Re: DANGEROUS WEBSITE: www.driverguide.com

[Rhonda Lea Kirk Fries]

Li'l Abner wrote:
> jw@myplace.com wrote in
> news:a0den690lmu40l7ojncvetvhf25ft3adk6@4ax.com:
>
>> If you need drivers for your computer, DO NOT download them from this
>> site. www.driverguide.com. You think you're downloading the driver.
>> When you try to install the download, you go thru the normal process
>> of accepting the terms, etc. Then it asks you if you want their
>> toolbar. I clicked "NO". But you're not installing from the
>> download. You must be online and it downloads the driver, and STILL
>> installs the ****ing toolbar, which is used to track your usage.
>> They claim this is how they pay for their site. Whether this is
>> true or not, your computer is infected with spyware. DO NOT use
>> this website.
>
> Hmm. I have a paid membership. I have found a lot of hard to find
> drivers there over the years. I've never had any such side effects. I
> think they have some kind of software you can download to detect
> devices on your computer. Maybe that's what does it. I never
> installed that. I usually know what driver I'm looking for and it's
> always for some other computer than my own.
>
> Unless this is something that has just started real recently.

The bottom of the home page has the following link "Toolbar Removal Info":

http://members.driverguide.com/index...__zugo_removal

"We thank you for trying the Search Toolbar (powered by Bing TM), your using
that toolbar has given us the ability to keep our site free and we thank you
for that! We also respect your decision if you choose to remove the toolbar
and restore your previous settings. This document will help you do that. If
you have any further problems, let us know."

I don't use the site, but I've never seen anyone complain about it (and
indeed, I've seen people I trust rave about it), so I just installed the
DriverScan (not the DriverGuide Toolkit) and I didn't get a toolbar. I
expect that must be reserved for those who download the free version of the
DriverGuide Toolkit rather than the paid version.

The only problem I can see is that some of the drivers I am being encouraged
to download will break my computer. All in all, I really think it's better
to obtain drivers for specific hardware from the manufacturer when possible.

[Dave Cohen]

On 3/11/2011 8:23 AM, Rhonda Lea Kirk Fries wrote:
> Li'l Abner wrote:
>> jw@myplace.com wrote in
>> news:a0den690lmu40l7ojncvetvhf25ft3adk6@4ax.com:
>>
>>> If you need drivers for your computer, DO NOT download them from this
>>> site. www.driverguide.com. You think you're downloading the driver.
>>> When you try to install the download, you go thru the normal process
>>> of accepting the terms, etc. Then it asks you if you want their
>>> toolbar. I clicked "NO". But you're not installing from the
>>> download. You must be online and it downloads the driver, and STILL
>>> installs the ****ing toolbar, which is used to track your usage.
>>> They claim this is how they pay for their site. Whether this is
>>> true or not, your computer is infected with spyware. DO NOT use
>>> this website.
>>
>> Hmm. I have a paid membership. I have found a lot of hard to find
>> drivers there over the years. I've never had any such side effects. I
>> think they have some kind of software you can download to detect
>> devices on your computer. Maybe that's what does it. I never
>> installed that. I usually know what driver I'm looking for and it's
>> always for some other computer than my own.
>>
>> Unless this is something that has just started real recently.
>
> The bottom of the home page has the following link "Toolbar Removal Info":
>
> http://members.driverguide.com/index...__zugo_removal
>
> "We thank you for trying the Search Toolbar (powered by Bing TM), your using
> that toolbar has given us the ability to keep our site free and we thank you
> for that! We also respect your decision if you choose to remove the toolbar
> and restore your previous settings. This document will help you do that. If
> you have any further problems, let us know."
>
> I don't use the site, but I've never seen anyone complain about it (and
> indeed, I've seen people I trust rave about it), so I just installed the
> DriverScan (not the DriverGuide Toolkit) and I didn't get a toolbar. I
> expect that must be reserved for those who download the free version of the
> DriverGuide Toolkit rather than the paid version.
>
> The only problem I can see is that some of the drivers I am being encouraged
> to download will break my computer. All in all, I really think it's better
> to obtain drivers for specific hardware from the manufacturer when possible.
>
>
>
>
Well yes, don't we all. Unfortunately, manufacturers don't always see
fit to support devices from one machine update to the next. My PaperPort
Scanner for win98 cannot be used with winxp. So I got a flatbed OneTouch
7300usb but there is no support for that in Windows 7. Pity, their
products are good but I'll not get another product from Visioneer.

[Dustin]

Dave Cohen <user@example.net> wrote in
news:ildh69$lp7$1@news.eternal-september.org:

> On 3/11/2011 8:23 AM, Rhonda Lea Kirk Fries wrote:
>> Li'l Abner wrote:
>>> jw@myplace.com wrote in
>>> news:a0den690lmu40l7ojncvetvhf25ft3adk6@4ax.com:
>>>
>>>> If you need drivers for your computer, DO NOT download them from
>>>> this site. www.driverguide.com. You think you're downloading the
>>>> driver. When you try to install the download, you go thru the
>>>> normal process of accepting the terms, etc. Then it asks you if
>>>> you want their toolbar. I clicked "NO". But you're not
>>>> installing from the download. You must be online and it
>>>> downloads the driver, and STILL installs the ****ing toolbar,
>>>> which is used to track your usage. They claim this is how they
>>>> pay for their site. Whether this is true or not, your computer
>>>> is infected with spyware. DO NOT use this website.
>>>
>>> Hmm. I have a paid membership. I have found a lot of hard to find
>>> drivers there over the years. I've never had any such side
>>> effects. I think they have some kind of software you can download
>>> to detect devices on your computer. Maybe that's what does it. I
>>> never installed that. I usually know what driver I'm looking for
>>> and it's always for some other computer than my own.
>>>
>>> Unless this is something that has just started real recently.
>>
>> The bottom of the home page has the following link "Toolbar Removal
>> Info":
>>
>> http://members.driverguide.com/index...ge=docs__help_
>> _zugo_removal
>>
>> "We thank you for trying the Search Toolbar (powered by Bing TM),
>> your using that toolbar has given us the ability to keep our site
>> free and we thank you for that! We also respect your decision if
>> you choose to remove the toolbar and restore your previous
>> settings. This document will help you do that. If you have any
>> further problems, let us know."
>>
>> I don't use the site, but I've never seen anyone complain about it
>> (and indeed, I've seen people I trust rave about it), so I just
>> installed the DriverScan (not the DriverGuide Toolkit) and I didn't
>> get a toolbar. I expect that must be reserved for those who
>> download the free version of the DriverGuide Toolkit rather than
>> the paid version.
>>
>> The only problem I can see is that some of the drivers I am being
>> encouraged to download will break my computer. All in all, I really
>> think it's better to obtain drivers for specific hardware from the
>> manufacturer when possible.
>>
>>
>>
>>
> Well yes, don't we all. Unfortunately, manufacturers don't always
> see fit to support devices from one machine update to the next. My
> PaperPort Scanner for win98 cannot be used with winxp. So I got a
> flatbed OneTouch 7300usb but there is no support for that in Windows
> 7. Pity, their products are good but I'll not get another product
> from Visioneer.
>

Dave,

Before giving up on some older hardware; Give the driver collection i
mentioned a try:

http://drp.su/download.htm#


--
If today was your last day... and tomorrow was too late...
could you say goodbye to yesterday?

[Li'l Abner]

Dustin <bughunter.dustin@gmail.com> wrote in
news:Xns9EA611D1BED21HHI2948AJD832@no:

> http://drp.su/download.htm#

I wind up hung here http://mewnlite.com/hung.jpg
It got that far and has been stopped there for about 25 minues.


--
--- Everybody has a right to my opinion. ---

[VanguardLH]

Dave Cohen wrote:

> Well yes, don't we all. Unfortunately, manufacturers don't always see
> fit to support devices from one machine update to the next. My PaperPort
> Scanner for win98 cannot be used with winxp. So I got a flatbed OneTouch
> 7300usb but there is no support for that in Windows 7. Pity, their
> products are good but I'll not get another product from Visioneer.

I take it you got a version of Windows 7 that doesn't include or support
the use of XP Mode (where you could use the old hardware).

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...indows-xp-mode

"Windows 7" says nothing about which *edition* of it that you have.
Maybe you got stuck with the Home edition.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...mpare?T1=tab01

In that case, you could still use VirtualPC, VMware Server, or
VirtualBox to run Windows XP as a guest OS inside of a virtual machine
(provided you still have an unfettered license to Windows XP).

[Dustin]

"Rhonda Lea Kirk Fries" <rhondaleakirk@earthling.net> wrote in
news:ild7oj$ldu$1@news.albasani.net:

> Li'l Abner wrote:
>> jw@myplace.com wrote in
>> news:a0den690lmu40l7ojncvetvhf25ft3adk6@4ax.com:
>>
>>> If you need drivers for your computer, DO NOT download them from
>>> this site. www.driverguide.com. You think you're downloading the
>>> driver. When you try to install the download, you go thru the
>>> normal process of accepting the terms, etc. Then it asks you if
>>> you want their toolbar. I clicked "NO". But you're not
>>> installing from the download. You must be online and it downloads
>>> the driver, and STILL installs the ****ing toolbar, which is used
>>> to track your usage. They claim this is how they pay for their
>>> site. Whether this is true or not, your computer is infected with
>>> spyware. DO NOT use this website.
>>
>> Hmm. I have a paid membership. I have found a lot of hard to find
>> drivers there over the years. I've never had any such side effects.
>> I think they have some kind of software you can download to detect
>> devices on your computer. Maybe that's what does it. I never
>> installed that. I usually know what driver I'm looking for and it's
>> always for some other computer than my own.
>>
>> Unless this is something that has just started real recently.
>
> The bottom of the home page has the following link "Toolbar Removal
> Info":
>
> http://members.driverguide.com/index...e=docs__help__
> zugo_removal
>
> "We thank you for trying the Search Toolbar (powered by Bing TM),
> your using that toolbar has given us the ability to keep our site
> free and we thank you for that! We also respect your decision if you
> choose to remove the toolbar and restore your previous settings.
> This document will help you do that. If you have any further
> problems, let us know."
>
> I don't use the site, but I've never seen anyone complain about it
> (and indeed, I've seen people I trust rave about it), so I just
> installed the DriverScan (not the DriverGuide Toolkit) and I didn't
> get a toolbar. I expect that must be reserved for those who download
> the free version of the DriverGuide Toolkit rather than the paid
> version.
>
> The only problem I can see is that some of the drivers I am being
> encouraged to download will break my computer. All in all, I really
> think it's better to obtain drivers for specific hardware from the
> manufacturer when possible.
>
>
>
>
>

I've used driverguide off/on for years, Had my own account when it was
still completely free if you'd just signup. I never had any real
problems, one infected driver once; but I don't blame them for it. User
contributions always carry that risk.


--
If today was your last day... and tomorrow was too late...
could you say goodbye to yesterday?

[Rhonda Lea Kirk Fries]

Dustin wrote:
> "Rhonda Lea Kirk Fries" <rhondaleakirk@earthling.net> wrote in
> news:ild7oj$ldu$1@news.albasani.net:
>
>> Li'l Abner wrote:
>>> jw@myplace.com wrote in
>>> news:a0den690lmu40l7ojncvetvhf25ft3adk6@4ax.com:
>>>
>>>> If you need drivers for your computer, DO NOT download them from
>>>> this site. www.driverguide.com. You think you're downloading the
>>>> driver. When you try to install the download, you go thru the
>>>> normal process of accepting the terms, etc. Then it asks you if
>>>> you want their toolbar. I clicked "NO". But you're not
>>>> installing from the download. You must be online and it downloads
>>>> the driver, and STILL installs the ****ing toolbar, which is used
>>>> to track your usage. They claim this is how they pay for their
>>>> site. Whether this is true or not, your computer is infected with
>>>> spyware. DO NOT use this website.
>>>
>>> Hmm. I have a paid membership. I have found a lot of hard to find
>>> drivers there over the years. I've never had any such side effects.
>>> I think they have some kind of software you can download to detect
>>> devices on your computer. Maybe that's what does it. I never
>>> installed that. I usually know what driver I'm looking for and it's
>>> always for some other computer than my own.
>>>
>>> Unless this is something that has just started real recently.
>>
>> The bottom of the home page has the following link "Toolbar Removal
>> Info":
>>
>> http://members.driverguide.com/index...e=docs__help__
>> zugo_removal
>>
>> "We thank you for trying the Search Toolbar (powered by Bing TM),
>> your using that toolbar has given us the ability to keep our site
>> free and we thank you for that! We also respect your decision if you
>> choose to remove the toolbar and restore your previous settings.
>> This document will help you do that. If you have any further
>> problems, let us know."
>>
>> I don't use the site, but I've never seen anyone complain about it
>> (and indeed, I've seen people I trust rave about it), so I just
>> installed the DriverScan (not the DriverGuide Toolkit) and I didn't
>> get a toolbar. I expect that must be reserved for those who download
>> the free version of the DriverGuide Toolkit rather than the paid
>> version.
>>
>> The only problem I can see is that some of the drivers I am being
>> encouraged to download will break my computer. All in all, I really
>> think it's better to obtain drivers for specific hardware from the
>> manufacturer when possible.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> I've used driverguide off/on for years, Had my own account when it was
> still completely free if you'd just signup. I never had any real
> problems, one infected driver once; but I don't blame them for it.
> User contributions always carry that risk.

Some of the drivers shown by the scan are the wrong drivers for my computer.
If I download and install them, certain things will not work.

Even at that, this site was recommended in the old Microsoft usenet groups
pretty regularly as well as by Fred Langa, so it seems clear that the
original post is a little over the top, especially considering how easy the
toolbar is to remove.

(I'm not all that thrilled with software that installs "bonus software" but
unless people want to start paying for "free" utilities, I don't see that
developers have much other choice given that most folks don't donate.)