View Full Version : This is going too far...Warning!!!
Nightrider
2nd July 2002, 18:46
To all Windows users!
Microsoft is offering a patch for the Media Player, hiding extremely dangerous procedures in a so called security patch.
Before you can download you have to acknowledge...
"... Microsoft may provide security related updates to the OS Components that will be automatically downloaded onto your computer."
and further down the text you will find also:
"These security related updates may disable your ability to copy and/or play Secure Content and use other software on your computer."
Microsoft will be enabled, after you click the OK button and downloaded the patch, to act as the Super-Supervisor of your machine!
They will receive all kind of information of what movie or music or whatsoever will be played on your system, they will be able, of course with your explicitly given permission, to install silently spyware and if they find any unregistered software, they are capable of disabling the same.
I am not talking about copied software, pirated versions etc...I am talking about software you decided to simply not to register!
There is only one way of telling Microsoft what they can do with this add-on and their unacceptable procedures...
DO NOT USE THIS KIND OF SOFTWARE ANYMORE...find alternatives, they are out there and they are free as well.
You have been warned!!!:mad: :mad:
BlueEagle
3rd July 2002, 06:02
Could you give us the name of a suitable alternative to Real Player please?
Hersham Boy
3rd July 2002, 08:09
I use Winamp - it beats the sox of WMP, it's free, I believe it's secure and you can add plug-ins and skins to customise it to exactly the look/functionality you want.
Winamp Home Page (http://www.winamp.com)
Hersh
More at The Register: MS security patch EULA gives Billg admin privileges on your box (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/25956.html)
:mad: :mad:
Slasher
3rd July 2002, 09:54
I think its Media Player Nightrider is refering to, not Real Player. Anyway Winamp leaves RP for dead.
For my existing Media Player Ive long had my trustey ZA block its access to the Internet and vv, and would rather save files to disk to be played later when off-line. That keeps bloodey Gates and his beak out of my business! :mad:
touch&go
3rd July 2002, 10:19
How can I check if I have down loaded the patch, I did a automatic Windows update last week? and I'm using Real Player, will they do this to me as well?
Nightrider
3rd July 2002, 10:49
This is about MEDIA player....nothing to do with Real player... it is Microsoft...
A-V-8R
3rd July 2002, 12:44
I like neither Windows Media Player or Real Player.
Windows Media Player scours your Hard Drive for a list of DVD's played and sends that list back to Microsoft.
www.computerbytesman.com/privacy/wmp8dvd.htm
Real Audio Player does the same to MP3's, but the list goes elsewhere.
By the way, did you know that EVERY email message and url you ever typed is kept in a secret file? Some of these files are up to 200MB.
I think this is the main reason that when a man's computer slows down and won't run people have to reformat their drive. There is simply not enough room for an adequate Windows swap file at some point in time.
Clearing cache, or cookies, does not get rid of it.
Read more at http://www.fsm.nl/ward/ - It's free for a while.
touch&go
3rd July 2002, 13:09
didn't make myself clear, I'm also using Real Player as well as WMP,
If in time I change to a Mac, do they also have spy software on there operating system and media software or are they all at it.
I don't have anything to hide, just hate something I don't have any control over.
A-V-8R
3rd July 2002, 13:33
Don't know about the Mac, but I think that if you have Real Audio player (I think a Mac version exists) then it (the spyware) is part of real audio.
Hopefully it won't be long before some genius uploads a programme to find and eliminate this 'fix'?
You can download a fix here (www.suse.com).... ;) :)
The Nr Fairy
5th July 2002, 09:58
BOAC :
Evo's fix involves changing operating systems. If you're up for that, feel free.
I would be technically proficient enough to do it, just can't be arsed.
Nr It was a joke... :)
...but true, too :D
Blacksheep
8th July 2002, 12:24
Dilbert (http://www.attrition.org/gallery/ms/tn/dilbertmicrosoft.gif.html) knew ages ago that this was going to happen. Uncanny eh?
**************************
Through difficulties to the cinema
Nightrider
8th July 2002, 19:13
Apparently shouting and screaming of some major voices was heard by the lawyers around the Bill Gates Empire. A "rethinking" has been announced and some (don't estimate all) requirements have been dropped...
Still, we will see that MS will continue it's path and we will be bound to their laws...unless...Linux or anything else is the escape route!
Flybywyre
9th July 2002, 09:51
I remember looking at this spider thing a year or so ago and recall being quite impressed. In fact I seem to have been impressed enough to have saved the program, so I ran it again. I only asked it to check the windows side of things as opposed to the whole drive. This it did, and in less than a few minutes it had found all the hidden URL's. When these where deleted it increased the "system free" from 81% to 92%. I'll now do a de-frag and hopefully see a faster and sharper OS at the end of it all.
Regards
FBW