Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

IMPORTANT - whenu-issues

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • IMPORTANT - whenu-issues

    I've been a big fan of daemon tools and i find it a very useful and well designed piece of software. I understand that in order to keep daemon tools an effective piece of software its going to need continual updates as new forms of copy protection arise.

    However spyware, and stealware are both very evil and illegal invasions into our privacy that we do not need nor should we have to endure.

    The WhenU package contains two parts
    - WhenU Daemon Tools SearchBar
    - WhenU SaveNow

    When U Daemon Tools SearchBar
    This piece of software infests itself in the usual way into your internet browser. Every page you view on the web is monitored. From the pages you visit it builds an advertising profile, in other words advertising products to you that relate to what you do on the net.
    Not really evil but still an invasion of your privacy. Also all the sites that you visit are logged and used by the company for many different things. However they dont keep any personably identifiable information.

    The real evil comes with the
    WhenU SaveNow
    This piece of software is also being bundled with all the popular p2p file sharing clients.

    This piece of software is designed to steal money that it is not entitled to, Hence STEALWARE.
    You can read one of the many articles i came accross when i googled "save now"
    http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/3390.cfm

    The article explains how when u place orders with retailers it modifies your information to make the shop think that the reason you brought the product was because of SaveNow's advertising and they take a cut of the profits.
    So this software is stealing affiliates money from other companies, this is illegal, plain and simple.

    Other than the highly illegal stealware it also contains adware and evil popups also tailored to the sites you visit.

    One important point to remember
    - installing the WhenU Daemon Tools SearchBar is optional but,
    - installing the WhenU SaveNow (stealware) software is mandatory to install daemon tools.

    I hope that daemon tools allows this thread to remain open since your asking customers to place their trust in you when downloading this software without informing them of what it contains is alot to ask.

    I personally wont be using any versions of daemon tools with spyware or stealware of any kind. I will stick with daemon tools as long as it remains useful and probably move over to alcohol.

    There are ways in which you can make profit from this software without using add/spyware software bundles. You can offer a (free) standard and (cheap) professional version of the software, with the professional version offering additional features for example. A prime example of such a system working is inMatrix's zoom player.

  • #2
    There are enough threads here about WhenU stuff, links to WhenU EULAs and info about the adware, so users interested in it can read it and decide what they want to do, i.e. whether to install it or not.

    Originally Posted by x9sim9
    One important point to remember
    - installing the WhenU Daemon Tools SearchBar is optional but,
    - installing the WhenU SaveNow (stealware) software is mandatory to install daemon tools.
    Thats wrong! If installation of SearchBar is disabled NO WhenU stuff will be installed.

    Originally Posted by x9sim9
    I hope that daemon tools allows this thread to remain open since your asking customers to place their trust in you when downloading this software without informing them of what it contains is alot to ask.
    There are already some critical threads, so we won't have a problem with another one. But since the adware is optional, thus can be simply disabled at installation (and moreover even if accidentally installed still be cancelled when WhenU EULA is shown), and can also be removed if installed anyway, there is actually no problem here. And btw - all users were informed about the adware when v4 was released! Read the announcement/news!
    Also customers will get an adware-free version (in the future again, 4.0.3 is just temporarily due to leak of v4.0 customer version).

    Originally Posted by x9sim9
    I personally wont be using any versions of daemon tools with spyware or stealware of any kind. I will stick with daemon tools as long as it remains useful and probably move over to alcohol.
    Feel free - we're not forcing anyone. But you don't need to use any Daemon Tools with adware, just disable it at installation and you're adware free.
    Everybody be cool! You, be cool!
    They'll keep fighting! And they'll win!

    Comment


    • #3
      Optional WhenU Install

      The WhenU install has two parts
      The first is The daemon tools search bar (which can be deselected when you install)

      However

      If you do not agree to the WhenU SaveNow install you can not proceed with the installation.

      Are you aware of this fact, as several other people have mentioned it.

      I could live with the ad-bar if i had to, but save now is different product which uses practises which i do not agree with.

      Could the installation of the SaveNow Component be optional please?

      Comment


      • #4
        Installation of what? Daemon Tools installation is finished long before WhenU installation starts, thus if WhenU adware installation is disabled no adware will be installed.
        And the installation of SaveNow can be aborted by disabling the checkbox "I know this download comes with WhenU SaveNow and accept these agreements" at the bottom of WhenU SaveNow EULA. You can then click the Install button and install the SearchBar, and prevent SaveNow from being installed this way (i.e. leave "I know this download ..."-checkbox active at bottom of SearchBar EULA -> click Next, disable checkbox at bottom of SaveNow EULA -> click Install).
        Everybody be cool! You, be cool!
        They'll keep fighting! And they'll win!

        Comment


        • #5
          ...changed at least the thread-title. It is not needed to scare everyone

          Comment


          • #6
            Some people just love to overreact. I have installed DT *without* the WhenU search bar and I can guarantee you that I do not have WhenU SaveNow on my computer. If you go out for Christmas, don't forget your tin-foil hat so the government can't read your thoughts.

            Comment


            • #7
              I too installed the regular free version, before paying.... and am still running the same version without issue.
              I unchecked the searchbar option, and have done many spyware scans since, never once having savenow show up... (Nor any OTHER whenu software)
              SpeedLabs Inc. - Welcome to the real world...

              Comment


              • #8
                Hmm... I agree with the first post

                When I upgraded to the latest version of Daemon tools, I found no warning that it would install Whenu.SaveNow malware on my machine. My firewall ejected it and since then I have removed it with Microsoft Anti-Spyware. The problem with Whenu.SaveNow besides the obvious privacy and malware concerns is that when I am typing an email or using any sort of browser interface, my browser/client loses focus and everything I type is lost because SaveNow is doing its thing. This is VERY annoying . Before I started using good firewalls and spyware blockers, the first indicator I had that SaveNow is on a system is that applications suddenly start losing focus for apparrently no reason. If the Spyware isn't so evil, then at least Whenu could have written the damn thing correctly.

                Comment


                • #9
                  If there's a specific issue related to the search bar, the best thing to do would be to open a new topic about the problem.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    @exohuman

                    You would have been better to have uninstalled the searchbar first then to have run your anti spyware software, by just using the anti spyware software you are in danger of leaving parts of the searchbar on your PC which you will not be able to remove unless you do it manually

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X