Clarke
April 19th, 2007, 06:18 PM
I have been wondering for months now where all the "update" services and dll's were entering my computor. I have had windows updates shut off for years and all the update programs, wuauclt.exe, wuault1.exe, wupmgr.exe, and wscntfy.exe, blocked in my exculsions list. Yet I was still getting unwanted updates.
I have been searching for ages now looking for the leak. I knew it was possibly some kind of "Back door" program. I use Outpost Pro Firewall and just yesterday I set my component control option to maximum and saw attempted connections to www.sa.windows.com and other microsoft sites in Redmond Washington blocked by Componant Control. Upon investication I discovered this little page from microsoft. It was the damm MS Search Utility silently downloading these unwanted programs and .dll files!
So...I have added iexplore.exe to my blocked list. As for the "fix" they suggest I have been using "Classic Internet Search" for years. So changing the Search Option changes nothing. Lots of strange .dll files and little gems like "printfilterpipelinesvs.exe", whatever that does.
To add a little humor...A few months ago I got this nag screen telling me I had a bootleg version of windowsxp and I would no longer be able to recieve updates from microsoft until I payed them money.
Here is the article in full downloaded from http://sa.windows.com/privacy/
{QUOTE-> Microsoft Search Companion Statement of Privacy
Microsoft is committed to protecting your privacy and developing technology that gives you the most powerful and safe online experience. This Statement of Privacy applies to the Microsoft Search Companion Web service provided in Microsoft Windows XP. Please be aware that this Privacy Statement and the choices you make regarding the Microsoft Search Companion Web service do not necessarily apply to personal information you may have provided to Microsoft in the context of other, separately operated, Microsoft products or services. For more information and privacy policies for other Microsoft products and services, please visit the Microsoft Privacy Home Page.
Collection of Information
Using Microsoft Windows XP Search Companion, you can search for all types of objects, from pictures, music, and documents, to printers, computers, and people. You can search your own computer, other computers (if you are connected to a network or workgroup), and the Internet. You can also choose to search with the help of an animated screen character.
No information is ever collected by Search Companion when you search your local system, LAN, or intranet for any reason.
When you search the Internet using the Search Companion, the following information is collected regarding your use of the service: the text of your Internet search query, grammatical information about the query, the list of tasks which the Search Companion Web service recommends, and any tasks you select from the recommendation list. Search Companion does not record your choice of Internet search engine, and does not collect or request any personal or demographic information. Information collected by the Search Companion can not be used to identify you individually, and is never used in conjunction with other data sources that may contain personal data. All information is retained for twelve months, and discarded in the thirteenth month following collection.
The information collected by Search Companion when you search the Internet is used by Microsoft for the operation of the service, to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding its usage. The Search Companion Web service can not be effectively operated without the collection of this information. By using the Search Companion Web service, you consent to the data practices described in this statement. If you wish to disable the Search Companion Web service, you can do so by switching to Classic Search for the Internet. Microsoft Windows does not collect any query information when you use Classic Search. You should consult the privacy policy of your Internet search engine to determine what information that Web site retains.
To use Classic Search for the Internet, follow the instructions below:
Click Start, and then click Search.
Click Change preferences.
Click Change Internet search behavior.
Click With classic Internet search, and then click OK.
Use of Cookies
Search Companion uses a session-based "cookie" to provide a consistent experience for users who send multiple Internet queries to Search Companion or select multiple tasks from the Search Companion results. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a Web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.
You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. No personal information is recorded in the cookie used by the Search Companion Web service, and the cookie is not saved on your hard disk after you close your browser.
Software updates
The Search Companion Web Service is designed to automatically upgrade as product bugs are discovered and fixed and new features become available. As you use the Search Companion service, it will periodically use your Internet connection to check whether certain supporting files have been updated. If an update is available, Search Companion will replace the outdated supporting files on your machine with newer versions of those files downloaded from Microsoft servers. Search Companion supporting files are very small, and downloads will only take a few seconds even on slow Internet connections. Supporting files do not contain executable code, and can not be used to infect your machine with a software virus.
Search Companion may check for updates even if you are using Search Companion only to find files on your local system. For example, if you use Search Companion to find only Music files on your machine, Search Companion may check to see if there are any new types of Music files that should be included in your search. No information about your local system or the content of your search is ever sent to Microsoft during this update check.
Changes to this Statement
Microsoft will occasionally update this Statement of Privacy to reflect company and customer feedback. Microsoft encourages you to periodically review this Statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information.
Contact Information
Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this Statement of Privacy. If you believe that Microsoft has not adhered to this Statement, please contact Microsoft by telephone, e-mail, or postal mail.
Search Companion Privacy
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
113/3214
Redmond, Washington 98052
425-882-8080
Click here to send e-mail.
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved <-QUOTE}.
I have been searching for ages now looking for the leak. I knew it was possibly some kind of "Back door" program. I use Outpost Pro Firewall and just yesterday I set my component control option to maximum and saw attempted connections to www.sa.windows.com and other microsoft sites in Redmond Washington blocked by Componant Control. Upon investication I discovered this little page from microsoft. It was the damm MS Search Utility silently downloading these unwanted programs and .dll files!
So...I have added iexplore.exe to my blocked list. As for the "fix" they suggest I have been using "Classic Internet Search" for years. So changing the Search Option changes nothing. Lots of strange .dll files and little gems like "printfilterpipelinesvs.exe", whatever that does.
To add a little humor...A few months ago I got this nag screen telling me I had a bootleg version of windowsxp and I would no longer be able to recieve updates from microsoft until I payed them money.
Here is the article in full downloaded from http://sa.windows.com/privacy/
{QUOTE-> Microsoft Search Companion Statement of Privacy
Microsoft is committed to protecting your privacy and developing technology that gives you the most powerful and safe online experience. This Statement of Privacy applies to the Microsoft Search Companion Web service provided in Microsoft Windows XP. Please be aware that this Privacy Statement and the choices you make regarding the Microsoft Search Companion Web service do not necessarily apply to personal information you may have provided to Microsoft in the context of other, separately operated, Microsoft products or services. For more information and privacy policies for other Microsoft products and services, please visit the Microsoft Privacy Home Page.
Collection of Information
Using Microsoft Windows XP Search Companion, you can search for all types of objects, from pictures, music, and documents, to printers, computers, and people. You can search your own computer, other computers (if you are connected to a network or workgroup), and the Internet. You can also choose to search with the help of an animated screen character.
No information is ever collected by Search Companion when you search your local system, LAN, or intranet for any reason.
When you search the Internet using the Search Companion, the following information is collected regarding your use of the service: the text of your Internet search query, grammatical information about the query, the list of tasks which the Search Companion Web service recommends, and any tasks you select from the recommendation list. Search Companion does not record your choice of Internet search engine, and does not collect or request any personal or demographic information. Information collected by the Search Companion can not be used to identify you individually, and is never used in conjunction with other data sources that may contain personal data. All information is retained for twelve months, and discarded in the thirteenth month following collection.
The information collected by Search Companion when you search the Internet is used by Microsoft for the operation of the service, to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding its usage. The Search Companion Web service can not be effectively operated without the collection of this information. By using the Search Companion Web service, you consent to the data practices described in this statement. If you wish to disable the Search Companion Web service, you can do so by switching to Classic Search for the Internet. Microsoft Windows does not collect any query information when you use Classic Search. You should consult the privacy policy of your Internet search engine to determine what information that Web site retains.
To use Classic Search for the Internet, follow the instructions below:
Click Start, and then click Search.
Click Change preferences.
Click Change Internet search behavior.
Click With classic Internet search, and then click OK.
Use of Cookies
Search Companion uses a session-based "cookie" to provide a consistent experience for users who send multiple Internet queries to Search Companion or select multiple tasks from the Search Companion results. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a Web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.
You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. No personal information is recorded in the cookie used by the Search Companion Web service, and the cookie is not saved on your hard disk after you close your browser.
Software updates
The Search Companion Web Service is designed to automatically upgrade as product bugs are discovered and fixed and new features become available. As you use the Search Companion service, it will periodically use your Internet connection to check whether certain supporting files have been updated. If an update is available, Search Companion will replace the outdated supporting files on your machine with newer versions of those files downloaded from Microsoft servers. Search Companion supporting files are very small, and downloads will only take a few seconds even on slow Internet connections. Supporting files do not contain executable code, and can not be used to infect your machine with a software virus.
Search Companion may check for updates even if you are using Search Companion only to find files on your local system. For example, if you use Search Companion to find only Music files on your machine, Search Companion may check to see if there are any new types of Music files that should be included in your search. No information about your local system or the content of your search is ever sent to Microsoft during this update check.
Changes to this Statement
Microsoft will occasionally update this Statement of Privacy to reflect company and customer feedback. Microsoft encourages you to periodically review this Statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information.
Contact Information
Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this Statement of Privacy. If you believe that Microsoft has not adhered to this Statement, please contact Microsoft by telephone, e-mail, or postal mail.
Search Companion Privacy
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
113/3214
Redmond, Washington 98052
425-882-8080
Click here to send e-mail.
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved <-QUOTE}.