BelArc Advisor, a problem

I posted here mods because most all visit this site.

Just a heads up folks.

I was just recommending to a user that he download BelArc which so many of us have used for years as a great FREE tool so I directed him to www.belarc.com but lo and behold, if you click; free personal PC audit, rather than giving you the option of saving to a location and installing it yourself it now begins an automatic install (NOT download, INSTALL) and it's a new version.

Half way through the install, which I couldn't stop, my machine locked up and I had to cold boot. I found that the install actually completed but it no longer launches from the C:\ProgramFiles\Belarc\Advisor\System\local\advisor_home.htm. lt now launches from somewhere in Windows\system. I hate that intrusion to my system.

I uninstalled it and put back my last version. Funny there is a download button to save it to a disk but it only works if you've auto downloaded the darn thing first.

If you want the last self install version go here: http://www.sover.net/~whoi/WinUtils1.html

Griff

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"Don't know where I'm goin but there's no sense being late"

I don’t like the automatic install either, but the new version will display more information about hardware.

Yes the new version does have more info. Network drives are included as well as network printers but I also noticed that it began a scan immediately and significantly it didn't notify me that it wasn't sending info to other servers and since I had no time to read the privacy statement........

It may be in the results screen privacy statement as it is in previous versions but I'd be curious to know. Would you check it slipe. I uninstalled it so fast I didn't check.

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"Don't know where I'm goin but there's no sense being late"

My old version didn’t notify me that it wasn’t sending the information either. I’ve used it for a couple of years through several versions and never got one that gave that notification.

The privacy statement that Triple7's linked is the most current I can find as well.

Sorry I left a confusing post. My current and previous versions didn't pop up a notice either, what I meant to say was that since this new version auto installs and performs a scan you don't get the chance to read the privacy statement first so I was curious if it had changed and with auto scan would it have sent info to other server(s) before anyone had a chance to check it out.

I guess it would be nice if BelArc would post a warning that the link would begin an automatic download/install and where it's inserting files and any changes in existing files if any. They've always been reputable but I think whether it's Microsoft or Real Player, sites ought to make it clear what will happen with any download link.

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"Don't know where I'm goin but there's no sense being late"

Triple 7's--Perhaps "your profile info stays on your PC" but here are some excerpts from the rest of Belarc's Privacy Statement
"Belarc is able to personalize a web page based on your profile using our patented (U.S. patent number 5665951) and patent pending technologies included in the Belarc Advisor and BelLive products." and
"When you view a web page with Belarc content, you will either click on Belarc Advice or your personalized Belarc content will automatically download with the web page."
That Personalized Web Page sounds suspicious to me. I do not use Belarc. I think I heard some time ago that it is spyware.
Would welcome further comment.


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Jim
WIN98, IE6, cable,
Norton AV, ZoneAlarm