Warning about Auslogic Defrag Free.

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by DoctorPC, Jan 19, 2014.

  1. The Hammer

    The Hammer Registered Member

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    Good alternatives to Auslogic are?
     
  2. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    Yes, but you're missing the point. If you decline installing any 3rd party offers, then only Auslogics Defrag will be installed.
     
  3. The Hammer

    The Hammer Registered Member

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    I know that. I'm just curious about alternatives. :)
     
  4. Cutting_Edgetech

    Cutting_Edgetech Registered Member

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    I just updated to the latest version of Auslogics free Disk Defrag 3 days ago, and NOD 32 did not alert me to anything. I installed it in Shadow Mode using Shadow Defender the first time because after reading part of the license it was worded as though the open candy install was no longer optional. I installed it in Shadow Mode to see, and it allowed me to opt out of the open candy install. NOD 32 did not alert me to anything. I then installed it again while not in Shadow Mode, and NOD 32 did not alert me to anything. I wonder if the infection has already been removed. It allowed me to decline the open candy offer at the end. I'm just now finding this thread so I was not looking for an infection. I run Hitman Pro, and Malwarebytes regularly on my system, and nothing has been detected yet. If Auslogics willingly allowed this then they should be sued by anyone user that was compromised because this is for sure illegal! If they somehow did not know about this then its still a huge story!
     
  5. Cutting_Edgetech

    Cutting_Edgetech Registered Member

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    I just remembered something that happened during the install. Online Armor cloud AV flagged Auslogics disk defrag as malicious when I tried to install it. I had to disable OA program protection in order to install Auslogics disk defrag. I assumed it blocked the installer due to the open candy. OA's history log shows where OA blocked it.
     
  6. Banzi

    Banzi Registered Member

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    Well their support never did reply back to me, seems they don't care about paying customers, time to look elsewhere.
     
  7. puff-m-d

    puff-m-d Registered Member

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    Hello,

    Strange as ESET did notify me...
    1/28/2014 10:42:18 AM HTTP filter file -http://downloads.auslogics.com/en/disk-defrag/disk-defrag-setup.exe a variant of Win32/OpenCandy.A potentially unsafe application connection terminated - quarantined Threat was detected upon access to web by the application: C:\Program Files (x86)\Ad Muncher\AdMunch.exe.
    1/28/2014 10:42:45 AM Document protection file -http://downloads.auslogics.com/en/disk-defrag/disk-defrag-setup.exe a variant of Win32/OpenCandy.A potentially unsafe application cleaned by deleting - quarantined
     
  8. WSFuser

    WSFuser Registered Member

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    MyDefrag
    WinContig (for folders/files)
    Defraggler
    UltraDefrag
     
  9. Masterblaster

    Masterblaster Registered Member

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    IOBIT also has all the programs that Auslogic offers. This includes Smart Defrag 3.
    http://www.iobit.com/iobitsmartdefrag.php

    The only thing I would warn against is to watch the install process closely. They are known to add additional programs in the install and they are better than most of hiding them. They can be easily omitted if you just pay attention.
    They make great programs.
     
  10. DBone

    DBone Registered Member

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    Hell, IObit even adds programs when you simply want to uninstall their product. :thumbd:
     
  11. Masterblaster

    Masterblaster Registered Member

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    They are kings of deception but their programs install nothing additional unless you select to install them. If something additional was installed, you selected it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2014
  12. DBone

    DBone Registered Member

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    Yep, it's just a really greasy, back alley way of doing business.
     
  13. Masterblaster

    Masterblaster Registered Member

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    Agreed.
     
  14. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    Well the extras are not exactly hidden, but as you said you do need to pay attention during the install as it too easy to just blindly accept everything when installing software.
     
  15. The Hammer

    The Hammer Registered Member

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    Thanks a lot.:)
     
  16. DoctorPC

    DoctorPC Banned

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    CCleaner doesn't have OpenCandy.

    It does offer to install Chrome, that's it. If it had Candy one of my systems would have flagged it, and none do. CCleaner is crap without CCenhancer anyway. Bleachbit is better.
     
  17. Cutting_Edgetech

    Cutting_Edgetech Registered Member

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    Yes, that is strange. I downloaded the installer again, and it allowed me to download the installer without a peep out of NOD 32. Then I did an on demand-scan as shown in the image below. Still nothing. Could you check it again, and see if it's still flagging it? I have detect potentially unwanted applications enabled. I downloaded the installer from Auslogics website. Here is the link -http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/after-download/-

    The MD5, and SHA1 Hash Sums are below:

    MD5: 78d0e9be22ec30b85607531b8b79e039
    SHA1: cbb2daddcb9c95ccd3d54926485bd760afaa17c6
     

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    Last edited: Jan 29, 2014
  18. tgell

    tgell Registered Member

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    I would add Puran Defag unless that has changed.
     
  19. zfactor

    zfactor Registered Member

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    nod does not block the installer for me until i try to run it.
     
  20. anon

    anon Registered Member

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  21. hayc59

    hayc59 Updates Team

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  22. puff-m-d

    puff-m-d Registered Member

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    Hello Cutting_Edgetech,

    Sorry about the late response as I just noticed your post...

    I just tried again as pe your request and received the same results as my previous post:
    2/1/2014 11:42:18 AM HTTP filter file -http://downloads.auslogics.com/en/disk-defrag/disk-defrag-setup.exe a variant of Win32/OpenCandy.A potentially unsafe application connection terminated - quarantined Threat was detected upon access to web by the application: C:\Program Files (x86)\Ad Muncher\AdMunch.exe.
    2/1/2014 11:42:45 AM Document protection file -http://downloads.auslogics.com/en/disk-defrag/disk-defrag-setup.exe a variant of Win32/OpenCandy.A potentially unsafe application cleaned by deleting - quarantined

    My settings...
    [​IMG]
    Downloaded from same link...

    My results:
    MD5: 78D0E9BE22EC30B85607531B8B79E039
    SHA1: CBB2DADDCB9C95CCD3D54926485BD760AFAA17C6
    The same as yours...
    Definitely strange... Did you verify your settings that I show in the above image? If your settings are the same, you may want to post over to the ESET forum and ask why this is happening?
     
  23. hayc59

    hayc59 Updates Team

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    well joined in on the fun and even Outpost Suite Blocked install
    open candy NO good
     
  24. Ashley Miller

    Ashley Miller Registered Member

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    Response from Auslogics

    Hi everyone. I would like to respond to some of the ideas that have been mentioned in this thread and shed some light on what Auslogics has been up to lately. Basically, like many software makers these days, especially those that publish freeware, we have been trying to find ways to keep our freeware products free while still constantly improving them, providing regular updates and maintaining the high quality our users have grown to expect from Auslogics software.

    We had partnered with OpenCandy as a platform that provides 3rd party software offers during the install process. OpenCandy is a legitimate platform, one of the most respected and reliable in this field actually. It is used by many software publishers, and they do have procedures in place for screening their offers, so none of those offers contain malware. However, seeing so much negative feedback regarding this undertaking made us discontinue using OpenCandy for this purpose. We value our reputation and do not want to be associated with something that causes so many ill feelings. As of today our software installers do not contain 3rd party offers from OpenCandy.

    One other point I wanted to make is that Auslogics does not and never will include any hidden 3rd party offers that are installed silently without the user’s consent. There always is a way to opt out of the offer.

    I would like to thank you all for your valuable feedback and for caring. Although I don’t always have the time to follow discussions or respond here, this forum has always been a source of very useful opinion that helps us improve our software and ensure that it keeps meeting user needs. That is priceless and we truly appreciate all your comments! Special thanks to those of our faithful friends who have stuck with Auslogics through all of this – we love you!
     
  25. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    Re: Response from Auslogics

    Hi Ashley... thanks for stopping by.

    I'm not sure it's "Open Candy" or any other FREEware support method that's the main issue. the main issue is human engineering. The general user would never care about these types of offers being scary if they were always presented as OPT-IN offers rather than OPT-OUT offers. Installing something by default if no user intervention occurs is a terrible approach. I can't tell you how many systems I see that have Internet Explorer full of every optional Help/Search/Security bar that ever existed. These occur due to OPT-OUT offers, not OPT-IN offers. Why aren't these offers made as OPT-IN? If a user wants it, he or she CHECKs a box and moves on, otherwise a clean install is made.

    OPT-OUT is clearly an approach to take advantage of maximum human engineering... OPT-IN is ideal for all who use such tools.
     
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