Comodo has online activation??!!

Discussion in 'other firewalls' started by Fuzzfas, Sep 3, 2009.

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  1. Fuzzfas

    Fuzzfas Registered Member

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    Today after a long time i thought to try the newest Comodo version. And to my surprise,

    http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/4273/41321826.png

    41321826.png

    Strange, i 've been using Comodo for a long time, but only now they need to call home to activate my "FREE" license?

    Why does it seem more to me that they call home to report whether or not i installed the various toolbars?

    I hate online activations in paid products, let alone in free ones.

    So, thanks for the ride, farewell Comodo. Luckily i still have the "golden" .439 version.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 3, 2009
  2. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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  3. tipstir

    tipstir Registered Member

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    Don't see your issue to their contacting their servers..
     
  4. Fuzzfas

    Fuzzfas Registered Member

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    Thanks Aigle. Fortunately i have the "best" version kept on a DVD: 3.5.x.439, which isn't available in filehippo.

    It's the version before the introduction of Threatcast and the only which had no "fixed" issues later. The most bug free ever. :thumb:
     
  5. Fuzzfas

    Fuzzfas Registered Member

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    I did clean installation, of the firewall only, in proactive mode and voilà... the activation thingie.

    Anyway, for me Comodo's firewall has moved in the wrong direction. I didn't get the "is your computer clean" question like in .439, resulting in several useless popups right after installing. Also the new pop ups don't show by default the "treat as" option, you need to click "more" (?) to see them. So extra steps. The .439 is much more friendly for me and has no "activation". So, end of the road for me. As long as .439 works, i will use it. When i will move to Windows 7, i will simply use something else.
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2009
  6. Nebulus

    Nebulus Registered Member

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    The issue here is that contacting servers after the app was installed is absolutely not necessary.
     
  7. Fuzzfas

    Fuzzfas Registered Member

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    To be more precise, this screen, is the last one during installation. What i know for sure, is that, at least up until version 3.5.x.349 which i currently use, such "activation" was not requested and you could install Comodo even offline and then block cmdagent.exe and auto-updates and it wouldn't protest about anything.

    For some reason (which at this point is anyone's guess), they decided in the last step of the installation, to introduce this "free license activation" thing. It's their right , it's my right not to like it too, so , as long as i can help it, i m not using the new versions from now on.
     
  8. firzen771

    firzen771 Registered Member

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    i prefer not to use ANY version of Comodo ;)
     
  9. IceCube1010

    IceCube1010 Registered Member

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    Just curious, why do you hate online activations?
    Ice
     
  10. Carver

    Carver Registered Member

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    I don't mind online activations but as for Fuzzfas hate of on line activations..it is one step closer to charging for activation maybe. But they have always activated their product (it has a serial number) this time the activation screen is more visible. It is still the best "Free" firewall.
     
  11. firzen771

    firzen771 Registered Member

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    thats subjective... :cautious:
     
  12. Fuzzfas

    Fuzzfas Registered Member

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    Short answer (post no. 22)
    http://forums.comodo.com/feedbackco...this_is_new-t44779.0.html;msg323645#msg323645

    For more complete answer you have to search my posts here. There is somewhere, i am too tired to explain it from scratch.


    Having a serial number doesn't automatically mean that you need to connect to the internet to activate it. AVG Free was coming with a built in serial in every installer, it didn't mean that it needed to call home.

    I m almost tempted to revert back to my "clean" image, and reinstall Comodo from scratch with Active ports running or even a second firewall, just to see if previous version really activated online , which i doubt.
     
  13. tipstir

    tipstir Registered Member

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    Still don't see what's the hoop la over this. Yeah I know you had mention why but still the software is free they're giving you a free lifetime license. I know the toolbar feature I had rejected that. The online community registering is optional feature. Though using the Comodo DNS servers instead would concern me though for privacy reasons which I don't use.
     
  14. IceCube1010

    IceCube1010 Registered Member

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    thanks, I see your point kinda. If your worried about software calling home with possible info on your machine, you should stop right there. M$ has a novel on all of us that use their OS. I used to be paranoid like that and wanted to know every connection out/in but after awhile I just gave up. Now, malware and keyloggers concern me more. Drive-by downloads and such. I more concerned with sandboxing and AV's.

    peace,
    Ice
     
  15. andyman35

    andyman35 Registered Member

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    If memory serves me right the old Comodo firewall used to do the online activation thing,it just seems that they've reintroduced it.It's not necessarily sinister,some companies just use it to ascertain the overall number of users.
     
  16. simisg

    simisg Registered Member

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    i dont see any online activation...... everything normal for me
     
  17. Carver

    Carver Registered Member

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    I agree I know the last couple of versions had had a dialog box saying we are now going to activate your free firewall/AV but the dialog box went by so fast it was no more than a flash. I know the serial number goes back to when Comodo first introduced firewall Pro 3.0 but it probably goes back farther than that and just use it to ascertain the overall number of users.
     
  18. renegade08

    renegade08 Registered Member

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    I hate online activations too.
    It's not that some software will call home. Yes indeed i want to know about it and if possible to control it.
    But look at Macrium Reflect. In my knowledge it requires online activation.
    Maybe it's just my point of view, but that is only thing that it keeps it from not taking massive share over other imaging programs. And of course the quality of the program is important too.
    I think that most people are making bakup image of their PC offline.
    Why just don't they make it like Avast Home registration? You go to the page, get the serial and that's it. No more, no less.
     
  19. Fuzzfas

    Fuzzfas Registered Member

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    I use Macrium too and i hate the activation too. Not only because of the usual reasons (and that in case it goes belly up you 're stuck with a useless piece of software), but also because i usually use Macrium when i do a fresh windows installation and want to backup "clean windows and drivers only" or "clean windows and startup set of programs". It has happened to me that my ISP had problems and i couldn't use the internet connection. So i couldn't use Macrium either. So i couldn't make the backup i wanted. I had to either proceed without making my image or wait until my ISP got back online.

    I hate it. I simply hate it.
     
  20. Smokey

    Smokey Registered Member

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    Because they try to protect their product against illegal "activities". Just a serial is to simple and not satisfying (secure) enough to reach that aim. ;)
     
  21. renegade08

    renegade08 Registered Member

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    You Got to Be Kidding Me! Right? :eek:
    About what illegal "activities" are you talking, Man?

    We are talking, (at least i'm speaking) about Macrium Reflect Free Edition.
    Who is hacking the free edition of: Avira Free, Avast Home(Free) or AVG Free, and i can go on with the list?
    Backup imaging programs or to be more precise making bakup image is a little more specific from security apps.
    If you have read the forum you can find numerous people that are making image only of Windows and drivers (with no security or any other application).
    And connecting to Internet with that configuration, well you can probably imagine the consequences.
    Maybe you misunderstand my posting.

    I realize that for paid edition of Macrium that probably, i repeat probably must be online activation, but for the free version?
    I know that some security apps are requiring online activation, but i just want to say, that Macrium are losing too much users of free version, and potential users of paid version. If someone is satisfied with the free, he would probably go for the paid one.
    That how works with other comapanies that offer both free and paid versions.
    If you like Online Armor free, and/or if you want some additional features you will go for the paid version.
    That's probably known by most of the companies and they are using it (at least the smart companies).
    And imagine the feedback that company can get from free users can improve their paid version, which mostly i presume will be sold to big corporations and they can make money.


    Macrium Reflect Free Edition 4.2 build 2076
    http://download.cnet.com/Macrium-Reflect-Free-Edition/3000-2242_4-10845728.html

    Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - for personal use
    http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2009
  22. Wildest

    Wildest Registered Member

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    Guy, what is up with all this "Macrium" BS? o_O
    This is a Comodo thread, buddy. :rolleyes:
     
  23. renegade08

    renegade08 Registered Member

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    Guy, we are talking about online activations.
    Yes i know that is Comodo thread, buddy, but i was only giving answer to asked question. Nothing more.
    He can use P.M if he wants. It's fine by me.
     
  24. SammyJack

    SammyJack Registered Member

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    Wildtest:
    There seems to be a problem with your signature.
    Somehow "moderator",Global or otherwise, has been deleted or left out.
    Thought you would want to know.Buddy.
     
  25. Wildest

    Wildest Registered Member

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    Friend, they are talking about online activations.

    You are trying to make it seem as if you are not covertly promoting this "Macrium".

    Why else would you put download links for a product in the thread of a competitor, when no one asked for them?
    ;)
     
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