<coosbaylumberco@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:1159972771.343106.282720@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> A new friend of mine is currently downloading demo and freebie CAD
> softwares found all over the net. He got hit a few years ago after
> installing some (unknown) software by some Anti-competition bug set
> into the demo software.
>
> What happened to him back then it essentially destroyed or overwrote
> elements of any CAD software already set up on to the hard drive of his
> computer. Then too, if you tried to load up yet another competitive CAD
> software, it would not permit that to operate properly or not to load
> whatsoever. You then got stuck with the CAD software, like it or not,
> and only way to erase it was to reformat the hard drive. The normal
> Uninstall did not completely remove it, for by installing, it altered
> the boot up sequence of that computer and then even old things did not
> work properly anymore. The fellow thought OK and used the demo software
> for a while, and then began getting requests and Update information
> pop-ups every few months. He once had TurboTax on the hard drive and it
> acted similar during the winter of each year.
>
> Has anyone come upon such software and may know the name of these?
>
> Wm.
>
I've heard of such things, but fortunately have never had to deal with
them.
It should be possible to remove the offending software - but only if you
go
to sopeone who knows what he/she is about - not the 'mass market' people,
who will only reformat the disc because it is the most cost-effective way
of
getting the disc 'clean'.
The first thing to do if you get this type of infection is to go to the
police computer fraud unit - they will be very interested, as it will be
obvious who has perpetrated the blackmail (the people wanting to charge
for
updates), and will add another case to their clean up record very easily!
Keith
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