Re: Realplayer security and privacy issues?

From: Jim Watt (jimwatt_at_aol.no_way)
Date: 05/31/05 

Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 21:54:13 +0200

On Tue, 31 May 2005 11:42:21 GMT, "nemo" <nemo@newtylust.nit> wrote:

>I haven't posted here for ages so I suppose I'd better introduce myself as a
>Newbie again.
>
>I accidentally deleted my old version of RealPlayer and yesterday, I
>downloaded the free basic version.
>
>It installed OK, plays a few more types of file and the picture quality is
>much improved. Fine I thought.
>
>But during the install, it repeatedly asked me for my postcode which I'd
>already submitted, (I have it listed as confidential info with a prompt
>instruction) and more disturbingly, it removed the Block Cookies rule from
>IE and my Norton firewall and used a huge number of them while installing.
>Fortunately it only altered the setting from 'Block All' to 'Prompt' in the
>firewall and that's how I realised what it had done.
>
>And on top of that, this morning RealPlayer contacted
>http://message.real.com/Msg/7.0/win32 resulting in my again being asked for
>my postcode. (That's UK for Zip Code, BTW.)
>
>The odd thing was - I didn't have RealPlayer running at the time and there's
>nothing new showing as running in the background when I hit CTRL+ALT+DEL.
>
>Any ideas before I ditch the thing and do without it? Flash and Media Player
>7 have already gone that way for phoning home.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Nemo

Its a bit of software I have a love hate relationship with.

I currently have the latest version, however noted it wants to run
something called tkbell which I think inqures about updates and
whatever devious stuff real player gets up to.

I deleted the .exe as it kept putting back registry keys, it works
a lot better without it and my memory has less crap running in the
background.

> 

--
Jim Watt          
http://www.gibnet.com

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