Is "Install Shield Update Service" spyware?

I recently downgraded from Windows 98 to Windows ME and am just
learning the (crippled) system.

I have this thing called "Install Shield Update" Service on the
machine. When I use "Double Image" backup software the update service
kicks in and tries to run (seems to just run - not phone home - but
could be gathering information).

Location:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\agent.exe\

Double Image has its preferences set for "do not check for updates."

Is this thing spyware?

Contains a total of four files - two loaded with an application and
two other INI files that set the check interval. Interval set to zero
in one INI and 28 in the other - presumably this is the checking
interval in days.


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Can't answer your question, only pose another
I've noticed when installing a couple of programs (games I think) that use
IS installer Zone Alarm will warn me that Install Shiled is trying to
connect to the internet (or whatever the pop up warnings say). I always deny
permission for it to do so and the programs still install ok. Anyone know
why Install Shield tries to do this? Where it's connecting and what it does
if allowed to connect?

coma

 

Found this on the web (still looks like spyware to me . . .)

Connect Directly with Your Users

A direct, one-to-one conversation is the most effective means of
customer communication. But traditional communications media fail to
guarantee a true, direct link between you and the actual person using
your software. Direct Mail communication often stops at a company
address. You send Email to a name in a database who may just be a
purchasing agent, a manager, or an outdated address.

Only the Update Service guarantees that you’ll reach the person
actually using your application. Further, you can decide when to reach
them. When customers get an update right when they open the
application, you’ll know that they’re thinking about your software,
and that is the perfect time to promote, educate, or inform. No other
media can ensure the top-of-mind response from your customers that is
available with the InstallShield Update Service.

http://www.pds-site.com/InstallShield/US/info/features/connect_direct.htm

Like a lot of software, no matter the (stated) intent, it can be
easily subverted for more nefarious purposes.


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These are the only sub-folders in my Installshield folder:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\
Driver
Engine
Iscript

BoB

 

me too, now - seems the others are only there temporarily? Or perhaps
just when the software is loaded for the first time and lost when the
system is reset.

I'll have to pay more attention to this -


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[snip]

Pray tell, *WHY*?

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

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Kind of a long story. Defrag the drives one night and the C drive has
a corrupted windows folder when finished (D drive and other folders
OK).

No way to recover. DOS commands not all working (copy and xcopy
wouldn't work but the directories and files seemed to be OK except for
Windows, and My documents.

Try to reload windows 98 upgrade and it tells me there is no compliant
software. Load ME and it tells me that there is no compliant software
.. . . stuck with ME. Me wouldn't load over the bad windows
installation because it said there already was an operating system and
ME is an OEM installation. Don't have any Internet connection to sort
it out so I formatted the drive and loaded ME.

ME makes loading windows easier and the driver support is better - but
the advantages stop there. It has something called PChealth that
doesn't do anything except cause crashes (I think it is supposed to be
able to restore the system like the "go back" programs - but that
doesn't work). ME won't even allow me to make a clean (DOS) boot
disk. Accesses the floppy drives whenever it starts or shuts down.
Just generally one of the worst software products I've ever used.
Lots of built in spyware, from the looks of my firewall.

Internet Exploder and Windoze Media Player are too aggressive and
trying to phone home at the drop of a hat. Everything defaults to
minimum security.


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software.

So doesn't it ask you for the diskette/CD for the previous version to
verify you have a legit upgrade?

 

Of course - but in my case it is the long dead copy of windows 3.11
(floppies don't survive high humidity and this is the second set I
bought from M$) I'm lucky to have a single startup floppy let alone
the three or fours disks the upgrade asks for. ( guess I could (not)
backup the six/eight windows disks twice a month to new floppies.

I found a warez version of 3.11 and should be able to burn that to a
CDR as a work around. If I can convince the upgrade to notice the CD
drive.


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[snip]

This is one of the bigger reasons to ALWAYS set up a (smallish) dedicated
swap/temp partition when using Windows. Then, when it barfs (usually
involving the swap file), it probably won't take the rest of the system with
it.

[snip]

So let me guess... In the course of setting up that system, after getting the
OS installed, configured, patched, etc., you did not take a "snapshot" backup
to removable media (CD, tape, etc.), and put that on the "archive" shelf, so
you could painlessly restore the system to that state when (near-certainly not
"if") the HDD died/barfed?

How about your regular system backups? Where were those?

[snip]

There are work-arounds for that, but it is outside the scope of this
discussion (or rather, this newsgroup).

[snip]

This is the part I don't understand. You were apparently in the same boat
vis-a-vis the "update" issue with both Win98 and WinME; so I still don't get
why you chose WinME over Win98.

[snip]

OK, now you're implying something different. Did you perhaps have two
(different) copies of WinME lying around?

[snip]

Not really -- especially if you take <http://www.litepc.com/98lite.html> into
account. My guess is that you're confusing the "retail update vs. OEM" issue
with a fundamental difference in the two Windows versions themselves.

[snip]

Questionable, but I won't argue the point.

[snip]

You're too kind. <~>

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unsolicited advertising sent to this E-Mail address is expressly prohibited
under USC Title 47, Section 227. Violators are subject to charge of up to
$1,500 per incident or treble actual costs, whichever is greater.
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Some major pruning throughout the thread . . .

OK Where is a place to start for finding swap file info? Does this
increase stability? Do you suppose defragging the drive (the action
that seems to have precipitated the crash) would have been avoided
with a swap file tweak?

I don't really have an idea of how to take a snapshot of the OS, my
backup technique is to regularly copy the files I can't afford to lose
to a second or third hard drive (in removable racks), with some stuff
further duplicated on CDR.

There are indeed work arounds. I found and copied several and may
have found a pirate copy of the full install on the web (hoping it is
in english)

The Windows 98 was an upgrade for Windows 3.1. The ME I bought as a
backup for the next time system crashed - I didn't realize just what a
piece of feces it is. The ME was bought with a barebones system and
not used, it is an oem type full install.

Two OS: 98 upgrade, ME oem.

With the 98 upgrade the installation stops every so often and requires
that one press a key that says OK. Big waste of time . . .

Now that LitePC looks very intriguing - thanks for the link. Do you
use it? I really want to ditch some of the so-called "features" in
Windows.

Well, I didn't have to load the sound, modem, printer or video drivers
but did lose my improved IDE driver - can't use UDMA and the 98 IDE
driver crashes the ME system. All the other drivers work well -
remarkable in the case of the monitor - in 98 I need a driver for the
adapter and another for the display, before the damn thing stops
flickering.
The IDE driver alone is enough reason to go back to 98.

Not really . . . When writing about Windows software it is hard to
find euphemisms - I could, for instance say Windows ME is worse than
pond scum, but that would be insulting to pond scum.




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