buyacar wrote:boy am i glad i don"t have your computer....because when i ran their uninstaller it worked very well on my computer with out any of the problems or yuckware you said it did to your computer....it had a very positive result...got rid of all the ABI pop ups.....with out ANY !! ...
I'm very glad you're happy with the results you got, and I'm very, very glad you have no access to any of my computers, nor any for which I'm responsible.
Going on, you wrote: ... youckware or problems that you said would happen....so whats wrong with your computer, that the uninstaller would cause so many problems on your computer...did you really use it? or is all the problems and youckware that you are talking about just your theory of what will happen to your computer if you use their uninstaller ?.....my experiance with their uninstaller was great....everything did what it was supposed to do with no side effects to my computer.....the proven" results" always out weights the "theory"
I don't notice as I said anything about my own computer, or any problems I'd encountered through use of the uninstaller. I mentioned my impression of what I had found when I tried the uninstaller, and said " ... I really don't recommend going that route. Give it a shot if you're looking for an easy fix, but don't be surprised if you find yourself disappointed ... or worse." I stand by that.
I'm reasonably happy with my computers, as I said (I have a bunch of 'em), and the clients that pay me to look after theirs are happy enough with what I do for them that they keep paying me - which in some respects really isn't all that different from what I and others do here for free - and plenty of folks helped by myself and others here at A2K are pretty happy, too. Now, while I don't know you, and can only assume you're a perfectly acceptable person, with plenty of great qualities and marvelous skills, I suspect managing computer security and privacy is not among your strong suites.
Just to give you a sense of what's behind my "theory", I actively participate in numerous security and privacy forums, newsgroups, blogs, and email lists, and try to stay abreast of what's going on in The Fight - contributing here, learning there.
When it comes to cleaning and hardening systems, I often deliberately infect known-to-be-clean machines running different versions of Windows with a new threat, while on each a fairly sophisticated program monitors and logs whatever goes on during the install of the yuckware. To whatever extent possible, I try, using a couple different file analyzers, to examine the suspect software's actual coding, to figure out what, how, and why it does what it does. If necessary, I zip the file and send it off to specialists for analysis.
With that out of the way, I begin to compare the pre-install to post-install changelogs of the infected machines to see if I can find out just what has happened (registry changes, file and folder creation or alteration, processes created, terminated, or modified, .dlls created, deleted, or modified, settings and permissions changed, start and search pages redirected, BHOs and ActiveX controls changed or added - that sorta thing), then set about figuring out how to reverse it and prevent it from happening again. Fairly frequently, a handy, tested-safe-and-reliable software tool which greatly simplifies dealing with a particular problem will be available; if so, I'll recommend that, along with what I hope are clear instructions for its proper use. If not, I'll detail manual steps that should solve the problem. My whole approach is to return control of the machine to the user, without affecting anything the user doesn't need to get rid of.
And yes, I did go through the process with MyPCTuneup.com's uninstaller. Of course, I first read their
many-page-long EULA, part of which, for your entertainment and edification, I quote:
In Section 12 of their EULA, MyPCTuneUp.com wrote: ...
12. Termination and Removal of Software
By entering into this Agreement, you represent to DR that you have intentionally chosen to install the Software and that you will personally uninstall the Software from your computer if you no longer wish the application to be present on your computer by going to
http://mypctuneup.com/contacts.php and submitting the contact form.
(Incidentally, though I looked for it, I didn't see anything I'd characterize as a "contact form", something a few others with whom I correspond noted as well ... but that's just nitpicky - timber)
DR will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the Software includes without limitation a functional uninstall script that is executable in the "Add or Remove Programs" menu of the user's Windows "Control Panel;" however, for clarity,
the uninstall script utilized by DR in the "Add Remove Programs" menu may include an interactive feature comprised of a requirement that during the uninstallation process users retype a code in a dialogue box and such interactive feature may require internet access and the downloading of additional software to function properly; provided that such additional software will only be as may be necessary to complete the uninstallation process and such additional software shall completely and safely uninstall itself as part of the uninstallation process. While DR and the company that distributes the Software to you want to ensure that you may readily delete the Software from your computer at anytime by following the instructions herein, the interactive feature described above has been integrated into the removal process because some third party applications may attempt to delete, disable or modify the Software with or without notice to you. The interactive feature assures that you have knowingly chosen to delete the Software.
You further represent to DR that DR may store a cookie, computer file or other unique identifier on your computer to identify you and automatically repair or reinstall the Software if any third party application attempts to delete, disable or modify the Software. DR may terminate this Agreement or your right to continue to use the Software at any time.
Further, you agree that you will not initiate, permit, authorize or assist any third party or application to remove the Software from your computer, or disrupt the operation of the Software or the operation of the Software as installed by any other user. You agree that removal of the Software from your computer will only be performed by you pursuant to the instructions set forth herein.
Now, in plain English what that gobbleydegook fineprint says is that they don't want (and take steps to prevent) any software - like antivirus or antispyware programs - to automatically detect and remove their crap, nor do they want you to hunt it down and clean it out yourself; they want to do it for you, and that they will leave themselves a "backdoor" onto your system.
Now, lets look at what ABI/Aurora does when it installs on your system:
Creates (and in many instances hides or otherwise protects) over 30 processes
Registers, and again hides or otherwise protects, nearly 50 .dlls
Effects, and again in many instances hides or otherwise protects, more than two dozen registry changes
Installs at least a half dozen Browser Helper Objects
Places scores of webites into your "Trusted" zone
And creates, you guessed it, hiding or otherwise protecting, several directories.
All in all, its initial payload amounts to a few hundred individual files, many of which install hidden and/or with permission settings that render them all but invulnerable to user-action.
The initial Aurora download is around 6000KB at a minimum. Unpacked and installed, it fires up all those processes it brought along on every boot (and some of those processes call up their buddies out there to let the gang know the door's open - loading even more crap into your system), drastically adding to your resource load and adversely affecting your system's stability and capabilities. Once on your system, it monitors its protected components, rebuilding or redownloading them as necessary if they happen to be found and deleted or disabled by a user or a security/privacy application. With its hijacking of your browser and search settings, and its manipulation of your security and privacy settings, seriously compromising your online safety, it serves you an endless stream of "targeted ads" - lots of which are at best somewhere between "inappropriate" and "indecent", if not themselves downright obscene or otherwise illegal. Within a few hours of web surfing, your root drive will have been encumbered with hundreds of essentially useless, unwanted megabytes of dreck, not all of which will be in Temp folders, and over a couple weeks or so, the crap can amount to gigabytes. You betchya it slows things down.
OK - you go use the removal tool they so generously provide. Guess what I found out when I used the uninstaller? First, it does nothing about the crap already cached in your system - all that downloaded dreck is still there. Sure, you can clean it out by emptying your temp folders and hunting down and dumping a bunch of pre-fetch files. Still, your privacy and security settings remain vulnerable to any number of other threats and exploits out there; not all the badguys are Direct Revenue/ABI/Auroroa, you know. Some legitimate, desired applications or web functions may be adversely affected. Your system's stability remains impaired. Many of the baddies are not really removed by the uninstaller; they're merely "switched off" - they're still there, and some can be reactivated by unrelated yuckware. And there's ABI's back door.
Here's the gist of the press release anouncing Aurora's debut:
Quote:Direct Revenue Launches Aurora
New Ad Client Affords Greater Brand Visibility, More Efficient Distribution
New York, New York - April 26, 2005 - Direct Revenue today announced the launch of its newest ad client, Aurora.
The Aurora ad client is designed to improve product visibility and consumer services. The roll out of the upgrade to the DR behavioral network began on April 5th by replacing outdated ad clients in an effort to improve consumer awareness ...
... Direct Revenue CTO Dan Doman said, "From a technology standpoint, Aurora represents a leap forward in connecting consumers to advertisers."
The Aurora launch follows the January debut of Direct Revenue's MyPCTuneUp, a technical support feature that helps Direct Revenue customers with technical issues including removing software from their PC.
Direct Revenue CEO Joshua Abram said, "Aurora and MyPCTuneUp demonstrate our commitment to providing advertising partners, clients and consumers the best possible experience in behavioral marketing and search." ...
Interesting, isn't it, that Aurora and MyPCTuneUp together comprise a complete marketing package? These creeps are scum. But you go ahead and play their game with them if that appeals to you. I have a different philosophy.
Taking your words,
Quote: .....the proven" results" always out weights the "theory"
I can only agree wholeheartedly, and note that I believe the results I have seen proven are far superior to the theory you espouse. I prefer solving problems, at their roots, and preventing their return, to just patching them over. Those reading along may decide as they see fit; I only offer advice based on training and experience, I don't issue orders.
