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Create a bootable CD/DVD from a set of floppies


Multibooter

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Just (re-)noticed this thread (jaclaz' great posts about MKISOFS) and have to interject about DriverGuide - NOPE! The Downloader don't "secretly" do anything - you must be getting the "full-blown" one. The only thing I ever get is to have to solve a "word-game" to get a single file, which then downloads the single requested file to wherever I select. YES, you may OPTIONALLY be bugged (deselect it, right?), but I have NEVER gotten what you claim - repeat NEVER!

Seemingly that option is given in exchange for a mere US$ 2.99 for the single download or just US$ 14.95 for a "premium" membership :whistle: :

DriverGuide.com - Download Choice

Direct download is available only to our Premium Members. Free members are required to use our DriverGuide installer or consider these Premium options:

Buy this direct download for $2.99 using your PayPal account.

Buy a Premium Membership now and download this and other drivers, plus get support and eliminate all ads! (learn more) Limited Half Price Special Offer!

Today's Sale Price:

$29.95 $14.95

You Save: $15.00

Better Business Bureau

Download using DriverGuide's installer and get the driver for Free.

Clicking on "access" I was given a CAPTCHA and then the "Downloader" (an executabe called setup_42982.exe, sized 1,184,968 byte) started downloading.

jaclaz

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Yep, that's the one AND the method! ;) Solve the "Captcha", get a SETUP_nnnn.EXE, run it, and it downloads said file. I do use Driverguide occasionally...

"Download Now" button + "Use DriverGuide's Installer" ticked = "Captcha" = Downloaded "Installer" (that installs NOTHING without your explicit consent).

Run it, UNTICK anything that has Tickmark Selections, DECLINE any "offers", and the file downloads - nothing is installed at all.

Found it in -

C:\Documents and Settings\<MyUserID>\My Documents\Downloads

as filename "Mats***aUJDA310.ZIP"... (WHOOPS! "bad word" filter!!!)

Not really sure of the Foldername for Win9x.

You just have to know how to "work around" the crapware...

edit - see my above edited post for link to SATA topic.

Edited by submix8c
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Yep, that's the one AND the method! ;) Solve the "Captcha", get a SETUP_nnnn.EXE, run it, and it downloads said file. I do use Driverguide occasionally...

"Download Now" button + "Use DriverGuide's Installer" ticked = "Captcha" = Downloaded "Installer" (that installs NOTHING without your explicit consent).

Run it, UNTICK anything that has Tickmark Selections, DECLINE any "offers", and the file downloads - nothing is installed at all.

Well, your previous post was partially (please read as COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY) deceiving :w00t:

If you are not a member/ you are not willing to pay for the download, downloading an installer is NEEDED and some antivirus programs may report the .exe as infected, to the extent that once you resolve the CAPTCHA you get this:

Download automatically starting in 5 seconds, or to manually initiate the download, click here.

The setup file you are downloading is certified safe, tested by class-leading virus and malware scanners.

A few anti-virus software products falsely report our installer as suspicious. We encourage you to scan our download at VirusTotal, a free, independent site which tests against all major anti-virus products.

Our setup file may include safe and purely optional advertising offers which you are free to decline. We only work with trusted partners.

Of course the decision to "opt-out" from the crap ads/toolbars (or whatever, I didn't, don't and will not run that crap installer/downloader) is up to the user, BUT the facts are (only to be clear):

  1. a downloader/installer MUST be downloaded
  2. an antivirus program MAY mark it as a virus
  3. you MUST anyway execute the dowloaded executable
  4. you MAY opt out from the whatever it does
  5. there are NO guarantees - apart the word from the good DriverGuide guys - that it doesn't do anything malicious, nagging, tracking or whatever

jaclaz

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OK, agreed... I am, however, a "free" member and it makes nada.

1 - In this case, yes

2 - In this case, yes

3 - In this case, yes

4 - Unless you want the crapware, change that to MUST ;)

5 - In this case, NO (at least for now) - I had just done it and absolutely NOTHING "changed" except I got said File

As far as being a "free member", you simply don't get a "downloader" and none of the "do you want to install/change/etc" stuff. The result is exactly the same in either case.

Side note - I will proceed to upload the "downloader" to VirusTotal. Symantec (what I use) said (sic) "Nothing bad found".

Here are the results -

https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/c338021c42681a55788b140115b28fcd6ae47e7a63e39f52fd2115aeb33623d3/analysis/1363544895/

Be aware that REAL "Trojans" don't allow an opportunity to "opt-out"...

P.S. - Kaspersky in this case found nothing.

3 out of the 4

InstallCore is an advertising module that displays targeted advertising material.
Well, YES, so true! Opt-out "No Thanks" - case closed.

Multibooter said this

identified by Kaspersky as riskware and installs a toolbar in Firefox and Internet Explorer.
I vehemently refute that as I have clearly shown/proven. There is WAAAAY too many "freebies" out there that have this stuff in it. Anyone who clicks "Next" without PAYING ATTENTION deserves the stupid toolbars ( like my daughter used to ;) ).

Paranoid much? Well, YES, but I've used DriverGuide since 1998... In this case the paranoia is waaaay overblown!

At any rate, Multibooter found an alternative/direct download.

Edited by submix8c
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Multibooter said this

identified by Kaspersky as riskware and installs a toolbar in Firefox and Internet Explorer.
I vehemently refute that as I have clearly shown/proven. There is WAAAAY too many "freebies" out there that have this stuff in it. Anyone who clicks "Next" without PAYING ATTENTION deserves the stupid toolbars ( like my daughter used to ;) ).

Maybe (please read as most probably) when Multibooter posted that info (Posted 25 May 2011 ) the kaspersky definitions AT THAT TIME did mark it as "riskware".

And as well, it is very possible that what he posted was relative to what the downloader would do (if not opted out), i.e. describing the "capabilities" of the downloader.

jaclaz

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Please pardon my intrusion: I will NEVER EVER use ANY kind of installer, no matter where it comes from and no matter who guarantees for it. I do not trust anybody unless it's open-source.

I used to be a free member at Driver-Guide, years ago. Ever since they changed their ways, I dropped that service forever. When M$ changed their privacy policy, I removed my Hotmail/Live account. When Google changed their privacy policy, I stopped using ALL Google services. I don't trust Adobe either and since they don't provide clear links to full Flash kits, I disabled auto-update for that thing too. Simple as that!

<rant>

I mean, where the [...] are those good ol' links that anyone could get their software from, by a simple click? Nowadays it's all about installers that know better than the humans, everything is obfuscated, you can't get a full install kit for anything if you need it on another machine without Internet connection - what has become of this world?! Are we all criminals or are we all that stupid that we can't be trusted with installing a simple thing on our OWN computers?

</rant>

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<rant>

I mean, where the [...] are those good ol' links that anyone could get their software from, by a simple click? Nowadays it's all about installers that know better than the humans, everything is obfuscated, you can't get a full install kit for anything if you need it on another machine without Internet connection - what has become of this world?! Are we all criminals or are we all that stupid that we can't be trusted with installing a simple thing on our OWN computers?

</rant>

Yesterday's experience:

  1. brand new Verbatim external 2.5" 500 Gb USB 3.0 disk <- bought to make a sort of "backup" (actually disk images) to be sent phisically to another location
  2. very old install XP machine NOT connected to the internet since several years (no reasons to, simply used for office work)

As soon as you connect the USB disk, a FULL SCREEN menu comes out (Autoplay) with some basic info, thanking for having bought this nice product, etc., etc. (and besides being abnormally "slow", the thing hangs and you need Task Manager to get rid of it.

The (500 GB in size, I repeat) disk is formatted in a single FAT32 partition :w00t: and has a few folders with "software" for Windows an Mac (OK), I decide to copy these folders to a local disk (just in case) and see (in the big FULL SCREEN thingy that I re-run to see the instructions) that a special formatting tool is among the tools provided.

The thingy is called Verbatim Hard Disk Formatter and is smartly named (actual .exe and referred to) as VHDformatter (just imagine how long will it take before you completely forget about the thing and believe it is a soecific tool for VHD images/files :ph34r:) but all in all, still OK.

Thinking that it might be needed for *any* reason, I try running it, and the thingy reveals being some crappy Adobe based mix between a document, a web page and a PDF wrapping around (I presume) the built-in FORMAT command, however it doesn't work as (obviously) the whatever Adobe related components on that PC are outdated and wants to connect to the internet (which I have NOT available) to download the new ones.

Task Manager again, killed the stupid thingy, re-formatted as NTFS "normally", data saved, everything OK.

jaclaz

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(again O/T) ARGHHH! Just tried using an older Free Membership. Apparently, DriverGuide tracks the # of downloads and limits the direct downloads. Still.... seems to be a moot point. Opt out (like the "autorun" thingy). Seriously, nothing is "secretly hiding"...

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