Free MicroSoft Program (BETA)
Joe
let it scan your computer to either protect, clean, or tune your PC, here is
the link.
http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm
As much as I HATE trusting MicroSoft with anything I don't have to... I
tried it and it works extremely well so far... Found stuff Norton missed.
Joe in Northern, NJ - V#8013-R
Currently Riding The "Mother Ship"
Ride a motorcycle in or near NJ?
http://tinyurl.com/4zkw8
http://www.youthelate.com
Kirby
"Joe" wrote
> If you wanna try out the beta version of the Windows Live Safety Center,
> and
> let it scan your computer to either protect, clean, or tune your PC, here
> is
> the link.
>
> http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm
>
> As much as I HATE trusting MicroSoft with anything I don't have to... I
> tried it and it works extremely well so far... Found stuff Norton
> missed.
Is that a windows site? I noticed my hosts file blocked some advertising.
I do agree the MS Beta is a decent program, but you can download it from
here, knowing it hasn't been tampered with.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
Joe
VERY good point... Hmm.... I'm running some scans right now so I can't
confirm. What I can tell you is that both the suspect site and Panda's site
found the same items and could not remove them... And when I did the
install of the "program" it asked me if I trusted Microsoft and not someone
spoofing MS or another company name.
> I do agree the MS Beta is a decent program, but you can download it from
> here, knowing it hasn't been tampered with.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
If this is the same program I'm using, it checks for virus infections, disk
cleanup scan, disk fragmentation scan, open ports scan, "computer
information"
I know MS also offers an anti-spyware beta which I find lacking... well....
on lots of fronts.
Kirby
"Joe" wrote
> If this is the same program I'm using, it checks for virus infections,
> disk cleanup scan, disk fragmentation scan, open ports scan, "computer
> information"
>
> I know MS also offers an anti-spyware beta which I find lacking...
> well.... on lots of fronts.
I don't believe it's what you're using. I haven't really played around with
it much, to see what features are offered. But I do scan with the MS
anti-spyware program.
I get real cautious, when it comes to downloading from sites.
Another great scanning program besides the normal SpyBot, LavaSoft, is at
CW Shredder site. You can download a free 30 trial, or scan online for
free. It found a browser bug lurking, when SpyBot,LavaSoft, CW Shredder,
Norton, and MS didn't.
http://www.trendmicro.com/en/products/desktop/as/evaluate/overview.htm
I'll have to look around in my folders, I got a couple links for Hosts
modifications through MS, and RenHosts. It's great for blocking ads. And,
they're free.
Bob Ward
Can you explain why the URL you provided, claiming to be a Microsoft
product, is not located within a Microsoft domain?
I did a google on "whois safety.live.com, and one of the hits was this
articler found at http://daniweb.com/blogs/entry444.html
Early in November, Microsoft began a free web-based Virus Scanner,
allowing members of the general public to come to their website,
download a tool, and then proceed to tie up your box and scan it for
all of the creepies that have infested your computer while on the
internet. What they haven't readily disclosed, however, is that the
scanner reports materials on your computer back to Microsoft HQ. BOOO!
Windows Live Safety Center works with Windows XP Home, XP
Professional, 2000 Professional, Server 2003, or Windows 2000 Server.
You need to also run it with IE 6.0 or better, as the tools use Active
X. Thus, the site will not work with Windows 9x, ME, or if you refuse
to use IE on the internet.
Even more interesting is that the "Windows Live Safety Center" is not
hosted on microsoft.com... check out the homepage:
http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm
Who is live.com? Good question. whois tells me that it is a company in
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (Canada). The domain is listed on msft.net Who
are they? Microsoft Ok. So maybe they are a subsidary. Or about to be
bought up. Who knows. The point is... the software source advertised
by Microsoft is not hosted in house.
Microsoft, in it's untrustable stealthy fashion, does not make a
direct link to any information discussing what the program technically
does, and what information gets sent back to HQ, and tries to justify
why the material is collected and used.
While I can see the reason Microsoft would push such a tool, I cannot
help to feel that this is yet another case of big-brother trying to
generate data on who is using the service, and what is affecting them.
I would rather see the company harden the OS as a whole, and make it
so that the computers do not need to continually operate in
Administrator mode. There are ways to make Windows secure; medication
in the form of Live Safety Scanner is not the answer. Fixing the core
problem, in other words, prevention, remains the elusive superior
answer.
Looks like it is time to update the DNS servers to map safety.live.com
to a different website, so that IT can maintain central administration
of antivirus and antispyware activites, and so that we can protect our
data, again, from Microsoft.
SoCalMike
> If you wanna try out the beta version of the Windows Live Safety Center, and
> let it scan your computer to either protect, clean, or tune your PC, here is
> the link.
>
> http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm
>
> As much as I HATE trusting MicroSoft with anything I don't have to... I
> tried it and it works extremely well so far... Found stuff Norton missed.
heh... doesnt work with firefox! i *guess* i could open the "windows
update" box/browser, and C&P the URL in.
Joe
> product, is not located within a Microsoft domain?
No, I can not. Well, sort of anyhow... I originally thought it was a
Microsoft site (like an idiot, I didn't bother to look at the domain),
slipped and posted it without checking.
It came to me from a trusted source, someone I talk with often and who has
proved to me that the information I receive from them is valid enough of the
time to be swallowe3d without looking at the label per say.
I should have checked first. However, now I can tell you that it is
registered to Microsoft and seems to be an official site from them. See the
bottom of this message for more info.
> I did a google on "whois safety.live.com, and one of the hits was this
> articler found at http://daniweb.com/blogs/entry444.html
>
> Early in November, Microsoft began a free web-based Virus Scanner,
> allowing members of the general public to come to their website,
> download a tool, and then proceed to tie up your box and scan it for
> all of the creepies that have infested your computer while on the
> internet. What they haven't readily disclosed, however, is that the
> scanner reports materials on your computer back to Microsoft HQ. BOOO!
That's plain wrong as far as I can tell. At the end of the scan, it has a
check box that says, "Report Information to Microsoft?" or something
similar. Simply uncheck the box. I believe that they would honor that, but
nobody really knows I suppose. Imagine the backlash if it was found out
that they still report info back when you uncheck the box...
Anyhow... I'm not defending Microsoft. I'm just pointing out a discrepancy.
> Windows Live Safety Center works with Windows XP Home, XP
> Professional, 2000 Professional, Server 2003, or Windows 2000 Server.
> You need to also run it with IE 6.0 or better, as the tools use Active
> X. Thus, the site will not work with Windows 9x, ME, or if you refuse
> to use IE on the internet.
>
> Even more interesting is that the "Windows Live Safety Center" is not
> hosted on microsoft.com... check out the homepage:
>
> http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm
>
> Who is live.com? Good question. whois tells me that it is a company in
> Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (Canada). The domain is listed on msft.net Who
> are they? Microsoft Ok. So maybe they are a subsidary. Or about to be
> bought up. Who knows. The point is... the software source advertised
> by Microsoft is not hosted in house.
See below. Updated whois info I guess.
> Microsoft, in it's untrustable stealthy fashion, does not make a
> direct link to any information discussing what the program technically
> does, and what information gets sent back to HQ, and tries to justify
> why the material is collected and used.
>
> While I can see the reason Microsoft would push such a tool, I cannot
> help to feel that this is yet another case of big-brother trying to
> generate data on who is using the service, and what is affecting them.
> I would rather see the company harden the OS as a whole, and make it
> so that the computers do not need to continually operate in
> Administrator mode. There are ways to make Windows secure; medication
> in the form of Live Safety Scanner is not the answer. Fixing the core
> problem, in other words, prevention, remains the elusive superior
> answer.
Agreed. But until the core problem is fixed, the best avenue for protection
is treatment so it doesn't spread to others who are not protected as well.
Microsoft is an interesting company. They "own" a large slice of the
computer world because of their dominance... Yet if they disappear, there
are very few alternatives. Sure there are other browsers, Linux and a host
of programs that do the same things as Microsoft products do, but if you
load your PC full of them, they don't work together very well... er... as
well as Microsoft programs do anyhow. Even though MS products are
notoriously hated by lots of folks, they do provide a decent platform for
most users. It is usually the high end user or the user who doesn't know
the first thing about PCs that actually have complaints. In either case, it
is their experience level that generates the problem 50% of the time. IMHO
of course.
> Looks like it is time to update the DNS servers to map safety.live.com
> to a different website, so that IT can maintain central administration
> of antivirus and antispyware activites, and so that we can protect our
> data, again, from Microsoft.
(This is the see below data)
Registrant:
Microsoft Corporation
Domain Administrator
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
US
Email: dom...@microsoft.com
Registrar Name....: REGISTER.COM, INC.
Registrar Whois...: whois.register.com
Registrar Homepage: www.register.com
Domain Name: live.com
Created on..............: Wed, Dec 28, 1994
Expires on..............: Tue, Dec 26, 2006
Record last updated on..: Tue, Nov 29, 2005
Administrative Contact:
Microsoft Corporation
Domain Administrator
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
US
Phone: 1--4258828080
Email: dom...@microsoft.com
Technical Contact:
Microsoft Corporation
MSN Hostmaster
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
US
Phone: 1--4258828080
Email: msn...@microsoft.com
DNS Servers:
ns3.msft.net
ns4.msft.net
ns1.msft.net
ns2.msft.net
ns5.msft.net
Register your domain name at http://www.register.com
The previous information has been obtained either directly from the
registrant or a registrar of the domain name other than Network Solutions.
Network Solutions, therefore, does not guarantee its accuracy or
completeness.
Show underlying registry data for this record
Current Registrar:REGISTER.COM, INC.
IP Address:207.68.173.241 (ARIN & RIPE IP search)
IP Location:US(UNITED STATES)-WASHINGTON-REDMOND
Record Type:Domain Name
Server Type:Apache 2
Lock Status:ACTIVE
Web Site Status:Active
DMOZ no listings
Y! Directory: see listings
Web Site Title:Windows Live
Secure:No
E-commerce:Yes
Traffic Ranking:Not available
Data as of:21-Oct-2005
Joe
> update" box/browser, and C&P the URL in.
Might be worth it. It does a good job... IMHO only of course.
--