you can freely ignore, and not some additional crap code added to the base program.

 

[SMOGZINN]

At least it's just a link you can freely ignore, and not some additional crap code added to the base program.

As I've mentioned before this is always the beginning of the end for a program. Once a company decides to compromise their product to accept money from these sorts of scam advertising it is a slippery slope straight to crapware laden installers that try to trick you into installing Yahoo! bar.

At first they just add the advertising links. They appeal to their loyal base that they need the money, and are very up front about what they are doing, why, and how to decide if you want click the links or not. They want you to decide to click the links because you want to support their software. Some people must actually WANT the things these links advertise, right?

But that makes them almost no money, and they decided to add those links because they really needed some money to keep the project going. So, they decide that they are going to go a little farther down that road and bundle toolbars with their installer. Their loyal base can always choose not to install those bars just by clicking No Thanks. They still going to have clear messages telling you what is being installed, and make sure people know that they can choose not to install it and their software will work just fine. But this makes very little more money then the links did. So now they need to try something else. It is obvious that their loyal user base does not want to support them like they thought so they decide that they are going to have to but not be so obvious about the fact that you can install the software with out those bars. They go though a few iterations of this, each getting a little less obvious about how to not install the toolbars and install the software.

The problem is that each iteration of making it harder to say No Thanks to that crapware bundled with their software makes them a little more money, but still not enough. Having gotten use to the idea that toolbars, and not their software, are what makes them money, they convince themselves that they are not making enough money because their ungrateful users are cheating by not installing the toolbars. This leads them to getting really sneaky on how to get those toolbars installed, that is their real business after all, getting toolbars installed. At this point the software has become nothing more then bait to get toolbars installed.

 

[lxskllr]

As I've mentioned before this is always the beginning of the end for a program. Once a company decides to compromise their product to accept money from these sorts of scam advertising it is a slippery slope straight to crapware laden installers that try to trick you into installing Yahoo! bar.

Yup. The joys of proprietary software. If it were libre, the project would be forked, and the crapware removed.

 

[taq8ojh]

Fortunately, sooner or later an alternative always shows up. But I wouldn't want this to happen with CPUID software.

 

[lxskllr]

Fortunately, sooner or later an alternative always shows up. But I wouldn't want this to happen with CPUID software.

The big problem is CPU-Z is a standard for overclockers to prove their speed. You're kind of stuck with it. Another cautionary tale about standardizing around a closed "standard".

 

[taq8ojh]

Ah the e-penis overclocking community It's almost like politics and religion combined, isn't it?

 

[lxskllr]

Ah the e-penis overclocking community It's almost like politics and religion combined, isn't it?

Yea, I never got it. I can see the appeal in extreme overclocking, but who cares if anyone believes you? Just do it to see if it can be done. Let everyone else think what they like.

 

[smakme7757]

This is something I've noticed lately: "tools" such as "BiosAgentPlus" are being advertised in CPU-Z and AIDA64. If any of you aren't familiar with it, this is a program that claims that your BIOS is outdated and charges you $30 to "update" it.

Any ideas why these tools are supporting such scams?

The licensed version of Aida64 doesn't have the advertisements.

It's payware, what do you expect?

aida64, if I read it correctly on their forum has hooked up with google and will be feeding you adds. paid version too.

Ah, no it doesn't. That's why you pay for it

It's the only way to get any $$$. True "freeware" is going extinct. Free with ads is becoming a more common strategy.

I use a lot of open source software as well as freely available Libre software however I can understand people wanting to get paid for something they spend a lot of time creating. It's common practice on the mobile platform, so it's no surprise it's taking off on the PC as well.

There are always free alternatives, you just have to look for them. As for myself. If i find a product which required a license which I feel does the best job, then i pay for it. I've never had a problem paying for software that fulfills a need.

 

[readymix]

The licensed version of Aida64 doesn't have the advertisements.

It's payware, what do you expect?


Ah, no it doesn't. That's why you pay for it


QUOTE]

read this, interpret it and let me know if you think my next new build using my existing license comes with google embedded in aida64.

"Hence, we have to use advertising to find other sources of revenue, and that's where Google offers come into play".

http://forums.aida64.com/topic/1570-v-400/

 

[smakme7757]

The licensed version of Aida64 doesn't have the advertisements.

It's payware, what do you expect?


Ah, no it doesn't. That's why you pay for it

read this, interpret it and let me know if you think my next new build using my existing license comes with google embedded in aida64.

"Hence, we have to use advertising to find other sources of revenue, and that's where Google offers come into play".

http://forums.aida64.com/topic/1570-v-400/

Ok. How about i help you understand what is a pretty straight forward and easy to understand post.

Let's start with quoting the entire post and highlighting areas of interest.

We were sort of forced into finding other sources of revenue, due to the shrinking PC market. If we want to keep up the pace of development, to offer more and more features, by keeping up the quality of the software, then we have to make sure our revenue wouldn't shrink along with the PC market. Even with a more and more capable software, it's tough to convince AIDA64 users to acquire a license, and still, after so many years, only a fraction of the users are willing to acquire a license, regardless of the price tag it carries. Hence, we have to use advertising to find other sources of revenue, and that's where Google offers come into play. We've picked Chrome out of the many options simply because we here at FinalWire reckon Chrome is a useful and capable software. I wouldn't wanna name other options, but all of those had annoying features, and generally speaking would have been a much less useful product for the user than Chrome.

If you are an existing customer to us, then you have several options to avoid dealing with those ads:

1) You can use the ZIP package instead of the setup package when upgrading to a new AIDA64 version. Only the setup package implements the Google offers.

2) You can use the built-in automatic update feature of AIDA64. It updates itself without you having to download any packages manually, as long as you have a valid license. No downloads, no ads that way.

BTW, the Google offers have certain rules to make sure they don't become too annoying for the users. They aren't offered everytime you launch the setup package. I suppose you unchecked the checkbox the first time you've installed AIDA64 v4.00: now try to run the same setup package again, and you'll see that the offer will not come up anymore

And even at the next AIDA64 release the offers will not come up on your system again.

Regards,
Fiery

So, to summarize. Using the EXE package will give you an option to install Google chrome during setup. If you have a license then that's the last and only advertisement you will ever see.

If you don't have a license you will see the trialware BIOS advertisement. So no, i don't agree with you. If the worst case scenario is that I'll be offered Google Chrome during install then i can live with that.

Or

I can just download the ZIP version and skip it all together.

Take your witch hunt some place else buddy.

 

[Morbus]

This isn't new. It's a shame, but it's what it is. I installed Alcohol 120% Free Edition, and of course it had all the scam spy-bars trying to installed themselves with tricky buttons and whatnot (they really design the installer cleverly to trick people into installing their shit), but on top of all that, it installed ANOTHER program (some software updater or some shit like that) and it made it start on boot up, as a scheduled event, and Alcohol is actually hard coded to start it when you open Alcohol itself... I got rid of it without much trouble and Alcohol isn't throwing a fit, which is good, but this sort of spy-scam from software companies REALLY doesn't leave much remorse when I do something less than legal with their serial keys or whatnot... I couldn't care less for companies like these.

 

[smakme7757]

This isn't new. It's a shame, but it's what it is. I installed Alcohol 120% Free Edition, and of course it had all the scam spy-bars trying to installed themselves with tricky buttons and whatnot (they really design the installer cleverly to trick people into installing their shit), but on top of all that, it installed ANOTHER program (some software updater or some shit like that) and it made it start on boot up, as a scheduled event, and Alcohol is actually hard coded to start it when you open Alcohol itself... I got rid of it without much trouble and Alcohol isn't throwing a fit, which is good, but this sort of spy-scam from software companies REALLY doesn't leave much remorse when I do something less than legal with their serial keys or whatnot... I couldn't care less for companies like these.

That's half the problem though. Now what I'm about to write isn't directed at you at all, it's just a general observation on my behalf.

Companies offer a free version hoping people buy into the full version, which is often between 30 and 100USD for most of this type of software. Then when the majority either stay with the free version or pirate the full version they fill the gap with "Bundled" software.

This bundled software then seems to give the people that never bought a license a reason to pirate/steal it?

Maybe it was going to end up this way with or without piracy, but it does give food for thought.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

. If i find a product which required a license which I feel does the best job, then i pay for it. I've never had a problem paying for software that fulfills a need.

Rare. I think what the developers and distributors have found is that most people will not pay for something they can get for free. Many will jump through flaming hoops to avoid paying for anything. Hence the increasing bundles, sneakwares, and advertising to offset the losses.

 

[ringtail]

Malwearbytes says
SetupImgBurn_2.5.8.0.exe
downloaded from the official ImgBurn website
has "PUP.Optional.OpenCandy"
hidden inside it.

Some web posts (elsewhere) say it's both spyware and drives popup ads, while posts others say it's only adware.

 

[smakme7757]

Rare. I think what the developers and distributors have found is that most people will not pay for something they can get for free. Many will jump through flaming hoops to avoid paying for anything. Hence the increasing bundles, sneakwares, and advertising to offset the losses.

I think the problem is the target market for most of these products.
Aida64 Ultimate Edition
ImgBurn
Alcohol 120%
ect...

I'm not one to generalize, but all those products were much more valuable to me when i was younger and had almost 0 disposable income. We all pirated them or used the free version.

10 years later, I can't say that software like that is high on my wish list, but I'm in a stronger financial position now and just can't be arsed jumping "through flaming hoops" anymore.

Malwearbytes says
SetupImgBurn_2.5.8.0.exe
downloaded from the official ImgBurn website
has "PUP.Optional.OpenCandy"
hidden inside it.

Some web posts (elsewhere) say it's both spyware and drives popup ads, while posts others say it's only adware.

That's pretty common now. Winzip is a good example of useful software that gets flagged by Antivirus. I don't use Winzip personally, but if i have to download it to open a Zipx file ESET deletes it due to the adware in the setup bundle.

 

[taq8ojh]

The sad fact is that people WILL pirate ANYTHING even if it cost one goddamn dollar.

 

[lxskllr]

The sad fact is that people WILL pirate ANYTHING even if it cost one goddamn dollar.

People will "pirate" stuff if it's given away gratis for numerous reasons, including convenience, trialing, and not caring. Those aren't the customers, and don't matter. Tell people why they should support your efforts, and your supporters will come forward.

OTOH, playing games, or packing ad/spyware in your software will disincline people to support your project. I won't use software that includes adware, period. It also leaves a poor impression on me when companies participate as part of the ad; Chrome for example. If I were otherwise interested in Chrome, that would be diminished by participating in bundled install options. How much it's diminished depends on the ad. Checked by default? You're done. I won't use your garbage product. Opt in? I might give you a shot, but not likely.

 

[ninaholic37]

People will "pirate" stuff if it's given away gratis for numerous reasons, including convenience, trialing, and not caring. Those aren't the customers, and don't matter. Tell people why they should support your efforts, and your supporters will come forward.

The biggest issue for me would be giving your credit card info all over the net. I've never felt that this was safe. The more places you give it to, the harder it would be to find out where your money went if you get hacked/scammed or know how or where the card numbers/password etc. got intercepted along the way. I used to just go to the store to buy software, but haven't really needed anything that costs money for a long time. I walk to my bank and deal with a real person for any kind of transaction, and pay for everything with cash instead of cards. I don't even trust many of the tellers at the bank and always feel they're trying to scam me when they offer me anything I never asked for.

 

[lxskllr]

The biggest issue for me would be giving your credit card info all over the net. I've never felt that this was safe. The more places you give it to, the harder it would be to find out where your money went if you get hacked/scammed or know how or where the card numbers/password etc. got intercepted along the way. I used to just go to the store to buy software, but haven't really needed anything that costs money for a long time. I walk to my bank and deal with a real person for any kind of transaction, and pay for everything with cash instead of cards. I don't even trust many of the tellers at the bank and always feel they're trying to scam me when they offer me anything I never asked for.

That's a reason I really like bitcoin. It's not perfect, but it's getting closer to it. You still have to tie in to the traditional money system, but it's a digital cash purchase, and every transaction is individual. If you lose your bitcoin, you lose that single bitcoin, not access to everything. That's discounting a wallet heist, or online bank heist, which can still happen, just as physical money can be stolen in the greater world. Physical security has become ingrained in people's DNA, and digital security will come in time.