A huge blow to Messenger Plus!

By Sean B.
in Back Page News

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Grand Master

saxondale.

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Mx?' date='Aug 15 2005, 00:19':sleep:: No I just don't like spyware on my PC. I use MsgPlus! all the time and I never install the spyware, it's a great app, but I have seen the spyware. Like other spyware it downloads more, etc, and for a noob it can be quite destructive.

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Well my mate installed it, he is a computer n00b to the max, he managed to get rid of it, but yer, i still agree, alot of n00bs will die from it, but i dont think most will care.

Grand Master

ozgeek

Posted
Posted

I think Microsoft classed Messenger Plus! as a serious threat because it come bundled with spyware. Any software that has spyware in it whether it has the option not to install it, is treated as a serious or moderate threat because Microsoft understands (and I) that there are lots of people that are not experienced with computers and wants a computer that works with no problems or trouble. The option to install spyware might be accidently checked and that's what concerned Microsoft.

People don't read what's on the screen. They just click Next, Next, Next, Finish until the program is installed. I think they (software developers) need a new concept of installing software safely to force people to read and acknowledge what they are installing and what will go with it.

Veteran

Long

Posted
Posted
I think Microsoft classed Messenger Plus! as a serious threat because it come bundled with spyware. Any software that has spyware in it whether it has the option not to install it, is treated as a serious or moderate threat because Microsoft understands (and I) that there are lots of people that are not experienced with computers and wants a computer that works with no problems or trouble. The option to install spyware might be accidently checked and that's what concerned Microsoft.

People don't read what's on the screen. They just click Next, Next, Next, Finish until the program is installed. I think they (software developers) need a new concept of installing software safely to force people to read and acknowledge what they are installing and what will go with it.

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Yep. I think thats right. I don't think Microsoft really cares much about the application itself, but what its threat is.

Like if Microsoft really hated Patchou, why did they pay for him to go to that MSN event?

Grand Master

Mx

Posted
Posted
I think Microsoft classed Messenger Plus! as a serious threat because it come bundled with spyware. Any software that has spyware in it whether it has the option not to install it, is treated as a serious or moderate threat because Microsoft understands (and I) that there are lots of people that are not experienced with computers and wants a computer that works with no problems or trouble. The option to install spyware might be accidently checked and that's what concerned Microsoft.

People don't read what's on the screen. They just click Next, Next, Next, Finish until the program is installed. I think they (software developers) need a new concept of installing software safely to force people to read and acknowledge what they are installing and what will go with it.

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You got it in one. So while all others are up in arms going "omg m$ hate patchou, omg omg", you got exactly right :)

Grand Master

Code.Red

Posted
Posted

That really sucks, but I can't give any sympathy to anyone who does manage to install the spyware while installing, the screen where it asks if you want to install it or not, it shows a shot of the toolbar, and it has 2 options, I agree or I refuse, and neither are checked by default. Even on the screen before that, theres a little blab about how the next screen asks you to install the toolbar, and tells you you don't have to install it, and you can't click next on that one for a few seconds. It is just too much for you to miss.

Grand Master

theyarecomingforyou

Posted
Posted

Hasn't Patchou already removed the feature that disables ads in MSN Messenger? If so there is no reason to target him. Still, after that other issue (was it Claria being downgraded) I'm not surprised... it's just a shame Microsoft has to use AntiSpyware to put [seemingly unfair] pressure on software makers.

Veteran

kernatch

Posted
Posted

but guys, hopefully someone can confirm this for me, but the msgplus.exe file isn't causing the spyware. if they chose to install the spyware (accidently or not) other files will be created that will be responsible for it, which MS AS should target.

Enthusiast

Patchou

Posted
Posted

Just to make sure the discussions continues in the right direction... the big problem mess.be is talking about in this post is the fast that msgplus.exe is considered to be a threat everytime it launches at boot time. This .exe CANNOT install the sponsor, wether or not your agreed to it during the setup. If anything was to be detected as potentially harmful, it should be the setup itself, not an exe that does nothing but hook into Messenger.

Targeting msgplus.exe us thge same as targeting any other .exe on your computer. Any exe is potentially dangerous as it's designed to run code on your computer. The debate here is not if the installation of Messenger Plus! and its sponsor should be detected, it's about a program that's wrongully accused of being a threat. Blocking msgplus.exe to run won't remove the sponsor if you installed it and if you click on their Remove button, you get rid of the uninstaller as well which is just a bad thing as it leaves you with no good alternative to remove the sponsor itself afterwards.

Veteran

Danellis

Posted
Posted
Just to make sure the discussions continues in the right direction... the big problem mess.be is talking about in this post is the fast that msgplus.exe is considered to be a threat everytime it launches at boot time. This .exe CANNOT install the sponsor, wether or not your agreed to it during the setup. If anything was to be detected as potentially harmful, it should be the setup itself, not an exe that does nothing but hook into Messenger.

Targeting msgplus.exe us thge same as targeting any other .exe on your computer. Any exe is potentially dangerous as it's designed to run code on your computer. The debate here is not if the installation of Messenger Plus! and its sponsor should be detected, it's about a program that's wrongully accused of being a threat. Blocking msgplus.exe to run won't remove the sponsor if you installed it and if you click on their Remove button, you get rid of the uninstaller as well which is just a bad thing as it leaves you with no good alternative to remove the sponsor itself afterwards.

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:o Is this the real Patchou? :unsure: Mods? Can you verify :rofl:

Proficient

DarkCircuit

Posted
Posted
Just to make sure the discussions continues in the right direction... the big problem mess.be is talking about in this post is the fast that msgplus.exe is considered to be a threat everytime it launches at boot time. This .exe CANNOT install the sponsor, wether or not your agreed to it during the setup. If anything was to be detected as potentially harmful, it should be the setup itself, not an exe that does nothing but hook into Messenger.

alternative to remove the sponsor itself afterwards.

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Quiet patch.

This has nothing to do with you. :p

Experienced

devyant

Posted
Posted

Seriously, the installer has made it uber clear already, noobs or not, they know how to read at least? Well, if they don't even bother to read in the first place, so it's Patchou's fault? I'll be laughing if they did businesses and signed T&C without reading. Oh yea, the sponsor program is not even in the long T&C. It's in a dedicated part of the installer.

Veteran

Danellis

Posted
Posted
Seriously, the installer has made it uber clear already, noobs or not, they know how to read at least? Well, if they don't even bother to read in the first place, so it's Patchou's fault? I'll be laughing if they did businesses and signed T&C without reading. Oh yea, the sponsor program is not even in the long T&C. It's in a dedicated part of the installer.

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Well yes and no. I agree it's down to the user to check what they're doing before they click "next" but then how many people here read the full T&C's when they install something?

To be honest this is Patchou's software, if he wants put spyware on it, let him. No ones forcing anyone to use the software.

Veteran

Danellis

Posted
Posted
How is messenger plus spyware! Its just because it modifies one of their programs, I think. They should just leave it alone.

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No I don't think you understand. MessengerPlus comes with an optional ad-aware bundle. Users get the option to install the spyware. Microsoft are now calling the entire software spyware.

Grand Master

HellBender

Posted
Posted
hooking into messenger and playing about with it would look suspicous to any good antispyware solution.

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Agreed. It's most likely their heuristics detecting a program piggybacking on another... and, as usual, everyone turns it against Microsoft, because we all know they're the most evil organization around.

Grand Master

LUTZIFER

Posted
Posted

Funny how so many people say they hate Messenger Plus! when it consumes amost no system resources at all, in fact I doubt anyone has a process that uses less, also other than seeing "Plus!" in the MSN Messenger menu on contact list and convo window, you could hardly even tell it's there, so it definitely doesn't add any bloat, but the features are endless. Weird.

Pretty much the only reason I use Plus! though, is to change the names of contacts on the main window, cuz of idiots that put all sorts of crap where their name is supposed to be.

And as far the sponsorware, seems stupid what some antispyware programs say are ok or not, as the Plus! sponsorware in my opinion, is no different than installing MSN Toolbar or Google Toolbar, etc. etc. I remember back in the old days when toolbars exactly like the one with Plus! were the big craze, everyone thought they were cool, lol. Not me, but lots of people I've heard of installed them on purpose, lol.

Having Plus! is like a Pro version of Messenger, like the difference between XP Home and XP Pro, as far as I'm concerned. Plus! is very very handy.

Grand Master

LUTZIFER

Posted
Posted
XP Pro, and XP home are nearly identical.  :rolleyes:

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Yep, of course. I'm very sure I'd know, I use both. Just has a few xtra features that come in handy.

Like having Messenger Plus!, adds a few extra handy features to MSN Messenger.

Mentor

Nightwind Hawk

Posted
Posted
Well yes and no. I agree it's down to the user to check what they're doing before they click "next" but then how many people here read the full T&C's when they install something?

To be honest this is Patchou's software, if he wants put spyware on it, let him. No ones forcing anyone to use the software.

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It's not hidden AT ALL. There's a big picture of it, and it acts if you would like to install it. I don't think it's very hidden like it used to be (Custimized Install).

msgplus_3.jpg

Enthusiast

Patchou

Posted
Posted
hooking into messenger and playing about with it would look suspicous to any good antispyware solution.

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Note true, if it was, then most display utilities would be targeted too, a lot of programs use hooking to do a lot of things. MsgPlus.exe is not detected because of its behaviour, it's detected because it's part of Messenger Plus!. Hooking into Messenger is not the issue here, the issue is that they target the wrong program, removing msgplus.exe from your computer will not do anything to improve stability/security/... and thus, there is no reason at all for an anti-spyware program to detect it. If there was such a reason, other products would detect it, not just MS Anti-Spyware (Plus! has been around for more than 4 years already and the sponsor for 2, and the setup is run more than 100,000 times every day. It's not like it's an unknown product that would not "yet" been flagged).

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