www.giantcompany.com - Popup problem

One of the employees in our office gets an error message stating "You are using an illegal version of the software. You're in violation of software license. Need to purchase full verison of software to prevent further action. Visit www.giantcompany.com." It lists a stolen registration number, an install date, the version number and lists email addresses for all other members in our offices.

We have no illegal software installed, this is a standalone computer however we have a file server for sharing data.

The other thing that happens is that this large pop-up window only gives you an option to click OK, at which time her computer totally locks up and she has to reboot.

It will usually reboot fine until the computer is turned off, but appears the next time the computer is rebooted and she opens up Microsoft Outlook.

It has also renamed her homepage to SSII.

I'm going to take Hijack This into the office in case you need to see the log. I did run NeoTrace so have got that info if it will help.

Just wanted to know if anyone else has gone through this mystery and what's been found.

 

Have just visited the website you posted......its the "home" of the program <spam inspector>........no odd behavior was encountered while at the website......it offers a 50% commission to anyone selling the program.

if the program was in fact installed on the computer that could explain it poping up when the mail program was opened....it is a spam inspector...so would open with outlook.............as for being hijacked.....changing of the homepage is usually associated with a hijack....however, my guess would be that there is more to this then a start page hijack........if the program was actually install.......an then un=installed......tell-tale signs would remain....an could be fairly easily found.....the person who administors the computers would be the correct person to deal with this issue..........you mention an office enviorment...........but it appears that programs can be freely download and installed....such as hijack this..........an the employees just do whatever they please..........so anything is possible.......my suggection would be to fire the person who administors the computers for not having correctly prevented access...an for improperly not preventing hijacking or spyware installs.............
If it were a personal computer owned by an idividual I personal would galdly offer every effort to help.........but in this case someone is being payed to solve such problem......so, let the person do what they are being payed to do.

 

I happen to have this software and have corrected errors by uninstalling/reinstalling, updating the version (4.0.442). Their support has really been undesirable for me.... multiple requests gone unanswered, web page errors! I wonder if they are still there or folding.

 

Steve

Sorry to hear of your problems......however, although I am on my way out the forum at the moment.....if ever you decided to look for another spam type program...just post back asking for suggestions.....there are several real nice FREE anti-spam progams around....I am sure you will have many suggestions offered by other members here

 

Will do...

I'm pretty familiar with some spam programs but I always enjoy reading some good opinions. I've been using Securebat/BayesFilter and Thunderbird more than Outlook for awhile now. I have had the giantco. program since it first came out. To be fair I should of gave some credit for their support since at the beginning of development, support response was OK then dwindled away for some reason. One reason that I just noticed could be that they have been working on their new AntiSpyware program and put everyone on the backburner.

 

Giant company is no good, they have advertising and spyware. I have blocked a few pop-up ads from this stinking Giant company.

 

Thanks Guys! We do have Spam Inspector installed but used the free trial period which likely just expired. We never received any pop-up advising us that the trial period was about to expire or had expired but perhaps this was their way of letting us know. They could have used a nicer way to advise us rather than locking up the system! We will uninstall and see if this resolves the problem.

 

I agree SalGal! That's a harsh ending to a trial period. I wonder if their look-a-like "I Hate Spam" software does the same.

 

Hi there nadirah,

Can't say that I've gotten any pop-up ads over the past years from this co. I would write them and complain about it if this ever happened to me since I have their full version. I don't like stinking pop-up ads either and wouldn't have bought the program if that was the case.

 

SalGal

My compliments..for not having mis-understood my post....it appeared obvious that Spam Inspector had been install......an I was not sure just how to say that.........thinking that perhaps an employee was just not being honest about having install it........
In the case where its a business enviorment there could be very serious legal issues if a person attempts even to clean or repair.....without the permission of the business owner......the administrator should always be consulted.
If I may respectfully suggest.......the computers involded REALLY NEED a very good cleaning............an the system administrator should make this a number one priority........an some means of preventing program installs by employees should be implmented...........before a real serious problem results.....such as trogan infection........
SalGal.....my very sincere best wishes.......prosper....


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STEVE


The BAT is a very good program.......other that BECKY....its one of the best (last I re-call).........hmmmm, I wonder if BECKY is still around ?


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NADIRAH

Thank you for sharing your knowledge of this company.....doing so may prevent others from having a bad experience with that company.

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NOTE:

As a matter of fairness....has anyone contacted the Company an allowed the company to offer an explanation It would seem the right thing to do.

 

Hey SnowGuy!

Pleasant day Huh?

I've briefly dated Becky in the past but don't know if she is still around anymore.
Hey...you know...finding an email program can be an individualistic choice to make. Depends on many variables inherent to user preferences and abilities. Being a control freak like myself, I have to try out in long drawn detail most everything that seems worthy!

 

Steve

greetings.....an yes, it has been a very fine day......

yes, e-mail programs can indeed be a very personal choice suited only to the individual. Actually I stopped using e-mail many years ago...but will at times us web mail.....very rarely.........e-mail has become so abused its of no interest to me..........although I do have a couple of e-mail programs that I could install and use.....

well....guess I'll be calling it a day......see you later, perhaps....wishing you well Steve....

 

See what my firefox browser's adblock blocked:
the blocked Giant company advertisement is underlined in black.

 

Nadirah,

so you block a few popup ads from a company, and based on that you can make the accusation of "advertising and spyware"? Other than than your adblock log (which is no big deal since ads are everywhere, welcome to the Internet), where is your proof that this company is guilty of the things you charge them with?

Do Spybot and Adaware flag their files as spyware or adware? Did they attempt a driveby installation of anything while visiting their website? Which of their programs or files are adware or spyware?

Based on your Firefox log, Google's a bigger culprit of what you accuse giantcomapny of, so again, what exactly are you basing your accusations on?

And is there any proof that this company's software was responsible for the browser hijacking in the first post? The only thing I really don't like is their dubious method of "informing" customers of the end of the trial period, these tactics are objectionable. But to move from there to accusations of spyware and adware amount to an equally dubious guilt by association tactic, unless you can show specific proof. Banner ads are NOT proof, to say the least.

 

I checked the site itself [NOT the program] and found no bad behaviour.

It asked permission for just 1 cookie, that cookie expired at 'End of Session'.

My only gripe [nothing to do with site itself] was that it had this section:

I presumed it was an online scan as most reasonably would, but it went to another page and immediately started to download. [Luckily I have set to 'ask']

It wanted to download the 5.7Mb file of the program itself.
and this...

....that annoyed me.

This was just an observation on the site itself.

I checked logs, AdAware's AdWatch etc. and I had no alerts, no pop-ups tried, no Browser HJ tried, nothing significant apart from the 1 'End of Session Expirary' cookie.

TAS

 

MRSCT....I have split your post and a response post concerning your problem to a thread of it's own in order to make it more productive in trying to fix your problem.

This thread---> Giant AS and loss of Internet connection