http://www.bluetack.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=7338

Everyone be aware of Windows Media Player 10! Windows Media Player 10 sends the idenity (hash marks) and information of every song you play to the following sources:

1) Napster (63.241.55.113)
2) Intel Corporation, spider (147.208.188.228)
3) MUSIC MATCH (63.236.14.35)
4) Digital Telemedia, INC (209.73.26.183)
5) ezgov.com CERFnet AP2P (12.129.72.200) (12.129.72.145)

Here is the link to Microsoft's Media Player 10 Privacy Statement........if you read it you will see that it does state that information and idenity of music played is sent to other companies!

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...10/privacy.aspx

If you're using ProtoWall with AP2P and Spyder Blocklists then you should be safe! However I refuse to use Windows Media Player 10!
------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Is Microsoft Spying On You With Windows Media Player?

I received the following email from Shane Hanson and I'm not sure what to think. Figured I'd post it out of curiosity to see what my readers think of the accusations here and to promote conspiracy theorist activity in general :) You know most of my readers like hearing about Microsoft being evil and such.

Windows Media Player Digital Rights Management Spy
This is something really nasty in the XP filing system... it's in Windows Media Player, and it not only has all the information about Digital Rights Management, it also has all the information about your local police force..... QED... Not only is microsoft spying on you, they are also telling the cops what you have got on your system....

This is part of the sequence of this file, if you have media player, and do a search for these individual words... you will find it...

DrmDescription
DrmLicense
classification
description
microsoft border
postcode
microsoft theme
created
pics-label
title
expires
law_association_area
originator
dc.language
dc.date.modified

We'll see what happens.
http://www.marketingshift.com/2005/03/is-microsoft-spying-on-you-with.cfm
------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: Please check out these very very hard to find links on TRULY removing DRM from WIndows Media Player 9, as well as removing Media Player 9 entirely!
Microsoft be damned and boycotted right along with the **AA's!

http://erpman1.tripod.com/current/wmp9del.htm

http://www.mdgx.com/98mp10/READ1ST.TXT

-Brought to you by: TrueAudio

Thanks TrueAudio.

Now when I get time I will see if I can cut the blue wire (or is it the green?) and dismantle the WMP 9 ticking time-bomb on my own box.

TrueAudio... Date: October 8, 2005 @ 2:12 PM
To Independentmusician:
REMOVING WMP9 FROM XP, FOR REAL
Here is the info you requested, mind you, it does NOT work if you have Service Pack 2 for XP installed (nice way for Micro$sucks to cockblock the techies out there, bastards).

http://erpman1.tripod.com/current/wmp9del.htm


"Uninstalling Windows Media Player 9.0 Completely under Win98se, 2000, ME & XP pre-SP2:
Updated: Monday September 26, 2005

WARNING: Do NOT attempt to uninstall Windows Media Player 9 if you have Service Pack 2 installed
under Windows XP. This tip will only work for users who are using the original, SP1 or SP1a version
of WinXP. If you want to remove WMP9 under WinXP SP2, just uninstall SP2. Note that the tips mentioned
here can cause loss of personal settings & playlist files for WMP9, so backup your WMP license files,
personal user settings & playlist files before performing the WMP9 removal process if you want to save them.
AND these tips are not for the 64-bit editions of Windows XP and all editions of Windows Server 2003.
Follow the directions very carefully. Also, do NOT FOLLOW THESE TIPS IF YOU HAVE WINDOWS
MEDIA PLAYER 10 INSTALLED! The tips are for WMP9 ONLY, NOT for WMP 10!


For those using Win98se or WinME run the following command in Run dialog box:
RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection C:\Windows\INF\wmp.inf,Uninstall
Then click Yes to continue & restart the computer.

For those using Win2000 or WinXP run the following command in Run dialog box:
RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection C:\Windows\INF\wmp.inf,Uninstall.NT
Then click Yes to continue & restart the computer. Win2000 users should note that the default Windows
folder is the WinNT folder instead of Windows; look for the wmp.inf file in the 'C:\WinNT\INF' folder.

Note that running the command to 'uninstall' WMP9 does NOT remove all the files that came with the
WMP9 setup package. The uninstaller only removes the essential files required to run WMP9 and it does
not remove some of its registry entries.
After rebooting delete the following files from the following folders---

from the 'c:\windows\system\catroot\{--GUID--}' folder if using Win98se/WinME
from the 'c:\winnt\system32\catroot\{--GUID--}' folder if using Win2000
from the 'c:\windows\system32\catroot\{--GUID--}' folder if using WinXP
where {--GUID--} is the random GUID number of your machine; delete the following:
------------
drm.cat setup_wm.cat WMFSDK.cat wmdm.cat wmp.cat
------------
(on certain versions of Windows some of the above files may already be deleted
so just delete the remaining files)

from the 'C:\Windows\Inf' or 'C:\WinNT\Inf' folder delete the following:
------------
drm.inf skins.inf unregmp2.exe wmdm.inf WMFSDK.inf wmp.inf
------------
(in WinXP, you may be prompted to insert your XP CD so that it can restore
its version of the unregmp2.exe file; in Win98se, 2000 & ME some of the
above files may already be deleted so remove the remaining files)

from the 'c:\program files\windows media player' folder delete the following:
------------
npdrmv2.dll npdrmv2.zip npwmsdrm.dll pidgen.dll setup_wm.exe wmpband.dll wmplayer.exe
------------
(in WinXP, you may be prompted to insert your XP CD so that it can restore the npdrmv2.dll, npwmsdrm.dll,
setup_wm.exe & wmplayer.exe files; if you have Mozilla, Netscape, Opera or Firefox web browser
installed delete the npdrmv2.dll, npdrmv2.zip, npdsplay.dll & npwmsdrm.dll files from the browser's
Plugins folder)

and finally delete the following files from your Windows System folder:
c:\windows\system\ if using Win98se/WinME
c:\winnt\system32\ if using Win2000
c:\windows\system32\ if using WinXP
------------
asferror.dll blackbox.dll cewmdm.dll drmclien.dll drmstor.dll drmv2clt.dll laprxy.dll
logagent.exe mp43dmod.dll mpg4dmod.dll mp4sdmod.dll msnetobj.dll mspmsnsv.dll mspmsp.dll
msscp.dll mswmdm.dll qasf.dll wmadmod.dll wmadmoe.dll wmasf.dll wmdmlog.dll wmdmps.dll
wmerror.dll wmidx.dll wmnetmgr.dll wmp.ocx wmpasf.dll wmpcd.dll wmpcore.dll wmploc.dll
wmpshell.dll wmpui.dll wmsdmod.dll wmsdmoe2.dll wmspdmod.dll wmspdmoe.dll wmvcore.dll
wmvdmod.dll wmvdmoe2.dll
------------
(if using WinXP, insert your XP CD to restore many of the WMP files that were stored
in the system folder)

Now open registry editor (regedit.exe) and delete the following registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPla yer
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Media
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPl ayer

Open Windows Explorer and delete the following folders if using Win98se or WinME and you don't want
to keep the user settings stored in the following folders:
'C:\WINDOWS\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Index'
'C:\WINDOWS\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player'
'C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player'
If using Win2000, look in the WINNT folder instead of the WINDOWS folder and follow the above directions.
If using WinXP, look in the 'Documents and Settings' folder instead of the Windows folder
(ex. 'C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player'). Now delete
the Media Index & Media Player folders.
If user profiles are installed, delete the following folder (where 'username' is the name of the currently
logged on user:
'C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player' (for Win98se/WinME)
'C:\WINNT\Profiles\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player' (for Win2000)
'C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player' (for WinXP)

Also delete the wmsetup.log, WMSysPr9.prx & WMSysPrx.prx files from the Windows or WinNT folder.
Then delete the DRM folder from the Windows or WinNT folder. Then reboot and you're all done.

Now you can install an older version of WMP like WMP 7.1 under Win98se, 2000 or ME. Just simply
download & run the WMP 7.1 installer with the /Q switch to quietly install all the Media Player components.
You may need to install or re-install WMP 7.1 twice [once with the /Q switch and then run it normally but
choose the option to Reinstall All Components; this will re-install all WMP files and reset registry settings].
You may also want to download & install ALL of the Windows Media Codecs packages so that you can
open new Windows Media Audio & Video files in WMP 7.1 or WMP 6.4. Get the WM codecs packages
listed at my IE/WMP Updates page. To fully restore WMP 8 for WinXP run the System File Checker tool
with the /scannow switch from the Command Prompt or Run dialog box [ex. sfc /scannow], insert your
WinXP CD and when the SFC tool is done restoring all the WMP8 files from the XP cd, restart the computer.
Then extract the wmp.inf file from the wmp.in_ file from your XP cd-rom and place the wmp.inf file into the
'c:\windows\inf' folder (overwrite if necessary). Extract the wmplayer.chm file from the wmplayer.ch_ file
from the XP CD and place the wmplayer.chm file into the 'c:\windows\help' folder (overwrite if necessary).

Then run the following commands in the Run dialog box:
rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection InstallWMP64 132 c:\windows\inf\mplayer2.inf
(direct the installer to the I386 folder of your XP cd-rom)

rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection InstallWMP7 132 c:\windows\inf\wmp.inf
(direct the installer to the I386 folder of your XP cd-rom)

Now restart the computer and test out Windows Media Player 8. If WMP8 loads, great. If not and you get
an error message trying to run WMP8, check to see if all the Media Player 8 files have been restored by
WinXP [some files may still be missing]. Look in the following folders for the essential files:

'c:\program files\windows media player'
------------
npdrmv2.dll npwmsdrm.dll setup_wm.exe wmplayer.exe wmpvis.dll
------------

'c:\windows\system32'
------------
asferror.dll asfsipc.dll blackbox.dll cewmdm.dll drmclien.dll drmstor.dll drmv2clt.dll laprxy.dll
logagent.exe mpg4dmod.dll msnetobj.dll mspmsp.dll mspmspsv.dll msscp.dll mswmdm.dll
qasf.dll wmadmod.dll wmadmoe.dll wmasf.dll wmdmlog.dll wmdmps.dll wmerror.dll wmidx.ocx
wmnetmgr.dll wmp.ocx wmpcd.dll wmpcore.dll wmploc.dll wmpshell.dll wmpstub.exe wmpui.dll
wmsdmod.dll wmsdmoe.dll wmstream.dll wmvcore.dll wmv8dmod.dll wmvdmod.dll wmvdmoe.dll
------------

If some of the files mentioned above are missing or in the wrong version, gather them from your Windows XP
cd-rom, overwrite the files if necessary, run the mplayer2.inf & wmp.inf Install commands again from the
Run dialog box and restart the computer & run WMP8 again. It should work for sure. Then you can install
updated WM Codecs packs so you can play Media Player files in newer formats in WMP8.

Note: You can also use the tips above to remove WMP9 build 3250 after installing updated WMP9
files from XP SP2 over the original WMP9 package; to install the WMP9 files from XP SP2 onto
Win98se/WinME, see Axcel216's Win98 Tips & Secrets part 5 page. You must have at least 2 computers
[one using XP, the other using Win98se or WinME] to perform the tip."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TrueAudio
Date: October 8, 2005 @ 2:24 PM
To: grumpygeezer
http://thepiratebay.org
search for
Stripped to the Bone Edition

Also another link and more info on removing DRM.

http://www.mdgx.com/98mp10/READ1ST.TXT


HOW TO REMOVE DRM
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
DRM [Digital Rights Management] built-in WMP "feature" can be completely
uninstalled by deleting these files from:
- %windir%\SYSTEM [usually C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM]:
BLACKBOX.DLL
DRMCLIEN.DLL
DRMSTOR.DLL
DRMV2CLT.DLL
MSNETOBJ.DLL
- C:\Program Files\Firefox\Plugins [example = installed only if
Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox web browsers detected]:
NPWMSDRM.DLL
NPDRMV2.DLL
NPDRMV2.ZIP
Cut + paste lines below into Notepad or better plain text editor/viewer, name
it DELDRM.REG [example] and run it to delete these Registry keys to avoid
errors after deleting files above:

-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Multi media\Components\DRM]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\Softwar e\Microsoft\Multimedia\Components\Information al\DRM_DRM]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\DRM]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{ 760C4B83-E211-11D2-BF3E-00805FBE84A6}]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{ A9FC132B-096D-460B-B7D5-1DB0FAE0C062}]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\TypeLib \{8AA720BF-7468-4DA1-97DA-66D2E41B3DDA}]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{ 9EA69F99-F8FF-415E-8B90-35D6DFAF160E}]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\Softwar e\Microsoft\Multimedia\Components\Installed\D RM_DRM]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\TypeLib \{760C4B74-E211-11D2-BF3E-00805FBE84A6}]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\DRM.Get License.1]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\DRM.Get License]

------End cut & paste here------

Eat that Steve Ballmer, you fucking Nazi son of a bitch

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

grumpygeezer
Date: October 8, 2005 @ 3:00 PM

Awesome!!!
(Hey, thanks, man!!)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

grumpygeezer
Date: October 8, 2005 @ 3:03 PM

How were you (or any else along with you) able to figure all that out??
(I'm wowed!!)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TrueAudio
Date: October 8, 2005 @ 3:38 PM
I didn't figure anything out. I simply used the power of the Internet to search as hard as hell for info I knew had to exist somewhere. It took me along time because those links will not come up with standard searches that you think they would be found under.

In times like these, it is more important than ever to debunk the bullshit spewed from mainstream sources that don't know their head from their ass, or especially from the source itself, i.e. Microsoft. The more people that see the truth behind all this bullshit, the more people will get pissed off enough to do something about it and actually give people a real reason to boycott a company.

Words are nothing, providing proof that can be done yourself showing how hellbent Microsoft has been becoming the **AA's Buttbuddy and incorporating layers of shit programming to try to control what the fuck the customers want to do with their own stuff (as you can see by the very LENGHTY pain in the ass process of removing WMP9 from XP).

This is why open Source decimates proprietary shit, and its also why you can bet your ass that within this year or the next year, watch MSFT, RIAA, and MPAA etc cry to our dishonarable piece of shit US Senators to try and cockblock Open Source software development, if that EVER happens, all the trouble were having as a country atm with regards to Copyright will pale in comparison.

I hope this info convicnces 50,000 people to never use WMP 9 or 10, and keeps them away from Vista, if people don't know the facts--if they can't even have the opportunity of getting the info, then as a society we will parallel the old Soviet Union where you could be executed for reading a fucking book that they didn't "approve".

Seek information, and you shall find, the more that do, the faster the lies can be made known to the public and challenged by the public, and we might even get people to care that never did before.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TrueAudio
Date: October 8, 2005 @ 3:53 PM
"-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4"

IMO Regedit4 must have been a typo from the original website, because there's no such command, just delete the "4" off the end.
------------
-----------
-------

(reposted from the other thread)

Thanks again TrueAudio for the info!

What being it about mp3 or RIAA?

"The more people that see the truth behind all this bullshit, the more people will get pissed off enough to do something about it and actually give people a real reason to boycott a company."

Microsoft has always acted like this. So has the RIAA.

No one is ever going to do anything about either one of them as long as they own the Senate Judiciary Committee.

It doesn't bring off industries

Welcome rokatie!

"What being it about mp3 or RIAA?"
"It doesn't bring off industries"

Not sure what you are saying... could you elaborate?

I believe what Rokatie is asking is what WMP 9 and 10 have to do with MP3 and RIAA.

Well let me tell you, rokatie.

Basically, WMP is keeping tabs on what you play and forwarding these to other music sites, the RIAA, MPAA, CIA, DEA, etc, etc. It doesn't matter if you ripped the file or not, but the usage is being reported. To what end? Prosecution springs to mind, but I'm sure the labels are using it to determine what's hot and therefore sign similar sounding acts and telling the radio stations to play the song into the ground.

well I've done this uninstall (on Mac OSX) by hand before and it is almost impossible. Please note the disclaimer on the Windoze for Mac website:

Playing protected files
Content providers can protect Windows Media files from unauthorized playback by using a technology called digital rights management (DRM). A Windows Media file that has been assigned digital rights is called a "protected file."

To play a protected file, you must obtain a license (a kind of electronic key) from the content provider. In many cases, the Player can acquire a license for you automatically when you attempt to play the file. In other cases, the content provider may not issue you a license until you pay a fee or provide additional information.

Although it is usually possible to play protected files by using Windows Media Player 9 Series for Mac OS X, in some cases you may encounter one of the following issues:

* The Player displays the error message "Cannot open the file. Verify that the path and file name are correct and try again." In this case, verifying the path and file name will not solve the problem.
* A Web page is displayed that informs you that you should upgrade to a newer version of the Player. In this case, you already have the latest version of Windows Media Player for Mac OS X, so upgrading will not solve the problem.

In both cases, there is no way to resolve the issue, and you won't be able to play the file.

When the content comes encumbered as such, and the player (WMP 9 and beyond) is also such a pain in the ass

(all my other "boycott the riaa" issues/ethics aside...)

I don't want anything to do with it.

NOTHING is worth the hassle of DRM. Be it on the product or the player.

To remove Windows Media Plkayer 9 frpom your MAC OSX:
Use this advice on your won risk, it works for me, don't come after me if you have a problem:

Make sure the Windows Media Player application folder file is on your Desktop.

Then use the Terminal command, type;

cd ~/.Trash (space between the cd and tilda)
hit return

Then type;

sudo rm -rf (spacebar between rm and next)

put a space after the f and drag the item you want deleted to the terminal so that its path is automatically entered, then press return

give it your admin password and hit return

As for you people running Windoze OS, a quick web search informs you that it is inpossible to remove WMP9 or 10. Reminding you that Miscrosoft has insisted all along to the anti-trust court that the Media Player tentacles running all through the operating system cannot be disentangled.

Good luck.

Thanks Tom. I'm crossing my fingers when I do get up the nerve, open the panel, and stick in my wire-cutters.

But my box is Windoze 98SE enfeebled, and I have broke it before. If nothing else, I will just do a total wipe and re-build it from the ground up if need be.

(Folks, if I am offline for an inordinate amount of time, you know what happened lol.)

Has anyone thought to get this checked first-hand with a sniffer? All DRMed files will contact their license-servers of course, but I dont think the same system is in place for non-DRMed, mp3 files. Though I wouldn't be surprised if it was - the market-research value of such a system would be great.

"As for you people running Windoze OS, a quick web search informs you that it is inpossible to remove WMP9 or 10. Reminding you that Miscrosoft has insisted all along to the anti-trust court that the Media Player tentacles running all through the operating system cannot be disentangled."

TrueAudio or RaidHHI — would you offer your response, please?

"TrueAudio or RaidHHI — would you offer your response, please?"

Sure, lol it means that Microsoft is a liar, and all of the sites that say it can't be removed are either not telling the truth, or they've just succumed to the brainwashing of Micro$uck$.

Look up on google "uninstalling wmp9" or "removing wmp9" (or spell out windows media player if you want") you will find grossly incomplete answers to this, with 99% of everyone throwing their arms up in the air saying "damn, it appears to be impossible".

Well, I've debunked that BS for you, and you could have done it yourself, if you wanted to, I take no credit for it, it's the least I can do in the name of fair use law.

One thing I did think of though that you might run into trying this uninstall--you may run into a problem with windows file protection preventing you from deleting some of the files. If that happens, you'll have to disable that 1st. I won't go into detail on that here because that info isn't hard to find relatively.

Also, with all the work one might do going through this, it might not be a bad idea to utilize a drive imaging program so that if you have to reload your O/S someday, you don';t have to go through all this crap again, I know I sure wouldn't want to, lol.

Bottom line is that wmp9, drm etc succumbed to the same, inevitable fate that DVD css encryption did when it was implemented "uncrackable" blah blah blah--yeah right. This just serves as more proof that DRM is akin to developing a perpetual motion automobile. The concept of it fills the mings of monopolistic, megalomaniac minds with visions of grandeur of technological world domination.

But it will inevitably result in embarrassing failure to those that refuse to be controlled, and will have achieved nothing, but a horribly egregious waste of resources, time, and technical minds that could have been used to truly create, instead of further promoting the revocation of the last 20+ years of digital advancements.

"One thing I did think of, though, that you might run into trying this uninstall--you may run into a problem with windows file protection preventing you from deleting some of the files. If that happens, you'll have to disable that 1st. I won't go into detail on that here because that info isn't hard to find relatively."

Thanks for that good tip.

And this is just an opinion coming from a non-tech person (myself) but didn't Microsoft also once claim that their Internet Explorer HAD to stay with their operating system because it was inextricably bound to it? Either that was B.S. or, if not, they purposefully arranged things that way to unfairly cut out competing browsers. (Please correct me if I'm mistaken.)

I love it when those monopolistic manipulators are proven wrong, that they're not as technologically clever as they'd like the public to believe.

My God you guys are a bunch of nervous nellies. My Norton Internet security flags me when programs like WMA 10 try to access the internet (Phone home). I have tried many times to play my music with no attempted connections.

Now if you have things in the privacy tab checked like updating your file, etc, the program will access the net.

If you don't like the setup uncheck all the file types boxes and use other programs. I have an old copy of winamp 4 that I still use, works ok.

Get off the rumor mill, you are only making the paranoid more paranoid.

Now Itunes is different, it is always trying to phone home.

WHY???

sounds easier just to set a few rules in your firewall to block those outbound transmissions. You _do_ use a firewall right?

Anyone notice windows explorer (explorer.exe)
NOT internet explorer (iexplore.exe) trying to access the internet when playing certain .wmv files? I never use IE but explorer is unavoidable
under windoze. ZA has flagged it dozens of times even though I use Firefox and Opera exclusively.

1 more reason to use linux.

Exactly.

And, besides, I also use a Mac, with simulation of Windows and Word and Excel and PowerPoint only because of business needs.

"My God, you guys are a bunch of nervous nellies." . . .
"Get off the rumor mill; you are only making the paranoid more paranoid."

You mean, 'rumors' like the following:
"Basically, WMP is keeping tabs on what you play . . ."
Or the 'rumor' that it is impossible to remove WMP 9?
Or the 'rumor' that Microsoft pretended that they couldn't unbundle Internet Explorer from their operating system?
Or the ‘rumor’ that Microsoft has imbedded support for DRM in their operating system?
Or the ‘rumor’ that DRM is anti-consumer?

"If you don't like the setup, uncheck all the file types boxes and use other programs. I have an old copy of winamp 4 that I still use, works ok."

Well, alright, no argument there.
And it's good advice, too.

"Sounds easier just to set a few rules in your firewall to block those outbound transmissions. You _do_ use a firewall, right?"

Okay, but to my mind it's the principle of the thing here.
It galls me that we have to put up with DRM (Digital Restriction Management), even down to the friggin’ operating system we use.
Microsoft is intrusive (supports spyware) AND arrogant, yet still filthy rich despite being partly incompetent.
Personally, I use a Mac or Linux whenever I can, but Microsoft deserves some comeuppance, and I'm gratified whenever ways to circumvent their junk can be shown!

BTW, Surfside6, how about this quote:
“You might want to look up a way to defeat the next DRM scheme implemented into something, and when you search for it, the website might have prying eyes by the MPAA/RIAA who want to know WHO is trying to find out how to break a protection, and someday in the future, people might fucking get sued just for TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING OUT. You might get sued just for talking about something.”

The foregoing quote is from TrueAudio on another thread. I wonder if some of you may want to dismiss his position as ‘nervous’ or ‘paranoid’? Well, you go right ahead; I’m pretty sure he’s quite capable of defending it.

XPLite has an option to remove it.

There's also supposed to be a Stripped to the Bone version
even leaner than XPLite, but it isn't currently showing when I try to access where it was previously available.

Hey grumpygeezer (I like your handle) If you want to defeat the Phone Home feature Use your firewalls (like Norton) It works well.

Acknowledged.
I guess that's the immediate practical way to stop it.
And that's the advice most people would be inclined to use; so, yeah, it's good to suggest that (here and elsewhere).

My God you guys are a bunch of nervous nellies. My Norton Internet security flags me when programs like WMA 10 try to access the internet (Phone home). I have tried many times to play my music with no attempted connections.

Now if you have things in the privacy tab checked like updating your file, etc, the program will access the net.

If you don't like the setup uncheck all the file types boxes and use other programs. I have an old copy of winamp 4 that I still use, works ok.

"Hey grumpygeezer (I like your handle) If you want to defeat the Phone Home feature Use your firewalls (like Norton) It works well."

Sorry surfside6, anything made by Norton is bloatware, and general piece of shit software, no offense, but anyone who uses Norton, is a n00b. (I don't care if there's multi million dollar companies that use it, who the CEO is or how impeccable someones credentials might be that endorses or uses Norton products, they are ALL BLOATWARE, consume way too many resources, are generally unstable in comparison to many other products, and are also ineffective. If you want to use them, go balls to the wall with it, you have the right to use inferior crap software.

"Get off the rumor mill, you are only making the paranoid more paranoid."

What rumors? You mean get off the "fact" mill? No thanks, I prefer toprovide people with information that they themselves can go out and prove, you don't have to believe a word I say, go out and prove it for yourself. Go ahead and run a packet analyzer when your running WMP10 on a crash machine, monitor and record the logs, then tell me that its a rumor.

The point is NOONE should have to rely on THIRD party software to protect them from "updates" the original operating system manufacturer puts out and urges people to go and get. The general public is grossly under-educated about basic computer use. It is a slap in the face to those who just use computers casually for what should be an innocent application put out by the same creator of the operating system the majority of Americans use, that the "updated" versions now actively infringe and violate your privacy, without their knowlegde (most people don't read EULA's, or Privacy statements either, thats just reality).

It makes more sense to use software that does NOT send out unauthorized information, media players such as Foobar 2000 for example. As far as software firewalls, Nortons has been circumvented and found vulnerable to various types of specific attacks. Any dedicated hacker could get through it I'm sure (maybe even one not so dedicated). It by no means compares to a good hardware firewall, router such as a Zyxel P334W with true stateful packet inspection, configurable services blocking to completely disallow any communication whatsoever to and from certain UDP or TCP ports, hardware based filtering of Java and activeX, supports 30 character passwords to protect the gateway itself, with the ability to lock out anyone trying to hack the router password for 60 minutes per hack attempt, and last but not least, anti IP spoofing protection (part of true SPI). All this done outside of the O/S, greatly mitigating any need for a software firewall and saving you processor power, memory, etc.

I don't use a software firewall using this router, (I do use Protowall however which is invalueable imo). No spyware etc has gotten into my machine for over 2 years.

I did tech support for several companies; Logitech, ADSL for Bellsouth, Dell, and PeoplePC. Over a period of many years any time I talked to a customer that had anything by norton installed other than their AV program (which still sucks because it is still bloatware and doesn't detect viruses nearly as well as say, NOD32 for example.) I've told everyone who was having problems to UNINSTALL fucking Norton, and in many cases to NEVER install it again and throw the fucking shit in the garbage, take that to the bank.

-TrueAudio

i'm turning off my right now!

I'm banking that TrueAudio has (and deserves) the final word on the issues he writes about.
Very informative.

Hey TrueAudio:
I got your solution.
TURN YOUR COMPUTER OFF.
THEN NO ONE CAN BOTHER OR TRACK YOU.

Lord knows your postings indicate that you hate all of corporate America. Do you trust anyone???

Years ago, when I first got into ripping CDs into mp3's, I bought an early version of the Musicmatch player as a download. At the time, they offered free upgrades for life for about $10 extra, so I figured, "What the heck?"

I've fiddled with iTunes a couple of times (I don't have an iPod - although, I'm thinking about it) and didn't find it that thrilling. I don't think I've EVER used WMP to listen to music.

I still mostly use Musicmatch, although only for my personal music management--never for streaming, purchasing or any other connection to the company other than for updates and automatic id3 tagging. (I know, I've just opened myself up to a good flogging by the techies.)

The point of this "confession" is that I was wondering if TrueAudio or anyone else has heard of the same "spying" tactics being used by MusicMatch or any of the other mediaplayer companies.

I appreciate the recommendation of Foobar 2000 as listed above. I will definitely check that out. Are there any other media player/ripper/music management software that anyone would recommend as easy-to-use, fully-functional and free of "big brother?"

I'm aware of Winamp. I gave it a shot a couple of years ago, but I must have gotten a buggy version because I had a lot of trouble with it an ended up uninstalling it.

I appreciate any input offerred!

"Hey TrueAudio:
I got your solution.
TURN YOUR COMPUTER OFF.
THEN NO ONE CAN BOTHER OR TRACK YOU."

Sure, that would definitely work, although it is extreme. I think his point, though, is that we shouldn't have to. It's wrong for corporations or anyone to spy on our private, home computers no matter what bs they put in the privacy statements or EULAs.

"Lord knows your postings indicate that you hate all of corporate America. Do you trust anyone???"

To paraphrase Obi-Wan, "Anakin, corporate America is EVIL!" Duh.

For the most part, corporate America has proven time and again that it is more than willing to step over the line of decency and legality in the name of higher profits.

If you think there is a single company out there, with employees numbering in at least the triple digits, that is 100 percent honest, you might want to take a closer look.

Cynical?!? Hell, yes I am!

I've been burned too many times to not be.

"The point of this "confession" is that I was wondering if TrueAudio or anyone else has heard of the same "spying" tactics being used by MusicMatch or any of the other mediaplayer companies."

I think most of the more well known players do it to one degree or another.

=====

surfside6, I may be a "nervous nelly" but I'm more-so gonna go with TrueAudio's take on this issue. I don't think it is all that much "conspiricy-theoristic" to want my own box to only do what I tell it to do. Sure, a firewall may "catch" the offending software's "call-home" shenanigans... but why should we even have to put up with the attempted "call-home" in the first place? Just because we signed a EULA that only a full fledged hardcore lawyer/tech-geek could fully understand?