30 replies to this topic

[Quexoz]

I know (think) I can opt out, but I must say bundling extra 'garbage' with Alcohol really annoys me. If I could unbuy Alcohol and get my money back right now, I would because of this. Especially when it is useless crap-ware (see attached picture and notice version numbers). Smart.....File Advisor? I think not. I use many, MANY, old versions of most software because I like them better than newer ones for various reasons (like, you know, the newer versions contain malware and the like?). I am using old versions of most drivers, yet the one thing this "smart" file advisor tries to change is the newest version of Reaper, and it wants to downgrade it by 10 versions to a buggy old one? Oh and what's worse? Reaper makes a file extension of .RPP for it's saved projects and when I checked, this apps main funcion is to identify unkown files types...and it could not tell what program opens RPP's! But it wanted to downgrade the program that does open them? What the ____?

 

I strongly suspect what it is really doing is trying to get me to download selected versions, from a malicious source that they have bundled spyware/malware into. Why else did it not notice my video card drivers are way out of date, I'm using 6-10 year old Photoshop, audio editors, and a miriad of other old stuff. From now on I guess I'll be using old versions of Alcohol 120 too. Even if it's not that nefarious though, this is still crap ware and it stinks to have it bundled with software I paid a premium price for. The reason I paid fifty some dollars for Alcohol 120 is to AVOID this kind of garbage ware.

Attached Files

•  malware.jpg   20.76KB   0 downloads

Edited by Quexoz, 19 October 2013 - 07:09 PM.

[Charalambos]

I don't know much about Smart File Advisor but you have the option not to install it during installation. Since you have installed it there must be an uninstall option (or just delete its files and any related registry entry if you don't want it).

 

It says I don't have permission to see the attached file?

Edited by Charalambos, 17 October 2013 - 08:45 PM.

[Quexoz]

I don't know much about Smart File Advisor but you have the option not to install it during installation. Since you have installed it there must be an uninstall option (or just delete its files and any related registry entry if you don't want it).

 

It says I don't have permission to see the attached file?

I know about the option to not install it. My point is, I don't like it even being bundled into a paid software I bought! I don't like, but expect it in freeware junk that is all over the internet, but not in expensive (relative to it's feature set) software I paid for. I installed it just to check it out, then promtly restored a backup image of my Windows partition (don't trust the uninstaller to be thorough, have read reports of it lingering and prompting to reinstall at bootup) after seeing that it is indeed junkware, at best.

 

The attached photo shows the Smart File Advisor's annoying popup "advising" me to "update" my installed version 4.5.4.0 of Reaper to version 4.31,which is exactly 10 versions older, and offering a "download now" link to who knows what or where! See here: http://www.reaper.fm/download-old.php for version history.

Edited by Quexoz, 18 October 2013 - 03:53 AM.

[Charalambos]

I'm sure that when people of Alcohol bundled Smart File Advisor into it they believed that it is a good piece of software and that it would add value to the whole product pack. If the things are as you describe them perhaps they should reconsider.

[Quexoz]

...that it would add value to the whole product pack.

 

If they wanted to add value to their software, how about a proper image/CD/DVD maker/builder rather than the horribly clunky, and limited (useless) Extra Wizard, rather than bundling junk ware, so I would not need extra software, free and totally malware/bloat free software I might add, like InfraRecorder to do that simple job that damned near every other CD burning software can do, but not Alcohol. Ever tried to make an audio CD from your own wav files with Alcohol? It can't even do basic things yet. It's just a glorified Daemon Tools.

Edited by Quexoz, 19 October 2013 - 07:37 PM.

[Charalambos]

Extra Wizard doesn't support the creation of audio CD's at the moment, that's a suggestion for the future development of the program. But please don't be so agressive. It was your decission to bought the program and you bought it as it was, as for its further development you can make your suggestions and they will be taken into consideration. 

[Quexoz]

It was your decission to bought the program and you bought it as it was *snip*

 

Correct. As it was, not as it is, loaded with spyware that, if I am not careful during install and maybe even if I am (I no longer trust Alcohol because of this), autoloads with windows and scans my computer for EVERYTHING I have installed, then sends that info to Filefacts.net (whoever that is?) and who knows where else, then prompts me via annoying popup out of nowhere to downgrade and basically break my music recording software with what I strongly suspect was a malware loaded older version of that software (I'm not about to find out for sure).

 

I think it's time to just dump Alcohol all together, and warn others away from it, which pisses me off since I forked over my money for it. Sorry if I am agressive, but I get so sick of paying my money just to be "hijacked" later, in my opinion, because some company wants to make an extra buck by bundling junkware as a priority higher than fixing bugs like the right click menu breaking Windows Explorer (for years) that I mentioned in another thread, or adding a decent CD making feature (extra wizard).

[Charalambos]

How do you know that Smart File Advisor is spyware? Anyway, your opinion will be taken into consideration and you are free to do as you wish. But don't be so negative, it is not good in general, try to be more mellow.

[Quexoz]

Because it scanned my hard drives, then sent unkown data to an unkown place (probably filefacts.net), then spawned a popup that tried to get me to downgrade my Reaper digital audio workstation by ten versions, and I did not tell it to? Did not even know it was running. I was still finishing up the Alcohol 120 install and "Smart File Advisor" had already installed, started, scanned me, and sent out my data. Sounds like spyware to me! I suspect it is more of a tool to fetch malware, like "Open Candy". It seems to be the latest method for sleazy software developers to infect you in a way that they can play dumb about it afterward. "We didn't do it! Our software does not contain malware!"...No, it just contains a middle-man malware-fetcher disguised as real software, that snoops around in people's files so it can locate customized malware that is more likely to get installed and go un-noticed.

 

FYI: I don't actually 'install' Reaper. I store it on my second drive so it is portable, and I can restore backups of my main drive without affecting all my portable apps. In other words, this crapware had to scan my **** hard to find it, and that is NOT cool! If this program was legit, it would not have found a single, obscure, uncommon program orphaned on my backup drive and tried to downgrade it, it would have found one/several of the many, many older versions of more common programs I have installed on my main Windows drive. This program has a purpose...and it is not to help me keep my programs up to date.

 

Even if it is completely harmless and inoccent though, I would still consider it bloat and request that it, and any other "extra" software be removed. Even if it is well intentioned, I think I have shown that it is very ineffective at best. It found one piece of software, Reaper, it incorrectly identified as outdated, and could not find the software to open a .RPP (Reaper project) file and that software...is the very program it falsely identified as outdated. Seems pretty useless, if not potentialy damaging to me.

Edited by Quexoz, 28 October 2013 - 06:35 PM.

[Charalambos]

Well, this all is to be taken into consideration by the people of Alcohol.

[Quexoz]

Eight months later...Any word yet on the "consideration by the people of Alcohol".

[Charalambos]

Well, someone of them should reply, I'm just a volunteer.

[Quexoz]

A year and another Alcohol version later...still got the "malware". Really annoying.

 

Adware garbage: http://www.herdprote...31c3eeefc8.aspx

Edited by Quexoz, 09 November 2014 - 09:53 PM.

[Cooler]

While it is annoying to uncheck SFA every single time I upgrade Alcohol, at least it is doable.

Still, it should be opt-in, not opt-out!

Or... why not just check if user has SFA already installed and act accordingly?

 

There are worse things, like "downloaders".

Why should I download and run something else just to download and install the piece of software I wanted at first place?!

Like with "Alcohol Audio Converter"? Oh, wait... it's the "filefacts.net" again!

 

How ever you look at it, "filefacts.net" seems to one of those domains pushing unwanted code.

Peeking WhoIs is not going to raise trust to them. Association with sites like free-downloads.net is not good PR, either.

 

I hope Alcohol-Soft will end their partnership with "filefacts.net" type sites.

Preferrably sooner than later.

 

Alcohol 120% itself is something that I'm happy with.

[Quexoz]

Two years later....same bullshyte in the installer in the newer version and no response from "the people of Alcohol".

[Quexoz]

Version 2.0.3.8314 and still there.

[Charalambos]

Please have a look at NARS's answer in your other thread:

 

http://forum.alcohol...ct/#entry153228

[Quexoz]

It's not my thread, but I did see it. Thanks.

[Quexoz]

Version 2.0.3.9326..STILL infected. F you Alcohol Soft.

[Charalambos]

For God's shake, just don't install it if you don't want it. Is it so much complicated?