Powerreg Scheduler Spyware ?

[DanR]

I just purchased a UPS made by CyberPower. Near the end of the software
installation Norton FW told me that the program "powerreg scheduler" was trying
to use the Internet and a warning about it trying to connect to a DNS server. I
allowed both connections.
I then ran the MS Anti-Spyware program and it found "powerreg scheduler" to be a
spyware threat. I quarantined it.
Has this topic come up before in this NG? I've searched all the subject headers
but not all the message bodies.

 

[Randy Knobloch]

I just purchased a UPS made by CyberPower. Near the end of the software
installation Norton FW told me that the program "powerreg scheduler" was trying
to use the Internet and a warning about it trying to connect to a DNS server. I
allowed both connections.
I then ran the MS Anti-Spyware program and it found "powerreg scheduler" to be a
spyware threat. I quarantined it.
Has this topic come up before in this NG? I've searched all the subject headers
but not all the message bodies.

Generally, registration schedulers are a nuisance start-up item that *should* be
disabled via *MSCONFIG.
*Assuming Windows XP; http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560
Go into your firewall rules or configuration settings and disallow the "phone home"
connection - as it is not needed.
This flag needless to say, is a "false-positive" and can be safely ignored.
Unless, someone can state different, which I doubt.
The item may be removed from MSAS's quarantine without concern.

Hope this helps.
Regards,

Silj

--
siljaline

MS - MVP Windows (IE/OE) & Security (AH-VSOP)
__________________________________________
Security Tools Updates
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=31

(Reply to group, as return address
is invalid - that we may all benefit)

 

[Ian E]

PowerReg Scheduler is a product of a company called Leader Technologies. I
found this out indirectly because their company name is not embedded in the
program executable, as it COULD BE if they were any kind of a company that
had any kind of ethics. They apparently have sucked companies such as
Adobe, Iomega, ViewSonic, Epson & others into using their product, even
though their disclosure practices are very poor.

The purpose of the program is to "nag" you to register a particular product
you've purchased, from one of the client companies. I guess it's supposed
to wake up at intervals (e.g. every 2 weeks) to remind you.

It's kind of suspicious looking as they install the program itself, rather
than a shortcut to a directory where the program is stored, in your Startup
folder. (That way you can't deduce how the program came to be on your
system by examining the parent directory). When you examine the program
(bring up Properties and then look at the Version tab, there is no mention
whatsoever of their company name (even though there's a field for it) or of
their client's company / product name.

I spent over an hour searching the Internet for information on the program,
to verify that it's not actually adware, etc. In the end I found a folder
on my system called PowerRegister in the following (hidden) folder:

%APPDATA%\Leadertech

(%APPDATA% expands out to "C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application
Data" on a Windows XP system)

Scanning the file for ASCII strings, I found the word ViewSonic,
corresponding to a product I had installed recently.

 

[Ian E]

Here is contact information for Leader Technologies - originator of PowerReg
Scheduler:

Nelson Greenwood
Vice President Sales & Marketing
(949) 757-1787
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.leadertech.com

4590 MacArthur Blvd. Fifth Floor
Newport Beach, California 92660
Phone Number: (949) 757-1787
Fax Number: (949) 757-1777

Why not call & tell them how much you like their spyware?