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Thread: Is Microsoft spying on our online activities?

  1. #1
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    Is Microsoft spying on our online activities?

    Today as I was going through the registry, I was shocked to discover a 4000+ list of web addresses that I had visited since I installed XP! I cannot think of any purpose that XP might have with this list. Seems like Bill Gates is snooping around my computer. The list is under the following key:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\RAS Autodial\addresses

    I am using Windows XP Professional [Build 2600]

    Do check it out on your computer and tell me what you find.

  2. #2
    Ultimate Member cdroman's Avatar
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    Nothing.

  3. #3
    Ultimate Member Ol'Tunzafun's Avatar
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  4. #4
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    MS is apparently spying on allsorts, apparently recently it was foudn that XP transmits a small packet file back to MS HQ that reports all sorts about your computer usage

    --Jakk

  5. #5
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    Would a firewall program, (ie. ZoneAlarm) stop this information from getting transmitted?

  6. #6
    Ultimate Member cdroman's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Bigjakkstaffa
    MS is apparently spying on allsorts, apparently recently it was foudn that XP transmits a small packet file back to MS HQ that reports all sorts about your computer usage

    --Jakk
    Do you remember what the file is called? Just want to know if I block it.

  7. #7
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    Nope sorry, you might wanna trawl through the archives at theregister.com, it was quite a while ago that i read this though, and i dont think it was a file as such, rather a critical system service

    --Jakk

  8. #8
    Ultimate Member Bizkitkid2001's Avatar
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    Its the alexa spyware program installed with XP, i forgot how to get rid of it though.

  9. #9
    Ultimate Member Ol'Tunzafun's Avatar
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    This is not spyware. It is just a phonebook for the Remote Access Autoconnection Manager. If you don't need Remote Access Services or Internet Connection Sharing, just delete the entries from the registry, open Services in your management console, find Remote Access Autoconnection Manager and push the STOP button and change the startup type to Disabled.
    Last edited by Ol'Tunzafun; 07-21-2003 at 09:56 PM.

  10. #10
    Ultimate Member Bizkitkid2001's Avatar
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    That might be the fix for his problem, but theres still the alexa program installed. There use to be a link here at sysopt that you could download a program to delete all of XPs spyware, including the alexa one.

  11. #11
    Ultimate Member Ol'Tunzafun's Avatar
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    I wouldn't doubt it Bizkitkid2001. I doubt that Alexa would be in bed with Microsoft, but this is the kind of thing that is to be expected when you buy an OS that can't function without an umbilical cord.

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