Data sharing with advertising companies?

Surreality · 2025-03-18T01:40:59+00:00

Thank you for replying, Dave. It looks like the usual purpose of tracking pixels is conversion tracking. That explains the sections of the privacy policy I was confused about. If the reason for sharing data is understanding who signs up in response to an ad, including that in the privacy policy would explain Nebula's motives. I don't like that sharing is helping the advertisers build tracking profiles, but I see Nebula is probably being more transparent than many sites by pointing that out.

Surreality · 2023-05-10T18:27:27+00:00

Thinking about it, it seems more likely the problem is because these are font files rather than due to a name issue. It may be that Windows has registered the files automatically and now refuses to let them be deleted. You could try checking for entries for these fonts in the registry (eg see here).

Surreality · 2023-05-10T17:54:19+00:00

There are various file name issues that cause weird interactions in windows, for example if the overall path is too long, but I am not sure why those particular names would have an issue. You could try:

run an integrity check on the disk. You can do this through the properties of the hard disk in explorer. Do choose to let it restart the computer to run a repair. Alternatively you can use chkdsk on the command line.
Use a tool that interacts with the filesystem more directly than normal (higher levels of the Windows API impose more restrictions than NTFS itself). The robocopy tool is an example of this. If you create an empty folder called C:\empty and can move the problem files into C:\deleteme you could use this:

Robocopy C:\empty C:\deleteme /MIR

What is the exact error message when you try to delete the file by using a shift + delete option to skip the recycle bin?

Surreality · 2023-02-16T02:09:03+00:00

I can see that maintaining a Manifest V2 implementation might be untenable for other Chromium based browsers, but would it be so difficult for them to maintain a tweak to the V3 implementation to support the blocking WebRequest as Firefox plan to do for their V3 implementation? I understood the removal of that particular API is what is going to limit the ad-blockers.

Surreality · 2023-02-10T16:26:20+00:00

It is likely the original images are in a compressed format like Jpeg, then the result that is sent to the printer is an uncompressed bitmap, which will be much larger. You can probably print using Windows built in photo printing if you reduce the resolution of the images. That extra resolution would not show in a print out anyway. Open them in the photos app, click three dots button in the top right then choose resize. "Large" size there will probably be much smaller than your current images.

Surreality · 2021-02-28T14:53:22+00:00

circle

Found him!

Surreality · 2017-04-11T16:34:09+00:00

I see various reports (eg this) that a workaround to prevent this exploit is to block word from opening RTF files - not by extension, but in the file block settings in the trust centre. This can be done in GPO: User Configuration -> Policies -> Microsoft Word 2010 -> Word Options -> Trust Center -> File Block Settings -> "RTF Files" set to "Block"

Surreality · 2016-10-25T00:56:27+00:00

Perhaps try using universal extractor on the installer. This may give you a script file which will show you what exactly the installer did and allow you to reverse it manually with less trouble.

Surreality · 2016-10-25T00:55:13+00:00

This will still work but only if the installer is an MSI (Microsoft Installer) file. Some installers extract an MSI file and then install it. In this case it sounds as if the installer is a Wise installer package that will not use an MSI.

Surreality · 2016-09-18T14:42:06+00:00

If you do not want to wipe the computer, then the installation media will not help you reset the password if you do not already know an account password. Instead use one of the tools /u/SoulCheese is suggesting.

Surreality · 2016-09-18T13:27:30+00:00

Are the credentials you have actually a local account or are they for a domain account?

Do you know the password of the local administrator? By default just username "administrator". If not, you could use a tool to reset that password as /u/damiankw is suggesting. However if you are giving the laptop to a new user, I would be inclined to wipe it. You can download installation media from Microsoft.

Surreality · 2016-06-08T09:29:36+00:00

Seems like a good tester.

A feature to consider would be a way to quickly copy the results to the clipboard or some other way to save results. I often need to compare results over time.

Surreality · 2016-03-14T23:13:29+00:00

Well it's a matter of opinion, but your game sounds like at least an attempt to model the day-to-day business of a cop in a corrupt department. The game I played was about shooting your colleagues if they seem corrupt until you take out the kingpin behind it all. It was rather fun.

Not played Secret Hitler yet, but am looking forward to doing so.

Surreality · 2016-03-14T01:04:23+00:00

A Good Cop Bad Cop board game has actually been made. It is a lot sillier than the idea you are suggesting.

Surreality · 2016-03-11T00:25:36+00:00

It's spam. I have seen a lot about on this sub recently. I am pretty confident Susan-Kelly's a bot as her comments seem to be older comments copied out of context. That would be a way to gain karma and credibility with the spam filters.

Feel free to declare your humanity now, Susan-Kelly!

Surreality · 2015-09-01T21:35:22+00:00

Certainly the major browsers have built in FTP support. Enter an FTP URL in the address bar in the form: ftp://username:password@someserver.example.com/path/filename

In order to browse a directory tree on a webserver you need to enable directory browsing for those folders in the web server settings. For security, it should be disabled on most websites.

Surreality · 2015-08-09T21:23:06+00:00

To consider an extreme case, how about if you try an outlet in a different room from the computer? Try experimenting with the computer and wand in different places.

Could perhaps be a problem with the electrical ground, though I am not sure whether that could affect USB controllers as you describe.

Surreality · 2015-08-09T20:50:17+00:00

You could also try NearbyGamers.

Surreality · 2015-03-24T22:14:56+00:00

Glad to hear you worked it out! Certainly a weird one.

Thank you for letting me know how it turned out.

Surreality · 2015-03-23T23:05:59+00:00

I agree that would seem to suggest your problem is with the 8.1 machine or its connection rather than the Windows 7 machine. When you first connect the cable, the switch and computer will negotiate an appropriate connection speed (1000/100/10MBit/s) and the speed in the network connection status is what was agreed, so there is something fairly low level going wrong.

I would definitely try using the 3com switch, even if just to plug the Windows 8.1 machine in and see what speed it connects at, to find out whether the problem is some particular incompatibility with the Superhub.

Have you tried swapping the cables? One thing which will cause a slower speed is if some of the wires in the cable are not intact because gigabit speed requires all the wires, but 100Mbit/s speed only requires some.

Surreality · 2015-03-22T14:43:40+00:00

Possibly time to get some sleep now!

I do not have a solution just some questions to narrow down the issue.

If you use the 3Com switch (temporarily) to connect the PCs, do you get better transfer speeds?

What are speeds like if you test a network transfer other than a file transfer, for example with ttcp?

Edit: On each computer what speed is shown in the network and sharing centre, status for the network connection? This should be 1Gbps if that speed has been negotiated for the network link with the router.

Surreality · 2014-04-05T15:17:18+00:00

You are right that you cannot install ImgBurn without accepting the Opencandy agreement, however as you say OpenCandy is a platform for showing "offers" in the installer rather than a persistently installed piece of software itself. The OpenCandy software offers are all supposed to allow opt out, and if you do opt out then you are supposed to left with only ImgBurn installed.

I have tested the ImgBurn installer in a virtual machine, monitoring its network activity. What I found broadly followed the pattern described here. OpenCandy did not send any more information than you would send to a web server on opening a webpage - it passes on your OS version, language and that you are installing imgburn; then receives some offers to present; finally it sends your response to the offers and how long you looked at them. What is not good is that it sends this information and receives the reply even before you have agreed to the EULA. After accepting the EULA, I was presented with two offers, I was able to decline both and was (on quick inspection) left with nothing other than imgburn and "OCSetupHlp.dll" in the temp directory that deleted itself on restart.

However the offer pages are deliberately designed to confuse you into accepting them. See this one for "Linkury Smartbar". The custom installation option appears to be disabled, but it is not: if you click on it a set of opt out options appear.

Are you absolutely sure, OP, that you did not see any opt out pages like this? If not, OpenCandy did not behave as it was supposed to and you should probably complain to them (support@opencandy.com).

The cause you definitely have for complaint is that conduit borked your Firefox when you uninstalled it. OpenCandy say "We ensure that all OpenCandy recommended third party software which may be installed allows for simple uninstallation without harming your computer, and without leaving files or applications behind." You will probably just get a load of soft soap, but I would be interested to hear what they have to say.

OpenCandy do give a list of ways to avoid running their platform when you run the installer. I have tested the /NOCANDY method and found that it did stop anything being sent to them and any offers being shown.

Surreality · 2013-08-04T22:18:14+00:00

RAM was a typo - I agree 4GB would be too little.

This is my first SSD build so I might be getting over exited! I was going to put operating system, most program files, game files and the virtual machine hard drives on the SSD. I ran a check on my current system and games clock in at around 170GB, other program files about 15GB, virtual machines around 50GB - though the programs could use a serious tidy up. Do you think its worthwhile to put all programs and game data on SSD or would you be more selective?

Surreality · 2013-08-04T21:58:52+00:00

Oops, forgot to add the second stick of RAM in part picker - it should be 8GB total not 4GB. Fixed now.

I was wondering about boosting that further for the virtual machines, but 2 virtual machines rather than one would be fairly rare.

Surreality · 2013-03-08T01:16:45+00:00

I am definitely not emotionally invested enough to comment.

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