# Freeware/Adware Listing Site



## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Howdy all!

I just wanted to share with you a site that was pointed out by a subscription to Steve Gibson. Some of you may know him as the ShieldsUp creator (firewall tester) and Optout (spyware cleaner). He has found a site that updates lists of spyware and adware software. If you are worried that a bit of software you want to download is spyware, then you can check it out at Spychecker.

Enjoy!!!

Sorry, didn't know if I should post it here, or in Reviews, or Tips and Tricks. I'll let the moderators move it if I bungled

[Edited by RandyG on 03-20-2001 at 04:56 AM]


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## skyman (Jan 30, 2001)

RandyG,

Good information. I hope many people see your post and take advantage of the sites.

I downloaded Netsonic a short time back and it added Gator and Flyswat also. I did not want it so I uninstalled it with Norton Uninstaller when I should have uninstalled it through the Netsonic uninstall. I left 6 Web 3000 entries on my hard drive and changed my wsock32.dll to wsock32_.dll,
without my permission of course.

I had Netsonic files all over my hard drive and I finally have gotten rid of them and reduced the Web 3000 entries to one.

Ad-aware still tells me I have to uninstall Web 3000 before my wsock32.dll can be recreated and I can't seem to get that done but am still trying.

Amazing what companies can do to your machine without yur permission.

Thanks for the post.

skyman.....


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

I'm gonna move this to the Reviews forum, which is where it really belongs. Randy, if you're really psyched about it, you can always put the something about it with a link in your signature for a while...


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Thanx Dreamy!

I suppose it does fit better under Reviews, and it's a great suggestion about adding it to my signature!

Cheers!


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## Sharon D (Feb 16, 2001)

Good to hear from you about your winsock32_.dll problem!I've been wondering and waiting for you to post back on how your progress with the spyware was going. Do you think Bryan could help you out further since you still haven't been able to turf the last web3000 entry? I wish you much luck!  
BTW good links Randy! I hope lots of people read your post as well-maybe it will save someone a lot of grief.sharon

[Edited by Sharon D on 03-20-2001 at 10:54 PM]


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## rhettman5 (Dec 3, 2000)

Another good site to check for spyware, updated often, is located at http://www.infoforce.qc.ca/spyware/enknownlistfrm.html figured in this case, two may be better than one...Rhett


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## bellgamin (Apr 6, 2001)

I read in PCWorld that killing the spyware functions in a program can sometimes amount to a copyright violation. Also, that disabling the spyware functions can sometimes screw up other programs. Any comments?

I had RealPlayer (the free one) on my computer for a while -- for listening to sound strips at Tower Records when I shop there. I noticed that this bugger was messing around in the background any time I was connected, so I dumped it. Norton CleanSweep did a good job. But now I can't listen to the sound strips.

Is there any work-alike program that I can use vice RealPlayer, whether free or not? Yeah, I could BUY the commercial RealPlayer but those guys earned my ire. I will NOT have any of their stuff on my computer.

Aloha from Hawaii,
Bellgamin


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

I'm not a RealPlayer advocate, but I thought you should know:

RealPlayer, by default, runs in the background so that it is "at the ready" for any time you click on a file that needs to use it.

On Win98, you can hit Start-Run and type msconfig and hit enter. Go to the startup tab, and just remove checkmarks from Realmon, Realtray, and anything else that starts with REAL (basically) from the list.

Just because a program runs in the background doesn't make it spyware.

And, if removing the spyware part of a program is illegal, then I guess I'm not properly reading the terms and conditions. Do you read them? (LOL!)


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## bellgamin (Apr 6, 2001)

Windows 98? I'm still running Win95 & am happy as a fat tick on a dog's back. I tried the msconfig thingee on 95 and it merely blushed -- like I was trying to get into its knickers or something.

I found RealPlayer listed among the bad guys on...
http://www.infoforce.qc.ca/spyware/enknownlistfrm.html

Mayhaps I misread. Do hope so. I would like to reinstall it.

Aloha from Ewa Beach,
Bellgamin


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

My daughter went to elementary school in Ewa Beach. Her dad was a Navy flight engineer on P3s. Course, she's 18 now...

Anyhoo. In Windows 95, you can prolly just go to:

c:\windows\start menu\programs\startup

and remove realplayer from there.

If not, I can give you the registry key...feeling adventurous? Don't worry, we practice safe registry editing here...


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## bellgamin (Apr 6, 2001)

Amazing! Ewa Beach is a small community yet I keep running into folks who lived around there. All 3 of my kinder attended EB Elem, but several years before thy daughter (I'm 70 & my youngest is 33).

I copied your guidance to my archives & will give RealPlayer another try. Hope I don't have to do that registry thing, though.

Hey, how far off the thread can we go before the moderator pulls our plug? Oh... that's right: you ARE el moderator!

Thanks for your help and for your speedy responses.

Shalom,
Bellgamin


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

We don't moderate for that stuff anyway...

We just make sure no one is giving really bad advice or using inappropriate language, you know. We don't let people tell others how to break passwords or where to find registry cracks or anything. We're proud that we can invite schoolkids to our site and not worry that they'll see anything they shouldn't.

We do have a forum if you want to talk politics. But I have to warn you that our one moderator, "mulder", hangs out in there and he can be pretty brutal. And stupid. (LOL!)

You can talk about anything you want here, Bell. The only thing you want to be careful of is this:

There are 3 or 4 other people in this thread that will receive emails each time we post. As a matter of fact, I've been trying to get ahold of one of them--I won't mention his name, but it starts with Randy. LOL! Anyway, good luck.


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

I use the free version of RealPlayer
and have had no problems with it since
I disabled the start center. In
RealPlayer, go to View->Preferences->
General->Start Center->Settings and
uncheck the "Enable Start Center"
check box. I'm running Win95 B.


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Definitely disable it from startup, and if you use a firewall, you will notice that everytime you use Real player. it attempts to connect to the internet. I always block its access, and feel comfortable in knowing that it is not sending it's updates to Real. 


Hey Dreamboat,

whatchawant?


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## Skivvywaver (Mar 18, 2001)

Downloaded adaware because I am a cheapskate and wanted the freebie. Great tool. Found two spyware apps and sent them to packing. Thanx!


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

I just ran across this:

"For more information on spyware, have a look at this link. It makes for scary reading about Real Networks Realdownload, Netscape/AOL's Smart Download and Netzip's Download Demon http://grc.com/downloaders.htm"

I'm addressing Bellgamin's RealWhatever fears. Seems you might have something. I didn't read it myself, but thought you might want to.


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## rhettman5 (Dec 3, 2000)

Please check out my post in reviews for SpyBlocker , not a solution, but a bandaid !...Rhett


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

There you go, Dreamy. Now you know why I actually signed up for this guys quarterly update email. He's tuned in, and doesn't try to get anything from you. When he decided not to update optout, he pushed people to Adaware.


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## bellgamin (Apr 6, 2001)

Wow Dreamy, thanx for the link to grc.com/downloaders.htm

What bothers me is that my firewall (Blackice) blocks bad stuff coming in but has no capability for blocking outgoing stuff that I don't authorize.

I think there's a commercial opportunity for a clever SW programmer to make some $$$ by filling this gap. Namely, write a home-user's firewall that only allows outgoing transmission from programs authorized by the user of the computer.


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

That ain't a bad idea at all. I got a simple
notepad virus that allegedly contacted the
author of the virus, plus opened a "backdoor"
and enabled him to access my computer while I
was online. A program like that could prevent
this kind of thing.


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## skyman (Jan 30, 2001)

Sharon D,

Hi again.....

Ad-aware still keeps showing the Web 3000 in my system but I cannot locate any reference to anywhere on my hard drive.

Doesn't seem to affect anything, with the wsock32_dll, that I can see so I guess it will just stay forever.

skyman.......


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

MacfromOk and bellgamin,

I didn't include the link for ZoneAlarm as it appears in numerous other posts, but it is a free firewall that allows you to block incoming *and* outgoing internet happenings.

Check it out! I've been using it for about a year and recommend it highly.


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

skyman,

Have you done a search in your registry for web 3000?

I also thought that adaware finds references and will remove them if you want?

Sorry, but if this is a continuation from another thread, then post the link so others can help.


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## Sharon D (Feb 16, 2001)

This is an update from skyman's dilemma which started here: http://forums.techguy.org/showthread.php?threadid=28262

skyman, I'm glad to hear it isn't causing you any serious problems. But you never know, maybe someone can eventually come up with a solution someday... This spyware is pretty annoying stuff, eh? Luckily I've never had a problem myself. I download as little as possible-which I'm sure makes a difference. I would have never known as much as I do about spyware if I hadn't found this tech site! I wish you much luck in your computing.  sharon


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## bellgamin (Apr 6, 2001)

Thanks RandyG for the ZoneAlarm tip. I was aware of it, but didn't know it blocked both ways. I've been using Blackice.

Based on what I've read, ZA & Blackice have differing algorithms. ZA basically works from a list of "approved" sources and programs -- i.e., if an application isn't on the approved list, it won't get through w/o your okay.

Blackice, on the other hand, is on alert for any attempts at "hacker-like" activities against your computer. If an application seeks admission to do innocent stuff, BI let's it in. If the application tries hacker-like stuff, BI blocks it.

Per your comments, I downloaded & installed ZA today. It's configured & running A-OK right now. Right off the bat, my ISP sent some sort of ping (or something) to my computer. They always do. ZA blocked it, and gave me no way to say that my ISP's machinations are okay with me. BI, on the other hand, (after blocking my ISP) allowed me to designate my ISP as a "good guy" who could check access my ports with abandon. I hope ZA doesn't get my ISP steamed at me.

Secondly, when I ventured to these techguy forums just now, and initiated this reply to your comment, ZA let techguy retrieve the username/password cookie with never a murmur. You said ZA keeps tabs on outgoing as well as incoming -- did I misunderstand?

Ah well, I realize you aren't ZA tech spt so ignore my ramblings & no offense, tra-la-la.

Hey, it's a balmy day in Hawaii. God bless you folks & aloha.

Bellgamin


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

> _Originally posted by bellgamin _
> *
> Per your comments, I downloaded & installed ZA today. It's configured & running A-OK right now. Right off the bat, my ISP sent some sort of ping (or something) to my computer. They always do. ZA blocked it, and gave me no way to say that my ISP's machinations are okay with me. BI, on the other hand, (after blocking my ISP) allowed me to designate my ISP as a "good guy" who could check access my ports with abandon. I hope ZA doesn't get my ISP steamed at me.
> 
> ...


OK, After the first few days of looking at all the pings, realized that it didn't matter if I saw them or not. I turn the alert popup window off on the Alerts tab. The majority of the pings you get are just sites that are checking back on you, to see if you are still active. Ignore them, and every once in a while, take a look at the log that is generated.

The second question is easily answered. You allow cookies from your IE. Since you have to give IE access to the Internet, that means cookies as well.

The cool thing, is using Real Player. You run the clip, and as soon as you do, a pop up appears from Zone Alarm asking if you want Real to access the net. Say no, and you play the clip, but Real doesn't get it's spy packet.

As far as Tech Support for Zone Alarm, I have contacted the Zonelabs team on one occasion, and was impressed by the speed of their response, especially since this is a free version of their product. They are helpful, and want any bit of information you can pass on, so they can improve. If you have some ideas on how they can do so, then send them a mail.


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## bellgamin (Apr 6, 2001)

Thanks Randy. Great info! I still find it annoying that folks are allowed to gaze upon my cookies --blush blush  (but I suppose that's what turns 'em on).

For Blackice users, be aware that it's now version 2.5. If you haven't done so, download the upgrade.

I have ZA & BI running together (just curious) &, so far, they are friendly bed-mates. Perhaps they will spawn a new & better firewall. Heh-heh


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## skyman (Jan 30, 2001)

Sharon D,

I hope it all works out.

I used to download a lot of stuff but now I am very selective what I download. This site has really helped with the info that it gives.

I really appreciate your advice and I think your posts help a lot.

Have a Happy Easter..........

skyman..............


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## Sharon D (Feb 16, 2001)

Happy Easter right back at ya' skyman. Cheers to all of us who love to live and love to learn.  sharon


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