I want to kill Dr. Watson

I'm not even surprised any more when windows just ignores my settings. XP consistently finds new ways to activate components that you think have been disabled...Yet, to be sporting, I at least try to assert my preferences and people are always coming up with new things.

What seems to happen is this:

A program hangs up some times (for known reasons). Automatically the program. tries to run to Microsoft with the information. Somehow in this scenario, "Dr. Watson" is raised from the dead! I'm no XP XPert, but I gather the good doctor is a snitch the tries to send information to Microsoft. I've disabled error reporting, and even turned off Dr. Watson in the registry. It fries my bacon to have a program send unknown information out of my computer without my knowledge or consent. That's what trojans do, right?

Anyway, of course I have a security program that detects this unacceptble usurping of my authority, but it still bothers me. I guess what happens is when you install a commercial program it can decide to generate crash reports and send them, even to the extent of turning Dr. Watson back on!

Could this really be the scenario, or must I have re-enabled it and forgotten about it?


-HandsOff

 

I just set my hips to block dr watson executing, works well for me.

 

Dr Watson used to piss me off every once in a while. I disabled it. No worries.

M$ instructions for ditching Dr. Watson.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/188296

I'm so much happier without Dr. Watson.

 

Thanx for the link!!! I tried disabling to no avail. I had it blocked but I would get a pop-up from my a/v, bragging about it's self-defense mechanism. I disabled auto-updates but it still checks at boot-up You wouldn't happen to have a link for that would you

 

What do you expect from Dr. Watson ? He was the dumb assistent of Sherlock Holmes. You can't use such a man on your computer. Get rid of him.

 

Take your pick 19monty64 (if this is to what you were referring).

http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/1176/

http://www.jsifaq.com/SF/Tips/Tip.aspx?id=5587

Don't forget about WMP, that'll look for update's too if not dealt with.


Steve

 

...check,

...check, good2go.....thanx4the tips..........hey, maybe we should have a Windows-tips&cheats forum........hmmmmmmm?!?!

 

There are ways around Microsofts "WPA".

Trust me. Type WPA into "Google" and you'll find one.

I just went through this nonsense after installing
a new graphics card.

I am a legitimate "owner" of a copy of WIN XP PRO.

I registered and activated it back when I first installed it.

I WILL NOT be pestered by Mr. Gates and his merry crew
anytime I choose to make changes to my system.

The one that really cracked me up was when I installed
"IE7" and XP said I had to activate.

I'm very pleased with myself that I chose to make a
"Restore point" before hand.

On top of everything else, "IE7" is Garbage!

I'm using "Firefox" and am quite happy with it
thank you very much.

 

Microsoft's first job is to create a safe Windows only and without MS Applications.
Microsoft's second job is to make any Third Party Software possible under Windows.
Microsoft's third job is to inform the user which kind of applications he minimum needs to install to make his computer workable, the rest is upto the user.

The good Third Party Companies create much better applications than Microsoft and let the user choose which applications are good for him.
If the user isn't smart enough MS can always give him another CD with standard Third Party Softwares on it.

 

And also don't forget that microsoft so conveniently & formally includes a "rider" to all 3 of those jobs mentioned, that give them completely uninhibited permission to pee you off.

You only need select from their many varieties of pre-set poision. There are many.

For me it begins with the initial inconveniences of pre-settings & unneccessary services everytime i choose to insert their plastic wheel in my ROM drive.

This is why Nlite was created.

 

Same thing with automatic updates. I used to allow auto updates until M$ updates starting changing my file association types and installing new BS that I will never use. I may be running M$ software, but it's MY damn computer that I paid for with my hard-earned money. Security updates and patches are one thing, but installing a bunch of other needless crap (much of which has severe security vulnerabilities) without my permission is another. But even after disabling auto updates, it still tries to do so at times. Yes, I understand that there are EULAs that allow M$ to do everything except steal your firstborn child, but most of those EULAs would be unenforeable (at least in US court) and would be considered as unconscionable contracts. How can any spyware be any worse than M$ searching your entire system and changing what it wants to how Mr. Gates wants it to be? No difference, in my book. I still keep my system updated, but I do it manually. Pain in the butt, but better than opening up my whole system to uncle Bill.

 

TOTALLY AGREE KDNeese!

Our equipment is our own, bought & paid for goods, and what $M forces into it sometimes borders on First-Degree Vandalism IMHO and punishable in my book by completely dismissing & barring anything more they try to pass off as some critical security patch or otherwise AFAIK.

I don't use them. (SP1) That's all.

Malware authors pick them apart like wet noodles with each one, and what they don't fashion to exploit those units, $M forces distractions by cramming all those totally useless files into space better served for more useful purposes.

I been all over that same ground with Windows 98 when their updates would either crash & burn or else slow system response noticably.

$M doesn't change my system because i choose to be in COMPLETE CONTROL in the same manner as when i drive my car. You have to watch the other guy, and in this case the other guy is yours truly ($M)

 

I was a much happier person when I was ignorant of the various programs running behind my back. Thank you my fellow members for making me a bitter, suspicious person I had a miltonian battle with ctfmon.exe. Took it off the startup menu, still there, deleted it from system32, came back. Finally changed the local security policy and that worked. Now I have a system log full of "ctfmon blocked". The funny thing is that I don't even have MS Office on my comp. I'm just glad that I never ran into a virus as tough as ctfmon. We should all be thankful that Mr. Gates did not become a hacker (?).

 

Just think about that. He of all people would be the absolute ultimate master at hacking anytime he so desires. A lot of what i found in windows behavior itself coupled with all the swiss cheese security holes they fashion in it leave me to doubt his sincerity. (Heh)

 

Of course, if Gates were a hacker instead of the owner of the biggest software company in the world with the largest installed base, we'd probably all be running OSes that aren't full of holes big enough to drive a bus through.

 

Thanks for that link. Dr Watson doesnt bother me at all anymore!

 

nlite enables you to remove lots of crap before even installing windows.

amongst the removable crap is dr. watson, of course.

and the lovely messengers

http://www.nliteos.com/

heavily recommended to anyone who still dares to use windows.