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326

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 17, 2016, 02:12 AM »

I'm thinking this might explain what you're experiencing: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1654402

-Dirhael (February 15, 2016, 12:06 PM)

Very good catch!

The only Adobe entry I could find in winpatrol's Start list was AdobeARM...

-holt (February 15, 2016, 11:27 PM)

"Adobe Speed Launcher" shows as the 3rd item in your "winpatrol 7.jpg" screen capture. Maybe it doesn't last long in the list due to whatever bug it has.  The directions in Dirhael's link should fix your problem.

-mwb1100 (February 16, 2016, 01:12 AM)

And look at the command- I didn't pay enough attention.  It appears to be a number.  WinPatrol strikes again!

-wraith808 (February 16, 2016, 01:37 PM)

Dirhael, it's an outrageously good catch! Ever since I disabled AdobeARM, "Adobe Speed Launcher" isn't showing up, but I'll start looking for it.
Donation Coder does it again!

327

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 15, 2016, 11:27 PM »

I'm thinking this might explain what you're experiencing: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1654402

[...]Speed Launcher is adding a HKCU RunOnce entry over and over again and assigning a random number to it.  This is then of course alerting WinPatrol who is monitoring new startup programs[...]

-Dirhael (February 15, 2016, 12:06 PM)

The only Adobe entry I could find in winpatrol's Start list was AdobeARM, which I have thankfully disabled. It is reported to be unnecessary to normal operation of the OS, can be started when needed anyways, and -yes- is reported to be variously problematic. This may indeed be the culprit; and as a legitimate program, no anti-virus or anti-pup scan would find it. I can't thank you and the other respondents enough for all your help! 

328

Living Room / Re: In-Car Emergency Kit - Your Recommendations

« Last post by holt on February 15, 2016, 11:08 PM »

Paper copies of Boy Scout and Girl Scout manuals, which are full of sensible survival information. There may be vintage 'best editions' which those 'in the know' may hold consensus of opinion are to be sought after even as used copies, but any edition is worth keeping handy in a heavy-duty 'freezer' zip-lock baggie.
A box of heavy duty trash bags for keeping critical items dry.
I might also mention an umbrella, to protect you from the sun in hot climes; I prefer black, because I've tried light colors before, and it is no fun standing under the glare of an off-white umbrella in the desert with a borderline heat stroke headache and wishing you had got the black one for the superior relief from eye strain. Just a normal size is fine; it is very fatiguing to fight the wind holding a really large size.

329

General Software Discussion / hulu & tor

« Last post by holt on February 15, 2016, 12:09 PM »

Is there any way to watch hulu videos using Tor? Hulu recognizes tor and cuts me off.

330

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 15, 2016, 05:04 AM »

-mwb1100 (February 14, 2016, 11:21 PM)

It's back, right on cue. Sorry, but clicking on the "Open Folder" or "Properties" link in the warning dialog gives no visible result or clue about what the program is.

331

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 15, 2016, 02:34 AM »

On reboot winpatrol reported the mystery program asking to be added to the start menu.
Here are the screen shots of winpatrol, in case someone can spot any difference;
edit: Disclaimer; BTW, the laptop and its OS and content are 8 or 10 years old but I've only had it for a few months.

332

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 14, 2016, 09:34 PM »

It's already telling you in the image that they have nothing on the program, i.e. no description found under the blank image.  This is the standard dialog that happens when something tries to register itself.  It's likely that you have a larger problem.  I'd personally be worried.  But if you're not, let it register itself, and then look in the startup locations to see if something has truly registered there before you reboot.  I've had WinPatrol by the simple measure of monitoring save me a lot of trouble when the initial problem didn't trip any other antivirus.

-wraith808 (February 14, 2016, 08:24 PM)

Okay, you have my attention and I'm listening and worried.
The past behavior pattern is that no matter what winpatrol option I choose, permit or refuse, it's always back with the same thing on subsequent reboots.
Except--originally it was always the same initial mystery number; now, it changes each reboot.
How about if I post a set of screen shots of winpatrol's startup list with the mystery program rejected, then reboot, permit the item to start, and create a new set. Maybe something will show, maybe not. So here goes...
The next three pictures will be with mystery program rejected by winpatrol from start-up and start menu.
Edit: I rebooted, and the mystery program has not reappeared again yet; if or when it does, I will make a new post here about it, but until it does reappear, I guess there won't be much to say.

333

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 14, 2016, 07:50 PM »

Screen shot of winpatrol's mysterious report:

334

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 13, 2016, 12:03 PM »

Did you ever contact them about it?

-wraith808 (February 13, 2016, 09:04 AM)

Affirmative. Several days ago.

335

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 13, 2016, 06:19 AM »

I'll take your word for it. I instructed winpatrol to disable itself from its own list of start on boot programs, and it 'proved it was a robot' by happily complying. Nice program, impressive, but none of my other defensive software is giving cryptic numerical warnings like that.

336

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 13, 2016, 02:28 AM »

On my next to last boot, winpatrol no longer found 'new startup program' 1454789523, but one ending in ...1184. I rejected it and rebooted, and now it says it is number 1455351627, with 'company name not included in this program'. I am beginning to suspect these are just arbitrary code numbers assigned by winpatrol to make me buy the pro version. I have quite a few anti-virus and anti-pup programs installed, and none of them are finding anything remotely like this, and I'm not so sure if freeware winpatrol is worth the nag factor anymore.

On reboot, now winpatrol says it is program 1455358278.

337

Living Room / Re: good Videos [short films] here :)

« Last post by holt on February 10, 2016, 11:01 PM »

What I mean about the leopard's 'purity of motive' is kind of like, imagine one of those drama movies where the officer or culprit is called in for a psyche evaluation of 'Why did you do that?' or 'How do you feel about what happened?' after a physical confrontation or altercation. Imagine the shopping list of possible human responses; childhood trauma, professional or personal mental baggage, legal ramifications, personal resentments, or to what degree training played a part, or if it was a result of a misperception or misunderstanding; resulting in page after page of lengthy multifaceted endlessly convoluted human testimony, all of which may be in need of cross-verifying to weed out false motives or hidden agendas. Then instead, imagine if the adult full-on wild eight year old male leopard could talk, being asked all those psyche evaluation questions; resulting in a stunningly brief set of responses that boils down to hair-trigger jungle instincts on full-auto and describable in what amounts to 'ten words or less', none of it the least bit duplicitous or in need of second-guessing.

338

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 10, 2016, 10:46 PM »

WinPatrol Plus doesnt have any info about this either -- they say they now have it on record because I searched for it (just in case they tell you there were enquiries!).
I would definitely contact them.

-tomos (February 09, 2016, 05:52 AM)

I emailed them yesterday; no word back yet, but I'll post here the instant I get a reply.

339

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« Last post by holt on February 10, 2016, 09:16 PM »

Familiarizing myself with MiniTool Partition Wizard (so I wouldn't bug you so much), I found this; The Difference Between Basic and Dynamic Hard Disks, "Dynamic disks are not supported on laptop computers." All this is a little over my head, but I note this because my computer is a laptop with Windows XP Tablet and a 100GB SSD hard drive. The external drive case which I'm thinking of getting, is to hold a 500GB platter type 7400 RPM SATA hard drive.

-holt (January 16, 2016, 09:33 PM)

After weeks of waiting, the slow boat from China arrived and so did my external drive case. I'm surprised at the speed of data transfer; evidently USB 3.0 is pretty fast, and it was my old thumb drive that was the slow poke. I plan to familiarize myself with the external drive setup, and then figure out how to create a clone backup of the laptop drive OS in a secondary partition on the external drive. Somewhere down the line, then to address your suggestion of aligning the laptop's SSD drive. The external drive and USB 3.0 connection are really quite fast.

I can't figure out how to instruct MWB to scan the external drive. Does it do that automatically only after doing C:?

340

Living Room / Re: good Videos [short films] here :)

« Last post by holt on February 08, 2016, 08:06 PM »

Leopard enters Indian school; kicks ass;
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=27d_1454936565
Leopard caption; "That'll teach you creeps to give me a failing grade in survival skills." I added this as sort of a comic relief; schools seem to be focal points for all sorts of confrontational agendas; ideologues vs. civil rights vs. ego-trips vs. you name it; India as the venue is beside the point, it could be anywhere. In spite of zero tolerance zealotry and hyped up security, schools as proper institutions of higher learning sometimes become freeforalls for the lowest common denominator, and degenerate into thuggish human law of the jungle (not that I approve; I most certainly do not). Enter the leopard, an apex brawler of great natural beauty, power, prowess, and purity of motive, onto a real school scene and suddenly all bets are off, and all the petty human bickerers are backing off. It's also nice to see the authorities didn't shoot the big cat dead, but tranquilized and relocated him as an unspeakably valuable natural resource. And by the way nobody got killed.

341

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by holt on February 08, 2016, 09:50 AM »

I discovered Wilhelm Kempff this week.
I also discovered Beethoven's Tempest Sonata -- via Nokia's 'Silver' ringtone which is a variation on the start of the third movement :-)
Beethoven's Tempest Sonata - Third Movement
(no other performance I've heard on youtube touches this one)

-tomos (February 05, 2016, 06:16 AM)

Very nice. I've been listening to this lately; at the time, poor Isaac Stern looks like his health is about ready to fail at any moment, but his playing proves him ever the Master. Isaac Stern & Jean-Bernard Pommier - César Franck Violin Sonata in A major - 1st & 2nd mvt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ5KCcVduQE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmAnoAyOgp4

342

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 08, 2016, 08:50 AM »

At least once a day winpatrol pops up with a message do I want to allow 1454942036 to be added to the start menu, or not, or to disable; I have chosen 'no' so far. The options to go to the folder or show properties always produce no visible result. Today I ran Process Explorer for Windows XP, and searched for the number, and also for any rogue program names, and found nothing. It is rather frustrating. If not for winpatrol begging me to buy winpatrol plus for 'more info', I would never even know there was anything to it. Scans by MWB and a few other defensive programs find nothing like it. Deozaan found it at https://archive.is/uKEGy a snapshot of winpatrol still with no further info. I keep wondering if it is a subprogram of something legit, but since it has no identifying features except a persistent nagging to be added to the start menu, I am thinking of telling winpatrol to disable it if no further info can be found. If there is no folder, perhaps it is a stand-alone similar to a coding snack. Or, since I have disabled a few legitimate programs to maximize RAM and performance on this vintage laptop, perhaps one of those is trying to selfstart.

343

Living Room / Re: In-Car Emergency Kit - Your Recommendations

« Last post by holt on February 08, 2016, 12:03 AM »

A fluorescent orange sleeveless vest with reflective tape.

344

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 06, 2016, 10:12 PM »

Anybody want to click that link for me? 

-Stephen66515 (February 06, 2016, 02:34 PM)

Let someone else do it for you:

https://archive.is/uKEGy

-Deozaan (February 06, 2016, 09:50 PM)

Any idea what it is, please?

345

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 06, 2016, 04:48 PM »

After I ran MWB and a few other scans, Win Patrol said the mystery program wanted permission to be added to the Start menu again, and I rejected it again. When I click on 'show folder' nothing happens.

I only have winpatrol freeware.

346

Living Room / Re: In-Car Emergency Kit - Your Recommendations

« Last post by holt on February 06, 2016, 04:42 PM »

Chemically luminescent plastic light sticks that you bend to break the inner glass vial and shake to give a greenish light that's good for several hours, is non-electric and safe around gasoline spills, and waterproof

-holt (February 05, 2016, 09:32 PM)

Longest description ever for a "Glow Stick"

-Stephen66515 (February 06, 2016, 12:20 AM)

Oh yes, one of those, too.

347

General Software Discussion / Re: malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 06, 2016, 03:00 PM »

It's a link to a WinPatrol web page for the mystery number; 1454789523; as such, I didn't believe it would cause a problem for anyone. Sorry.

348

General Software Discussion / malware or ? #1454789523

« Last post by holt on February 06, 2016, 02:32 PM »

The following is a WinPatrol web page about a mystery number representing a program that asks permission to be added to the Start menu:

http://www.winpatrol...;1&0&0&0

349

Living Room / Re: In-Car Emergency Kit - Your Recommendations

« Last post by holt on February 05, 2016, 09:32 PM »

For major auto accident injuries to help control massive bleeding, a package of maxie size feminine hygiene pads (recommended to me once by a former Green Beret).
Temporary fix for minor radiator leaks; a can of black pepper.
Chemically luminescent plastic light sticks that you bend to break the inner glass vial and shake to give a greenish light that's good for several hours, is non-electric and safe around gasoline spills, and waterproof; also some dark tape to cover one side so you don't blind yourself.
One or more 'space blankets'.
One of those little fold-up Army shovels; you can alternate between jacking the stuck car tire up a little at a time, and putting dirt under the tire, jacking it up some more, add more dirt, going back and forth alternately, to dig your car out of a deep rut or ditch; also a long narrow section of old carpet for traction.
A can of carburetor spray, and one of ether easy engine start spray, road flares, spare tire in a can aerosol can.
I read somewhere that if a person wants to pull over off the side of a road and sleep off 'one drink too many' while remaining in the vehicle, they can still charge you with a technical DUI if the car keys are in the car, so the suggestion was to put the keys on the road under the car; don't know how good the advice is, and I don't drink; so comment--anyone?
BTW your car is a beaut.

350

Living Room / Re: Why GOD has not updated the world ?

« Last post by holt on February 04, 2016, 09:47 PM »

Oh! About leaving. If God could change the laws of the universe so that all paths are mobius strips, that'd be just awesome! We're talking major version upgrade here! 

-Renegade (January 21, 2016, 05:50 PM)

How about a Klein Bottle?