If you can still read this, Emuparadise is probably safe

[Nerd42]

There is alot of misinformation spreading around about whether or not this site might have viruises or spyware or adware on it and whether any admins have anything to do with it.

This is my take on it. Please dont ban me or delete the thread because that would be cowardly.

The fact is that contrary to popular beflief, Emuparadise does indeed have spyware on it. All the webHancer program does is keep track of what web sites you go to and sends that information to its creators. But you can avoid getting webHancer by clicking "cancel" not close on the ads that come up when you load the page.

I have repeatedly scanned the self-extractor exe files with Norton and they're clean. McAfee thinks they MIGHT not be clean but can't come up with a clear answer why so I think it's just the way they're compressed that set off that alarm.

That said, I do not believe the creators of this site intend harm to everyone else's computers. There are many easier ways to get at pirates then hosting these huge rare files that actually WORK. I think the creators of this site really want to help everyone get the games they want on their computers.

Many other people upload things to the site other than it's creators though, and downloading roms is never safe, as every good pirate knows. Arr!

At least that's what I thought until last night.

Suddenly my computer began acting funny. When I click on things, often the computer thinks I double-clicked. Something called "LIVEUPDATE" tried to access the internet, and got deleted by me. Must have been a leftover from when I caught the webHancer bug. But the funny-mouse thing continues and I once again begin to wonder...

I don't have any processes running in the background that I can see that I didn't know about except something called "ccApp" which I'm almost completely sure I had long before I started using EmuParadise.

If my computer is fried, which is unlikely because I am typing this thread on it, there is also of course the possibility that I picked up this imaginary Death Bug somewhere else. But that is unlikely since I've spent 99% of the time on EmuParadise because this site ROCKS!!!

I'm probably just being paranoid. Please understand, this is NOT an accusation. I'm sure the staff wants bad guys caught as much as everybody else does.

But if this thread dissappears, maybe I will begin to doubt that as well...

[Skinner8]

I'm going to go ahead and move this to the site-related section, since that's what it is. This is one of the few... Well, intelligent threads about this we've had, though, so I won't delete it at least.

[GundamGuy]

I have never seen gotten webHancer from EP, and im here all the time... Yes i visit the main site as well.

Are you sure webHancer is comming from EP... and not some place else?

[Nerd42]

Yes I am absolutely 100% sure that webHancer comes from surfing at Emuparadise, but it might be through the little advertisers ad box thing.

It only comes up some of the time, and in differnet ways on differnet computers, and sometimes not at all. This could have to do with the randomness of which ad comes up.

I think it might be connected with the gross "dive into love" ads, but that might be my conservative politics talking there, and I want to keep those out of this.

webHancer also sometimes calls itself "MediaTicket" but it's the same program I believe.

[GundamGuy]

Yes I am absolutely 100% sure that webHancer comes from surfing at Emuparadise, but it might be through the little advertisers ad box thing.

It only comes up some of the time, and in differnet ways on differnet computers, and sometimes not at all. This could have to do with the randomness of which ad comes up.

I think it might be connected with the gross "dive into love" ads, but that might be my conservative politics talking there, and I want to keep those out of this.

Well that is possible. It could be one of the ad's.

[Nerd42]

here (hopefully) is a screen shot

[later] its just too big to post no matter how much I crop to show just what I'm trying to show. its just what I see when I get to index2.php

[GundamGuy]

here (hopefully) is a screen shot

[later] its just too big to post no matter how much I crop to show just what I'm trying to show. its just what I see when I get to index2.php

http://www.imageshack.us/ will host it.

[GODJonez]

Those LiveUpdate and ccApp are Norton's components. You said you scanned the files with Norton Anti-Virus, so you have those in your computer. What they do is to keep your Norton Anti-Virus up-to-date so it can identify the most recent viruses discovered. So they surely aren't spyware or such. And if you use other browser than Internet Explorer, those webHancer or other things can't install to your system. IE is the main reason there is so much spyware on people's computers.

[Nerd42]

OK I have discovered that:

A. You're right about ccApp.
B. There is a LiveUpdate.exe that is associated with Norton.
C. The LiveUpdate.exe that I am talking about goes in C:\Program Files\LIVEUPDATE\LiveUpdate.exe and is a completely different LiveUpdate

It updates webHancer.

That is why Norton identified it as a high-risk threat.

But then, there are viriuses designed specifically to infect Norton....

Anyway, since hopefully this thread isnt being deleted, let's use it to talk about both the specific issue of EmuParadise files possibly being infected and also about Rom and Emulator-related viruises in general and related issues. Calm reasoned discussion please, and no unfounded accusations!

I will edit this post in a few minutes, or write a new one, about "Why do people write viruises?"

[GODJonez]

Well, I can confirm myself that the files downloadable from EP do not contain viruses. The self-extracting archives do have a thing that some AV programs identify as virus, but it isn't.

Those who complain about EP installing spyware and viruses and such apparently use Internet Explorer, because if you use Opera or Firefox, spyware can't be installed on your computer, go you to whichever page. Well, there is found an extremely critical vulnerability on Firefox lately, but I use Opera anyway

But yes, that Liveupdate surely looks very suspicious. As I have had various versions of Norton programs, I can tell that it never installs to that location. Never.

But you are right on that: if you can get illegal stuff for free, you are not to complain about the site having trojans or viruses. If you can't stand them, go buy the games from a store rather than risk your precicious Micro$oft products by getting the files for free.

[Nerd42]

One day I promise I will join the third-party browser revolution.

But that day is not today, for no good reason other than I'm a bit set in my evil Microsoft ways.

[Xaenn]

Why did you upload it as a bitmap? If you compress it to .jpg or .png it will be MUCH smaller and then you can keep it large enough that people can actually see it.

[Sprung]

One day I promise I will join the third-party browser revolution.

But that day is not today, for no good reason other than I'm a bit set in my evil Microsoft ways.

Amen brother.

[Vivi]

Why did you upload it as a bitmap? If you compress it to .jpg or .png it will be MUCH smaller and then you can keep it large enough that people can actually see it.

you're just blind my friend , Just kidding.

[Valholy]

ive been in emuparadise to much time for now,and i started browsing it with ie and i also downloaded many games in the begining also using ie and ive never seen any viruses infecting my computer from here , so i guess that emuparadise isnt the problem