What are these mToolkit programs on my Dell laptop (Can I just remove them?)?

[lisa harkema]

On Sun, 08 Oct 2006 20:10:35 GMT, "David H. Lipman"
<DLipman~nospam~@Verizon.Net> wrote:
>I also find it interesting that while the OP did NOT know anything about Java, she decided
>to cross-post this to; comp.lang.java.programmer This is a vulnerability/security issue,
>not a programming issue.

I removed the java programming group (it was a group I arbitrarily
found with the word "java" in it) and substituted a Microsoft security
group.

I did not know about this Java vulnerability. If I had, I would have
updated my java sooner even though I don't use it (on purpose,
anyway).

I do appreciate the warning as it seems I had the original Java
installed on my Dell so it was vulnerable (and likely exploited
already as I had to remove more than a few viruses and trojans
(whatever they are) when I installed spywareblaster and mcafee.

Lisa

[David H. Lipman]

From: "lisa harkema" <lisa.harkema@gmail.com>


|
| I removed the java programming group (it was a group I arbitrarily
| found with the word "java" in it) and substituted a Microsoft security
| group.
|
| I did not know about this Java vulnerability. If I had, I would have
| updated my java sooner even though I don't use it (on purpose,
| anyway).
|
| I do appreciate the warning as it seems I had the original Java
| installed on my Dell so it was vulnerable (and likely exploited
| already as I had to remove more than a few viruses and trojans
| (whatever they are) when I installed spywareblaster and mcafee.
|
| Lisa

What blows my mind is that this vulnerability has been known about for almost 2 years by Sun
and was first publicy noted by Sun on Feb 7, '06 but Dell still is shipping systems with
this vulnerable version installed.


--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
http://www.ik-cs.com/got-a-virus.htm

[Brandon McCombs]

lisa harkema wrote:
> On Sun, 08 Oct 2006 15:48:16 -0400, Lew <lew@nowhere.com> wrote:
>> Java is a programming language. Javascript is a different programming
>> language, despite the similarity of names.
>>
>> There is a vulnerability in the interaction between Java and Javascript within
>> a browser that Sun patched in version 1.4.2_06 and later. It is not present in
>> version 1.5+. If you aren't even using Java there is no risk from it. If you
>> run Java but not Javascript there is no risk from it. The vulnerability only
>> occurs when running mini-programs in Java called "applets" in combination with
>> certain malicious Javascript scripts in the browser.
>
> Oh my. Thank you Lew. I do very much appreciate the advice as to what
> Java and Javascript are. I never knew. I just knew that I hate when my
> web browser does funky things like spin the icons and other silly
> browser tricks. I turn off all that flash, realmedia, java,
> javascript, etc. stuff the moment I install a browser. So, I guess I
> wasn't vulnerable in the first place.
>
> Still, it's nice to know I have the latest Java installed now
> (although that will have a vulnerability in a short while if history
> is any judge). That's why I prefer to have as few items running on my
> system as possible ... hence the desire to rid myself of these 'm'
> progams that everyone seems to have running, by default (if they use
> CCleaner to show the true list of running programs).
>
> Thanks,
> Lisa

If you knew what you were doing and were really concerned you wouldn't
keep anything on the laptop that came with it since companies like Dell
think people need a bunch of useless programs pre-installed in order to
take advantage of their computer. If you reinstalled and reformatted
the drive then you would know exactly what is on the computer and you
wouldn't have to worry about removing things but only adding them as you
see fit.

[Malke]

David H. Lipman wrote:

> From: "lisa harkema" <lisa.harkema@gmail.com>
>
>
> |
> | I removed the java programming group (it was a group I arbitrarily
> | found with the word "java" in it) and substituted a Microsoft
> | security group.
> |
> | I did not know about this Java vulnerability. If I had, I would have
> | updated my java sooner even though I don't use it (on purpose,
> | anyway).
> |
> | I do appreciate the warning as it seems I had the original Java
> | installed on my Dell so it was vulnerable (and likely exploited
> | already as I had to remove more than a few viruses and trojans
> | (whatever they are) when I installed spywareblaster and mcafee.
> |
> | Lisa
>
> What blows my mind is that this vulnerability has been known about for
> almost 2 years by Sun and was first publicy noted by Sun on Feb 7, '06
> but Dell still is shipping systems with this vulnerable version
> installed.
>
>
Not only that, David - I just ran into a client's box that is running an
ancient version of Java within an HP Toolbox. I had uninstalled Java
before cleaning it up so I was most surprised to see javaw.exe running.
When I tracked it down, it came from this HP printer Toolbox running
Java 1.3.something! No way to deal with that, so I left it. Sheesh.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

[glee]

Unfortunately, my Acer notebook uses a different wireless adapter and does not have
any of the items you see, either in ARP or in CCleaner's list.

I still think asking Dell Support might eventually clear up the functions. It
appears they are utilities rather than actual drivers so there may be no harm in
deleting them......but with no personal contact with these apps, I can't say.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"lisa harkema" <lisa.harkema@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:53chi29ihr7ists0vrackufjb72o4lft4h@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 01:57:53 -0400, "glee" <glee29@spamindspring.com>
> wrote:
>
>>Hi Lisa,
>>I think what you may be seeing are programs that were installed by the OEM (Dell,
>>in
>>this case) that they did not want the end user to remove, possibly because they
>>are
>>integral to certain features of the laptop, or to their support plan. Most if not
>>all of the entries appear to be for troubleshooting and configuring an Intel
>>wireless adapter and drivers (does the laptop have an integrated wireless
>>adapter?).
>>Removing the items may well be "shooting yourself in the foot" if the applications
>>are needed for the functioning of your wireless adapter. I would *not* remove any
>>of them for that reason. Have you asked Dell support personnel about them?
>>
>>The most likely reason they all have an "m" at the front of their names is that
>>one
>>method to hide an item in the Registry's uninstall keys is to use the
>>"ApplicationDisplayName" string to identify the items to be hidden. The OEM may
>>have used a script to hide all entries in the Uninstall key whose DisplayName
>>began
>>with "m" at the time the system was built (before you got it and installed more
>>apps).
>>
>>I would be wary of the suggestion to wipe the system and install fresh from a
>>Windows CD only because you may find items such as the integrated wireless adapter
>>no longer work, unless you can download and install the drivers and configuration
>>apps from Dell.....in which case you'd likely be back where you began, but with
>>the
>>items perhaps no longer hidden. That assumes that Dell has those apps available
>>for
>>download.
>>
>>Hope this helps.
>
> Oop. I already deleted some of them. And, YES, I DO have a wireless
> card installed by the manufacturer. I'd better hold off on deleting
> them I guess. I got rid of about half of them. I generally don't use
> the wireless card but I do use it when I travel.
> Lisa