This is a Heads UP!

I recently updated ZoneAlarm (personal version) and took up
their offer to use "Pro" free for 15 days. Today, I got a
notice that tgshell.exe was trying to access the internet
and it had changed since the last time it ran. ZA's More
Inf didn't tell me what I needed, so I went to Google.

www.answersthatwork.com suggests where/how you may have
gotten a program in question and provides detailed removal
instructions.

It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
"Comcast Support" (the website also explains why it could be
useful for Comcast's real "support"... something I've had no
indication to date that they even provide). According to
the website, tgshell.exe eats up CPU, drives the hard disk
hard, causes boot-up Kernel32 errors, generates illegal
operations, invalid page faults, and much more. So, you be
the judge - If you don't mind dealing with all of those
computer problems and you don't care if Comcast records
where you've been and what you're doing, keep it.

If you don't want to keep tgshell.exe, follow the
instructions here
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Taskl...tasklist_t.htm


sf
Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sf wrote:
> This is a Heads UP!
>
> I recently updated ZoneAlarm (personal version) and took up
> their offer to use "Pro" free for 15 days. Today, I got a
> notice that tgshell.exe was trying to access the internet
> and it had changed since the last time it ran. ZA's More
> Inf didn't tell me what I needed, so I went to Google.
>
> www.answersthatwork.com suggests where/how you may have
> gotten a program in question and provides detailed removal
> instructions.
>
> It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
> "Comcast Support" (the website also explains why it could be
> useful for Comcast's real "support"... something I've had no
> indication to date that they even provide). According to
> the website, tgshell.exe eats up CPU, drives the hard disk
> hard, causes boot-up Kernel32 errors, generates illegal
> operations, invalid page faults, and much more. So, you be
> the judge - If you don't mind dealing with all of those
> computer problems and you don't care if Comcast records
> where you've been and what you're doing, keep it.
>
> If you don't want to keep tgshell.exe, follow the
> instructions here
> http://www.answersthatwork.com/Taskl...tasklist_t.htm
>
>
> sf
> Practice safe eating - always use condiments


I think Charter does the same thing. I went to their support page and
they tried to install something like that on my system. When I clicked
"No" on the installation, they warned me about how important it was, so
I knew it was bogus. (now I gotta go back and check to see what it
actually was)

Bob

sf wrote:
> This is a Heads UP!
>
> I recently updated ZoneAlarm (personal version) and took up
> their offer to use "Pro" free for 15 days. Today, I got a
> notice that tgshell.exe was trying to access the internet
> and it had changed since the last time it ran. ZA's More
> Inf didn't tell me what I needed, so I went to Google.
>
> www.answersthatwork.com suggests where/how you may have
> gotten a program in question and provides detailed removal
> instructions.
>
> It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
> "Comcast Support" (the website also explains why it could be
> useful for Comcast's real "support"... something I've had no
> indication to date that they even provide). According to
> the website, tgshell.exe eats up CPU, drives the hard disk
> hard, causes boot-up Kernel32 errors, generates illegal
> operations, invalid page faults, and much more. So, you be
> the judge - If you don't mind dealing with all of those
> computer problems and you don't care if Comcast records
> where you've been and what you're doing, keep it.
>
> If you don't want to keep tgshell.exe, follow the
> instructions here
> http://www.answersthatwork.com/Taskl...tasklist_t.htm
>
>
> sf
> Practice safe eating - always use condiments


I think Charter does the same thing. I went to their support page and
they tried to install something like that on my system. When I clicked
"No" on the installation, they warned me about how important it was, so
I knew it was bogus. (now I gotta go back and check to see what it
actually was)

Bob

sf wrote:
> This is a Heads UP!
>
> I recently updated ZoneAlarm (personal version) and took up
> their offer to use "Pro" free for 15 days. Today, I got a
> notice that tgshell.exe was trying to access the internet
> and it had changed since the last time it ran. ZA's More
> Inf didn't tell me what I needed, so I went to Google.
>
> www.answersthatwork.com suggests where/how you may have
> gotten a program in question and provides detailed removal
> instructions.
>
> It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
> "Comcast Support" (the website also explains why it could be
> useful for Comcast's real "support"... something I've had no
> indication to date that they even provide). According to
> the website, tgshell.exe eats up CPU, drives the hard disk
> hard, causes boot-up Kernel32 errors, generates illegal
> operations, invalid page faults, and much more. So, you be
> the judge - If you don't mind dealing with all of those
> computer problems and you don't care if Comcast records
> where you've been and what you're doing, keep it.
>
> If you don't want to keep tgshell.exe, follow the
> instructions here
> http://www.answersthatwork.com/Taskl...tasklist_t.htm
>
>
> sf
> Practice safe eating - always use condiments


I think Charter does the same thing. I went to their support page and
they tried to install something like that on my system. When I clicked
"No" on the installation, they warned me about how important it was, so
I knew it was bogus. (now I gotta go back and check to see what it
actually was)

Bob

On 2004-08-20, sf > wrote:

> It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
> "Comcast Support"......

You should never have installed ANY Comcast software. It's totally
unnecessary to connect to the internet or get support from Comcast.

BTW, just to put a burr under your saddle, you should be aware that
Zonealarm is not exactly untainted. Besides issues with ClientMan, early
versions also contained a dormant, though as far as I know, never used data
collection engine. Newer versions may be ok. But, I've never trusted it
and would never run it.

nb

On 2004-08-20, sf > wrote:

> It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
> "Comcast Support"......

You should never have installed ANY Comcast software. It's totally
unnecessary to connect to the internet or get support from Comcast.

BTW, just to put a burr under your saddle, you should be aware that
Zonealarm is not exactly untainted. Besides issues with ClientMan, early
versions also contained a dormant, though as far as I know, never used data
collection engine. Newer versions may be ok. But, I've never trusted it
and would never run it.

nb

On 2004-08-20, sf > wrote:

> It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
> "Comcast Support"......

You should never have installed ANY Comcast software. It's totally
unnecessary to connect to the internet or get support from Comcast.

BTW, just to put a burr under your saddle, you should be aware that
Zonealarm is not exactly untainted. Besides issues with ClientMan, early
versions also contained a dormant, though as far as I know, never used data
collection engine. Newer versions may be ok. But, I've never trusted it
and would never run it.

nb

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 17:29:19 GMT, notbob
> wrote:

> On 2004-08-20, sf > wrote:
>
> > It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
> > "Comcast Support"......
>
> You should never have installed ANY Comcast software. It's totally
> unnecessary to connect to the internet or get support from Comcast.
>
I suspect it was done when the comcast guy was "installing"
comcast and hooking up modem/router etc. I've only called
Comcast Support (support? hahahah!).

> BTW, just to put a burr under your saddle, you should be aware that
> Zonealarm is not exactly untainted. Besides issues with ClientMan, early
> versions also contained a dormant, though as far as I know, never used data
> collection engine. Newer versions may be ok. But, I've never trusted it
> and would never run it.
>
Hmmm. I've never read any complaints about it on
Win98_discussion, so I guess it's a nonissue at this point.
What I CAN tell you is that they now ASK if you'd like to
participate in something similar (data gathering) now.


sf
Practice safe eating - always use condiments

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 17:29:19 GMT, notbob
> wrote:

> On 2004-08-20, sf > wrote:
>
> > It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
> > "Comcast Support"......
>
> You should never have installed ANY Comcast software. It's totally
> unnecessary to connect to the internet or get support from Comcast.
>
I suspect it was done when the comcast guy was "installing"
comcast and hooking up modem/router etc. I've only called
Comcast Support (support? hahahah!).

> BTW, just to put a burr under your saddle, you should be aware that
> Zonealarm is not exactly untainted. Besides issues with ClientMan, early
> versions also contained a dormant, though as far as I know, never used data
> collection engine. Newer versions may be ok. But, I've never trusted it
> and would never run it.
>
Hmmm. I've never read any complaints about it on
Win98_discussion, so I guess it's a nonissue at this point.
What I CAN tell you is that they now ASK if you'd like to
participate in something similar (data gathering) now.


sf
Practice safe eating - always use condiments

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 17:29:19 GMT, notbob
> wrote:

> On 2004-08-20, sf > wrote:
>
> > It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
> > "Comcast Support"......
>
> You should never have installed ANY Comcast software. It's totally
> unnecessary to connect to the internet or get support from Comcast.
>
I suspect it was done when the comcast guy was "installing"
comcast and hooking up modem/router etc. I've only called
Comcast Support (support? hahahah!).

> BTW, just to put a burr under your saddle, you should be aware that
> Zonealarm is not exactly untainted. Besides issues with ClientMan, early
> versions also contained a dormant, though as far as I know, never used data
> collection engine. Newer versions may be ok. But, I've never trusted it
> and would never run it.
>
Hmmm. I've never read any complaints about it on
Win98_discussion, so I guess it's a nonissue at this point.
What I CAN tell you is that they now ASK if you'd like to
participate in something similar (data gathering) now.


sf
Practice safe eating - always use condiments

notbob wrote:

> On 2004-08-20, sf > wrote:
>
>
>>It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
>>"Comcast Support"......
>
>
> You should never have installed ANY Comcast software. It's totally
> unnecessary to connect to the internet or get support from Comcast.
>
> BTW, just to put a burr under your saddle, you should be aware that
> Zonealarm is not exactly untainted. Besides issues with ClientMan, early
> versions also contained a dormant, though as far as I know, never used data
> collection engine. Newer versions may be ok. But, I've never trusted it
> and would never run it.
>
> nb

I run Zone Alarm Integrity Desktop (ZLID) because it's a requirement
of my employeer of I want to access the companys' intranet from home.
I need to because I frequently work from home. :-)
I've never seen any spyware or "bogus" processes running on my
machine, at least due to them.

I strongly recommend running SpyBot Search and Destroy AND Adaware
about once a week. It's amazing how fast you can get this crap.

Spybot doesn't seem to update their search patterns too often but
Adaware seems to have a new update about every day so always check for
updates prior to running it.

Spybot download: http://www.tucows.com/preview/310138.html
Adaware download: http://tinyurl.com/6kpzj

On top of that I also run NAV and a hardware firewall in my wireless
router with a custom SSID and 128bit WEP encryption. I feel *somewhat*
safe. ;-)



--
Steve

Love may be blind but marriage is a real eye-opener.

notbob wrote:

> On 2004-08-20, sf > wrote:
>
>
>>It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
>>"Comcast Support"......
>
>
> You should never have installed ANY Comcast software. It's totally
> unnecessary to connect to the internet or get support from Comcast.
>
> BTW, just to put a burr under your saddle, you should be aware that
> Zonealarm is not exactly untainted. Besides issues with ClientMan, early
> versions also contained a dormant, though as far as I know, never used data
> collection engine. Newer versions may be ok. But, I've never trusted it
> and would never run it.
>
> nb

I run Zone Alarm Integrity Desktop (ZLID) because it's a requirement
of my employeer of I want to access the companys' intranet from home.
I need to because I frequently work from home. :-)
I've never seen any spyware or "bogus" processes running on my
machine, at least due to them.

I strongly recommend running SpyBot Search and Destroy AND Adaware
about once a week. It's amazing how fast you can get this crap.

Spybot doesn't seem to update their search patterns too often but
Adaware seems to have a new update about every day so always check for
updates prior to running it.

Spybot download: http://www.tucows.com/preview/310138.html
Adaware download: http://tinyurl.com/6kpzj

On top of that I also run NAV and a hardware firewall in my wireless
router with a custom SSID and 128bit WEP encryption. I feel *somewhat*
safe. ;-)



--
Steve

Love may be blind but marriage is a real eye-opener.

notbob > wrote:
> On 2004-08-20, sf > wrote:

>> It turns out tgshell.exe is basically spyware guised as
>> "Comcast Support"......

> You should never have installed ANY Comcast software. It's totally
> unnecessary to connect to the internet or get support from Comcast.

I feel the same way about MS Windows. That's why I use a Mac.
No Zone Alarm and other such software needed.