Video Download Software!!!!!!!

[Walter Goldschmidt]

If your thinking about installing video download software Here's some
friendly advice: DON'T DO IT!!!!! I experimented with it the last 10 days
and it's not worth the trouble. First of all I went through 4 programs
before I finally found one that worked. #5. The list is DTV4PC, Graboid,
eMule, Limewire, and finally the cream of the crop Ares. The biggest reason
I'm saying this is this software is an adware - malware magnet. Ares worked
well and did not itself cause any problems but the downloaded videos when I
ran them would infect my computer with adware & malware. My computer,
programs, Internet Explorer and mouse would all lock up and the only way out
was to turn off the computer and then turn it back on. Rebooting is time
consuming. This caused me to do 2 installs of my OS in the past week. Stay
away from these programs.

Walt

 

[Questor]

--->

If your thinking about installing video download software Here's some
friendly advice: DON'T DO IT!!!!! I experimented with it the last 10
days and it's not worth the trouble. First of all I went through 4
programs before I finally found one that worked. #5. The list is DTV4PC,
Graboid, eMule, Limewire, and finally the cream of the crop Ares. The
biggest reason I'm saying this is this software is an adware - malware
magnet. Ares worked well and did not itself cause any problems but the
downloaded videos when I ran them would infect my computer with adware &
malware. My computer, programs, Internet Explorer and mouse would all
lock up and the only way out was to turn off the computer and then turn
it back on. Rebooting is time consuming. This caused me to do 2 installs
of my OS in the past week. Stay away from these programs.

Walt

Walt: I imagine that all the malware you got was due to the videos you
downloaded more than the downloading software itself. I download videos
from Youtube and other sites every day and have never gotten so much as
a single bit of malware. Did you scan each video downloaded with your
anti-virus first before you ran it?

I use Firefox which has two very good add-ons that run inside the
browser called DownThemAll and Flashgot. Both allow you to save video
files for further A/V scanning.

I also am wondering if you have ZoneAlarm installed. If you do, and use
Firefox, there is a problem between the two of them that will hose your
connection in the manner you relate.

Questor

 

[Saucy]

when I ran them would infect my computer with adware & malware. < chop >

Walt

Well, if you are downloading the weird and wonderful it's not surprising is
it? I can't imagine folks downloading and running software from these
peer-to-peer programs, but they do.

Here's an interesting read, a little out of date but still very relevant:

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=44525

Saucy

 

[Walter Goldschmidt]

I understand what your saying I came to the same conclusion it's not
downloading the videos but when you play them. For some reason it didn't
occur to me to scan the individual files before running them but I will in
the future. Thanks.

 

[Questor]

--->

I understand what your saying I came to the same conclusion it's not
downloading the videos but when you play them. For some reason it didn't
occur to me to scan the individual files before running them but I will
in the future. Thanks.

No problem. It is apparently quite easy to imbed all sorts of nasty
things inside a video file. Scanning them with A/V before running will
usually catch the bad stuff. I also have a specific folder set up on a
thumb drive that receives ALL of my downloaded video files. That way
they can be scanned in one whack. I scan not only with AVG but with
Malwarebyte also. Both are free. Putting them on a thumb drive doesn't
keep them from spreading if they get activated, but DOES allow me to
reformat the drive without having to mess with my main drives.

Questor