Shoutbox

But if you installed the sponser, do not use ad-aware or any oher kinda thing to remove it...Follow instructions by patchou on how to remove it

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Originally posted by XxRebelSeanxX
But if you installed the sponser, do not use ad-aware or any oher kinda thing to remove it...Follow instructions by patchou on how to remove it

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I think those instructions need to be updated.

Greetings,

Following are instructions on how to remove the Messenger Plus! OPTIONAL sponsor:

Removing the OPTIONAL sponsor program bundled with Messenger Plus!

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*** NOTE: DO NOT USE AD-AWARE OR SPYBOT TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR, DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE BY YOURSELF, AND/OR DO NOT EDIT THE REGISTRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE THIS WILL DAMAGE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE AND MAY PREVENT YOU FROM REMOVING IT CORRECTLY. ***

The only official removal method is by uninstalling Messenger Plus! To do so, go to your Start menu, settings, control panel. Click on Add/Remove Programs, scroll down until you find Messenger Plus!, double click it.

The "Messenger Plus! - Setup" is now displayed. Click on the Uninstall button. After a couple of seconds, the program will ask you if you want to keep your preferences, it is suggested to say "Yes" if you plan to reinstall Messenger Plus! in the future (this question is not related to the sponsor program).

After that the sponsor removal screen is now displayed (Note: If you can't see it, search for it in your taskbar). As a security measure against bots, you are required to enter the code that is shown on the sponsor removal screen. If you entered the code correctly, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall. You must answer "Yes" to this question, else, you won't have another chance of uninstalling.

To complete the uninstallation, follow the instructions that are displayed (the first one is to close all your Internet Explorer windows, that's very important). When everything is complete, restart your computer. This should work, we've tried it loads of times and Messenger Plus!'s testers are required to test out the sponsor installation/uninstllation capabilities.

Reboot.

*** NOTE: DO NOT USE AD-AWARE OR SPYBOT TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR, DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE BY YOURSELF, AND/OR DO NOT EDIT THE REGISTRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE THIS WILL DAMAGE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE AND MAY PREVENT YOU FROM REMOVING IT CORRECTLY. ***

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Method 2: Removing the sponsor if you've attempted to manually remove it

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Method 2: Note: ONLY use this method if you have tried to remove the sponsor by using 3rd party applications or editing the registry.

Uninstall Messenger Plus! by going to your Start menu, settings, control panel. Click on Add/Remove Programs, scroll down until you find Messenger Plus!, double click it.

The "Messenger Plus! - Setup" is now displayed. Click on the Uninstall button. After a couple of seconds, the program will ask you if you want to keep your preferences, it is suggested to say "Yes" if you plan to reinstall Messenger Plus! in the future (this question is not related to the sponsor program).

After that the sponsor removal screen is now displayed (Note: If you can't see it, search for it in your taskbar). As a security measure against bots, you are required to enter the code that is shown on the sponsor removal screen. If you entered the code correctly, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall. You must answer "Yes" to this question, else, you won't have another chance of uninstalling.

To complete the uninstallation, follow the instructions that are displayed (the first one is to close all your Internet Explorer windows, that's very important). When everything is complete, restart your computer. This should work, we've tried it loads of times and Messenger Plus!'s testers are required to test out the sponsor installation/uninstllation capabilities.

Reboot.

Once done install Messenger Plus! WITH THE SPONSOR. Reboot
Next, Uninstall Messenger Plus! by following these instructions:

Click on Add/Remove Programs, scroll down until you find Messenger Plus!, double click it.

The "Messenger Plus! - Setup" is now displayed. Click on the Uninstall button. After a couple of seconds, the program will ask you if you want to keep your preferences, it is suggested to say "Yes" if you plan to reinstall Messenger Plus! in the future (this question is not related to the sponsor program).

After that the sponsor removal screen is now displayed (Note: If you can't see it, search for it in your taskbar). As a security measure against bots, you are required to enter the code that is shown on the sponsor removal screen. If you entered the code correctly, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall. You must answer "Yes" to this question, else, you won't have another chance of uninstalling.

To complete the uninstallation, follow the instructions that are displayed (the first one is to close all your Internet Explorer windows, that's very important). When everything is complete, restart your computer. This should work, we've tried it loads of times and Messenger Plus!'s testers are required to test out the sponsor installation/uninstllation capabilities.

Reboot.

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Now that I've gotten that out of the way..

Patchou decided to bundle an EXTREMELY modified lop.com sponsor with Messenger Plus! Note, I said EXTREMELY modified. Patchou vigorously negotiated with lop.com to remove the "explicit" content in their sponsor (although some anti-virus and anti-spyware software may still give FALSE warnings, details below). I would just like to take the time..to make you see that Patchou has no obligation to continue production and/or development of Messenger Plus!...and by including a sponsor, he can continue to distribute Messenger Plus! to the public for free. He's done all this for you..please..just cut him some slack.

When using either custom install or automatic install, Messenger Plus! will always prompt you with the sponsor agreement. Only when you click one of the two options, the install will go to the next step... It is completely at your discretion that the sponsor does what it does. When you've agreed to install the sponsor, no one but yourself is under any obligation. Thus, the sponsor is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL; Patchou has given you the complete choice of installing the sponsor or not, whilst still installing Messenger Plus! without any limitations whats-so-ever.

Furthermore, just to clear things up. The sponsor is in no way a trojan or spyware. Anti-Virus vendors have classified lop as a trojan whilst Anti-Spyware vendors have classified lop as spyware, this is in no way true for the lop package that comes with Messenger Plus!. As I have already informed you Patchou is using a HIGHLY modified sponsor package with Messenger Plus! He has also fought vigorously to have Messenger Plus! re-labeled from trojan and spyware to harmless software..but most vendors have refused (in mock ignorance).

I assure you my instructions above work. As I am an official Messenger Plus! tester (contacting me about it will result in a blatant ignore), I install the sponsor with EVERY build I recieve to insure no one suffers from any possible sponsor-won't-install bug. And contrary to belief, those steps above work flawlessly.

No offense intended, nor do I wish to provoke anyone with this post. If it does provoke anyone or offend anyone, I apologise.

Regards,
EvilSeph
- Concerned Messenger Plus! support channel staff and user(s).

Well here's the thing lads and lasses.

Most 'free' software comes at a price, and that price is usually advertising.  When you install rough-and-ready patches to software like mesenger, you always run the risk of compromising system security.

I was particularly amused by the suggestion that the spyware (and that is exactly what it is!) can generate harmless pop-ups. HARMLESS! ... take a look at the coding behind your average pop-up some time and decide how harmless these things are.

I make a living out of undoing the damage that this sort of junk does,   so don't let any moderator or developer fool you into thinking that this stuff is fluffy cuddly and nice.

If the system is THAT good, it would have a price tag that the users would be prepared to pay in order to get rid of the spyware, AND it would prevent kids from downloading the stuff free without adults knowing and getting exposed to who-know-what porn sites etc.

Anyways, thanks for developing this stuff, I make a nice comfortable living getting it BACK OFF OF peoples computers ..... and I can sleep at night.    ) 

Rule of thumb, .... if it looks good, it's free and it interferes with your standard operating system ... don't touch it with a barge-pole.

Later

SK

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Originally posted by Spy Killer
so don't let any moderator or developer fool you into thinking that this stuff is fluffy cuddly and nice.

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That's so easy for you to say...

I work with Patchou, the developper. I  am his girlfriend, I've been living with him for 4 years. I know the guy.  I know how much he cares for his users. I know how devoted he is to his work. I know how much efforts he put into satisfying his users. I know how much time he investated into modifying what C2Media provided for his program.

Believe him when he says this is harmless. It is.

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Originally posted by Spy Killer
...you always run the risk of compromising system security.

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Indeed, you always run the risk of compromising system security when you download anything from the web and execute it. But how does Plus' sponsor compromise system security?

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I was particularly amused by the suggestion that the spyware (and that is exactly what it is!) can generate harmless pop-ups. HARMLESS! ... take a look at the coding behind your average pop-up some time and decide how harmless these things are.

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I think you omitted the part where you actually showed proof of how "the coding behind your average pop-up" (which you are asuming Plus' sponsor shares) is harmful.

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I make a living out of undoing the damage that this sort of junk does,   so don't let any moderator or developer fool you into thinking that this stuff is fluffy cuddly and nice.

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*cough* What damage, apart of making some people angry because they didn't realise they clicked "yes, install this"? (which btw can be easily solved with a reinstallation).

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If the system is THAT good, it would have a price tag that the users would be prepared to pay in order to get rid of the spyware.

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Plus! is free. Err... the sponsor (again, adware) is optional. Err... I don't see any price tag.

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Rule of thumb, .... if it looks good, it's free and it interferes with your standard operating system ... don't touch it with a barge-pole.

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Now that's a rule of thumb.

Oh, and it has no sense

I don't want to sound rude, just want to know why you think it's not harmless. If you prove it, I'll accept it. I agree it can be annoying sometimes, but that's why the developer gives the users the option to choose whether to install it, and even to uninstall it later.

So, what's all this harmful thingy all we 10 million people don't know about or have suffered from?

Greetings.


[edit] I'm not mod, I'm not developer, and I'm not a fool.

bit stupid to just press yes you should look before you install something just use a bit more time and be patient

--quote Guido
So, what's all this harmful thingy all we 10 million people don't know about or have suffered from?--


When you install and agree to the spyware, the web browser IE is solidly hijacked to mysearchnow.com.

Using the uninstall which Patchou insists works, in fact leaves the browser hijacked to mysearchnow, which continually attempts to reassert itself as the home page, requiring manual intervention to remove.


--Quote Patchou
If your home page is changed back automatically, it proibably means that you have some other adware program installed
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Nope,  only the stuff you bundle.

Additionally, instantly Plus was installed, Comet Cursor (well know spyware) attempted to install itself on my system - the start of the 'cascade effect' which quickly overcomes systems once they are exposed to this sort of hijacking.


-- quote Patchou
Of course the adware is harmless, and yes, as a developer, I can affirm it. There's nothing wrong about advertisement popuips and a search bar (yes, a search bar IS handy).
[snip]
I just reinstalled the sponsor package and I don't see anything wrong on the main page of the search engine. Could you give more information about your problem?
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The first 5 items on the hijack page (mysearchnow) are:
Online Casino
Online Dating
Diet Pills
Web Hosting
Weight Loss

and goes on later....

Viagra


Patchou thinks this is suitable and harmless content for kids?


--Quote Guido
Plus! is free. Err... the sponsor (again, adware) is optional. Err... I don't see any price tag.
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Yeah?


--Quote EvilSeph (on Patchou)
...and by including a sponsor, he can continue to distribute Messenger Plus! to the public for free.--


Therefore the price for development is ad bundling, as I said.

--Quote Guido
[edit] I'm not mod, I'm not developer, and I'm not a fool.
--


There's no-one so blind as the guy who doesn't want to see.

Later

SK

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Originally posted by Guido

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Rule of thumb, .... if it looks good, it's free and it interferes with your standard operating system ... don't touch it with a barge-pole.

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Now that's a rule of thumb.

Oh, and it has no sense

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I must say I totally agree with Guido... that rule is more like "the rule of dumb"

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Originally posted by Spy Killer
I make a living out of undoing the damage that this sort of junk does

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and one question - Do you make living by uninstalling programs from other people's computers?
that's one easy way to make money...

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Originally posted by Spy Killer

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Originally posted by Guido

So, what's all this harmful thingy all we 10 million people don't know about or have suffered from?

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When you install and agree to the spyware, the web browser IE is solidly hijacked to mysearchnow.com.

Using the uninstall which Patchou insists works, in fact leaves the browser hijacked to mysearchnow, which continually attempts to reassert itself as the home page, requiring manual intervention to remove.

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Wrong.... first, if something can't be undone, that's called "anoyence", not "harmfull"... Second, The uninstalling DOES work. Did you close the browser windows before you uninstalled the sponsor? Did you entered the security number in to special window when uninstalling? (edit: you didn't mention anything about that in your 'detailed' reply) These are simple instructions which you must follow and are presented at you when you uninstall. Of course you need to read the instructions first before you know what to do and of course something can't be uninstalled if it is still running, you need to shut it down first. Tbh, you should know that, giving the fact that you do this for your living...

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Originally posted by Spy Killer
Therefore the price for development is ad bundling, as I said.

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Indeed "bundling" not "forced installing" (like so many other freeware programs)... I call that hardly a price-tag though...

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Originally posted by Spy Killer
There's no-one so blind as the guy who doesn't want to see.

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Ahum....

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With all respect, but it's not because you do this for your living, that you know everything... General speaking, yes your right; there are many harmfull spyware and even adware bundled programs. But this program, Messenger Plus!, has a very stripped down sponsor package. And although it comes from LOP, we can assure you that it IS heavely stripped down and can't be compared to the normal adware/spyware that is commonly associated with LOP.

If you encountered not-"family-friendly" things in the sponsor, then Patchou will kindly investigate this and take the proper actions to let it remove if he finds proof of it. But by all means, don't call us/him stupid, ignorant or whatever and don't blundly say that the sponsor is a harmfull piece of spyware without checking the facts...



EDITED, because I don't wanna make another post for this, see bold and italic text...