h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh yes, MSN is spyware.

There you go. It's why I thought that it was a bit unbaloanced to warn people of google without giving the same warning for MS.

You can 'Opt in or Out' in terms of IE or other MS products collecting data on use when you install their stuff. There's usually a 'check box' that says something along lines of:-
'Help MS improve by allowing data to be collected on how installation and use of' - or words to that affect anyway.
Their privacy policy goes someway to protect your data and confidentiality. It allows MS to see how things install/work without interfering with the product so to speak. Most software providers tend to do this as well, as to extent/amount of data they get, no idea.
I think ultimately all Windows will operate under the banner Windows Live. That's mail, messenger, Search etc. It's all Vista driven at the end of the day.

If you install Vista, your data are all being sent off anyway, so you might as well install the rest, too.

That's what I meant. Why would IE want to know which windows version you have on your PC if the browser can be used by all and there's only one version of it?

And Chrome asks you to help them collect data. It is not ticked as default, so you have to actively allow them to collect data by ticking that box.

That's another myth you see. Vista doesn't do that UNLESS you ticked the box that allows MS to collect such data.
It's something that all or certainly most, software suppliers do these days when you install.
Lets face it, you can track or trace anyone online if you know where and how to look, nothing is 100% secure no matter what anyone says.
The same message was on the Chrome Installation, Firefox and Opera about collecting data on how installation and ease of use went.

hi all
-
thanks st, im with it now, will reply on the other thread later.
-
slightly off topic if i may.
-
today at the cyber i had a film i wanted to watch from a download called rapidshare.
-
normally i would get it by windowmeadia, realplayer and so on, but someone that use the pc before me, had dowloaded a player called nero
-
its weird to see in two parts, as anyone used or seen nero before jim

It's on this PC, Jim, but I haven't used it. It's something my son has installed. I thought it was just for burning CD roms and such.

But Vista isn't a browser, is it? It's your OS.
I think XP requires a lot of unchecking boxes if you don't want automatic updates and stuff.

hi
-
its possible to diable updates on xp, but as the cyberman said, its not advisable. if there is a msn or windowmedia, or any major update you can miss it.
-
at you own risk, you can delete from the add and remove, any older updates. this will return the used space, but if you have plenty to start, stay with the updates. you never know when you need them.
-
jim

in answer to Bels query re why windows checks for 'authentic copies' when updating etc, it's simply a way they have of spotting pirate copies or non-genuine windows applications. It's the same thing if you install software from a CD and need to enter a CD Key and register the product. Again, it's just another check that software developers have, to try and reduce pirate copies/copying. The check involves them checking the original registeration details. The update procedure checks your pc when connected to the Update site in MS but it's actually only checking the code related to the version of windows and the authentication key/code entered.
I was wondering about something else, I wonder how many people have their pc's set up with the 'remote user' check box permanently ticked? That's a facility that allows someone to access your pc to make adjustments/amendments to installed software. For example, before I changed isp's recently, I had some techie from BT in the north access my pc to re-set the then broadband settings. It was somewhat weird watching stuff being typed on screen and I'm sat away from the keyboard.

sorry bel
-
i was off for a moment then lol
-
nero is also a type of windowmeadia, no idea what amounts of codec it as, the quality is good, but the onscreen normal is only 4 inch to see, but i would think its able to enlarge out.
-
i changed the setting back to vlc, to watch my film, im an horror fan, the older ones, if i can find any jim

I didn't ask about checking while updating, that's what I understand. I meant if you wanted to install IE - and your OS isn't Windows, it sounds as if you can't install IE as your browser.

Another thing few people know is how to properly protect the Administrator account.

If you're a regular Windows user, you probably use an account with admin rights - and have it password protected if there's any way someone else can get at it.

But you can still switch users - in the screen where you select the account - by hitting Ctrl+Alt+Del, and just tpye in "Administrator" as the user name. Unless you've set a password for that account, there isn't one...

Oh, and I think the husband has something like that (isn't it called an FTP server or something?)

I don't think my PC is open for other to change things, although we're in a network. I have my settings accordingly, so if my son wants to get data, I have to 'open' the file for this first and allow access.

Yes mal, that is a definite flaw, I found that out by sheer chance a while back.

Sorry Bel, I misunderstood there, I haven't tried installing IE on another OS. I'll put Linux back on the spare pc tomorrow and have a go, see what happens. It may be you might need to install it from a disc maybe? In theory, after all the recent court actions on allowing access to certain code against MS, you should be able to I'd have thought. I'm just guessing though, be intresting to try it out anyway.
Anyone else reading this tried doing it?

the cyber i go to as the option to the user or password admin.
-
only a few of us, that use the shop on a regular basis have the password. and we dont pass it to anyone jim

I found that out by helping the IT guys set up our institute's network... Very helpful people, if you don't ask absolutely stupid questions and pass them the correct screwdrivers, they'll give you handy hints.

Now you are all definitely into the techie mode!

hi all
-
i could try chrome, as i said at the cyber, but as they are ie, and firefox, i wont bother, i did try opera a few weeks back, but didnt like it.
-
might see if i can get the cyber boss to download it on his backup pc, lol jim

In answer to 'will IE download in another OS', the answer is no. I tried downloading it using Linux. All I succeeded in doing is getting a mega 'lock up' of linux which then crashed big style. No idea what really happened, suffice to say when I went to reboot back into XP that also had failed. I'm now in Profs domain, doing a system recovery on the XP machine. PC's eh? you gotta love em.