Spyware stuff getting out of hand

[jzodda]

I am getting tired of having to wade through my background progs to see if somebody installs something I dont want running. I installed Audiogalaxy MP3 search thing and about 40 min later I get an alert by Zonealarm when I was doing something else that a program called "webEnhancer companion" wanted to access my computer. When I went to their webpage the FAQ describes it this way:

"As you surf the web, webHancer Customer Companion collects information such as the speeds and delays that you are surfing at and sends them back to the webHancer server. "

Now I dont know about you and maybe I am a bit paranoid these days with people even starting to accuse Zonealarm of being spyware but I am a bit angry that a prog such as this can be installed and start running without my permission. Thank god for firewalls and for the fact that I am not a novice.

 

[TheOverlord]

that happened to me with gozilla...hated it, went over to download accelerator and got the same results without all the crap

 

[netdude]

Try out a program called adaware 4.0 it will scan your system including the registry for spyware and give you the option do ace it. It lists all of the files for you before you delete them.

 

[netdude]

http://www.spychecker.com/adaware.html

 

[netdude]

By the way, the only program to ever stop working after removing their spyware for me was Mplayer, which is a useless voice chat program anyway. ZoneAlarm does not install spyware, i never noticed any, maybe another program you installed did. Either was adawre works great and takes a minute(if that) to scan your system.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

nm

 

[jzodda]

Yeah I have used Adware 4.6. I like it, thanks for the tip though and anyone who does not know about it should get it

 

[jzodda]

No, I know that Zonealarm does not install any spyware, I was reading on some forum a while back a long and detailed argument that Zonealarm IS spyware. I know it sounds funny but I read it somewhere and the arguements as to why were quite detailed. They also said that Steve Gibson was in with them. Sounds too X-Files for me

 

[knutp]

jzodda, I had the same problem as you! Then I got a mail from my brother, after he did some checking.

"Audiogalaxy Adds Spyware? [General] [RedDwarf@10:36PM EST]
>From Security Focus: "Installing Audiogalaxy automatically installs a
small tracking or "spy" program called Webhancer. This program not only
tracks where you go on the Internet but also reads files on your hard
drives and sends info to some company. Even after completing
Audiogalaxy Satellite's rudimentary recommended uninstall method which
involves manually deleting it's file folder, Webhancer was still on up
and running in the background. I would have never known it were there
were it not for my router logs showing outbound TCP connections to a1.
webhancer.com to port 80 (web)". "

I don't know where he got that from, but well I got the audiogalaxy, and when I installed zonealarm said that webhancer was trying to connect to the internet... I was really annoyed, and was tipped here to install the adaware and it was removed. workes well now!

 

[GT1999]

http://forums1.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&threadid=406785&highlight_key=y

 

[jzodda]

As I read more and more of this thread and that link I am getting more and more steamed. How dare they put it somewhere deep into the liscense that they are going to spy on you. Nobody ever reads all that stuff, and to add that without asking outright is plain rude and deceptive. Now I hope Audio-galaxy goes up in flames.

 

[knutp]

I really can't understand why audiogalaxy put that damn program there.

But well using adaware and uninstalling webhancer. my computer is still running great and audiogalaxy is still working. I really hope that they will remove that spyware