The difference between "Drivecleaner" and "DriveRcleaner"

***Zardon*** · Dec 3, 2006, 05:39 PM

This is an announcement to everyone visiting our site. I have been receiving many emails lately from disgruntled people threatening legal action for an application which is loaded with spyware and malware and it is called "drivecleaner". This is in fact nothing we have created and should not be confused with the application we make and host on www.drivercleaner.net. Our application is called Drive"R"cleaner. (notice the R).

If everyone makes sure they download from the URL above then you will ensure you are getting our application. It is unfortunate that copycat makers are attempting to fool people into thinking this application is in some way affiliated with us - it's NOT, and I strongly recommend you do NOT download and install Drivecleaner as it is one hell of a nasty little application.

If you have this spyware application installed and need to remove it then I suggest the following steps, which will cost nothing.

Download Adaware SE Personal. Run this application.

Download Microsoft Windows Defender. Run this application.

Then get yourself a free antivirus client such as AVAST Antivirus and run a full scan on all your hard drives.

Erroneus · Dec 3, 2006, 06:19 PM

http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/dri...676#post215676

Sadly also some user on siteadviser can tell the difference, people need to wake up and use their brains.

Lelisevis · Dec 3, 2006, 06:47 PM

This kind of stuff really pisses me off. It's amazing the number of incredible homebrew programmers we lose in the PSP scene because someone decides to rename/choose a very similar name to a legitimate program then walks away free leaving the developer to pick up the pieces.

I hope the people responsible all wake up tomorrow morning and shit an angry hedgehog...backwards.

***Zardon*** · Dec 3, 2006, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erroneus

http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/dri...676#post215676

Sadly also some user on siteadviser can tell the difference, people need to wake up and use their brains.

yes it is unfortunately understandable as the names are so close ... the people who are making this malicious "drivecleaner" are attempting to ride on the backs of the success of our program, which is incidentally 100% clean of all spyware and malicious code.

I am aware that most of our regulars will already know this, however I have been noticing quite an increase lately in my inbox from people (quite a few from australia for some reason) thinking we make this "drivecleaner" program and being extremely aggressive towards us. I would appreciate if everyone could do their best to inform and educate people on forums they visit if this crops up in conversation, as there is nothing we can legally do against the people making this malicious copycat app. The best course of action is to just direct people towards www.drivercleaner.net to get the correct version.

>GSXR<mrbusa · Dec 3, 2006, 08:29 PM

There are allot of programmers out there that do this.

calidan · Dec 3, 2006, 10:36 PM

Google even warns you about this site:

http://www.google.com/interstitial?u...vecleaner.com/

OmegaRED · Dec 4, 2006, 12:00 AM

I sympathize with anyone that downloaded a bogus version but those that went ahead and harassed Zardon before asking some questions deserved what they got. I guess finding your email address was easier than finding Drivercleaner download link

**dj_stick** · Dec 4, 2006, 01:57 AM

the australian connection might be myspace

every 10 or so times i open a myspace page i get this:

***Zardon*** · Dec 4, 2006, 04:08 AM

yeah dj that might explain a lot

***temeteus82*** · Dec 4, 2006, 04:56 AM

dj your not the only one who has gotten that. I've got that few times on few airplane photos sites... Actually I was waiting when we would have this conversation here. It's sad when spyware and other crap makers are using really good program names to promote their crap.

Erroneus · Dec 4, 2006, 07:11 AM

Great stopbadware are wrong also:

http://www.stopbadware.org/reports/c...vercleaner.net

Impressive they cant tell the difference between a .com and a .net domain.

Sending a mail now.

***Zardon*** · Dec 4, 2006, 07:44 AM

i have already reported that one, however not only is it a com/net difference but there is no "R" in their program!

Thanks for your help.

LeanWolf · Dec 4, 2006, 08:04 AM

It's hard to believe that there are still so many people uneducated enough to click on such popups...

('uneducated' used in place of a more offensive word)

zerodamage · Dec 4, 2006, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj_stick

the australian connection might be myspace

every 10 or so times i open a myspace page i get this:

EDIT: I take that back, that is your primary Myspace page. Can you or anyone else link me a URL that makes this thing pop up? You should not be getting pop ups like that if you use firefox or opera. If anyone has any more information on this, please PM me. I want to research this spyware program.

ZD

zerodamage · Dec 5, 2006, 12:09 AM

Drivecleaner.com has an A record of 204.16.207.50. Adding that to your hosts file as an entry like this: 204.16.207.50 127.0.0.1

That will block any ads coming from that site from ever loading up given they are loading from that site in particular.

The server is located in Canada as shown from this site and the A record.
http://www.ip-adress.com/

WHOIS info on the owner of the site if you wish to complain: http://www.dnsstuff.com/tools/whois.....com&cache=off

Quote:

Registrant:
DriveCleaner, Inc
32 Maxwell Road #03-07
Whitehouse
Singapore, NA 069115
SG

Domain name: DRIVECLEANER.COM

Administrative Contact:
Tone, Ricardo Da *****@drivecleaner.com
32 Maxwell Road #03-07
Whitehouse
Singapore, NA 069115
SG
+65 6725 8018
Technical Contact:
Tone, Ricardo Da *****@drivecleaner.com
32 Maxwell Road #03-07
Whitehouse
Singapore, NA 069115
SG
+65 6725 8018

Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
Record last updated on 12-Oct-2006.
Record expires on 19-Aug-2007.
Record created on 19-Aug-2000.

Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.DRIVECLEANER.COM 66.244.254.9
NS2.DRIVECLEANER.COM 66.244.254.8

Domain status: clientDeleteProhibited
clientTransferProhibited
clientUpdateProhibited

The Data in the Tucows Registrar WHOIS database is provided to you by Tucows
for information purposes only, and may be used to assist you in obtaining
information about or related to a domain name's registration record.

Tucows makes this information available "as is," and does not guarantee its
accuracy.

By submitting a WHOIS query, you agree that you will use this data only for
lawful purposes and that, under no circumstances will you use this data to:
a) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission by e-mail,
telephone, or facsimile of mass, unsolicited, commercial advertising or
solicitations to entities other than the data recipient's own existing
customers; or (b) enable high volume, automated, electronic processes that
send queries or data to the systems of any Registry Operator or
ICANN-Accredited registrar, except as reasonably necessary to register
domain names or modify existing registrations.

The compilation, repackaging, dissemination or other use of this Data is
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Tucows reserves the right to terminate your access to the Tucows WHOIS
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By submitting this query, you agree to abide by these terms.

NOTE: THE WHOIS DATABASE IS A CONTACT DATABASE ONLY. LACK OF A DOMAIN
RECORD DOES NOT SIGNIFY DOMAIN AVAILABILITY.

Anyone in Canada care to report this site?

OmegaRED · Dec 5, 2006, 01:50 AM

Zardon say the word and I will send an assassin to take out the drivecleaner site admin. Just need to find his server company on my Medieval 2 battle map.

drivehard454 · Dec 5, 2006, 03:23 AM

For some of us "not so knowledgeable" people, those programs are our worst enemy. You try to help yourself by working out problems, or learning yourself how to fix things, and then you run into something like that. It sends you off on a whole other track to get rid of it and before you know it, your computers taking you over. Then it discourages you from trying anything again.

What satisfaction do these people get making bogus programs anyway. Do they get paid by somebody to see how much damage it causes. I could see the point if you had to purchase the software, but most of the garbage is free!

I was caught one time with a program that said it was official microsoft to get rid of spyware and it crashed my system. Believe me, I am very careful now with anything I use.

I was urged to use the drivercleaner on this site and I still did internet research and read every thing before I downloaded it. However, I still screwed up using it and now my computers OS no longer boots up.

Erroneus · Dec 5, 2006, 11:54 AM

Also some forum spam (not on DH) pops up now, around on different forums, for drivecleaner, so it seems to be pretty spread.

***Zardon*** · Dec 5, 2006, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erroneus

Also some forum spam (not on DH) pops up now, around on different forums, for drivecleaner, so it seems to be pretty spread.

yeah ive noticed that, it appears to be coming from website forums that dont block HTML in postings. so guys are obviously using code to exploit drivecleaner js on forums/myspace etc. nasty stuff.

Robert McClelland · Dec 8, 2006, 01:00 AM

get rid of that crap download IOBIT.COM works very well it has built in spyware and defence also

and tuneup it's free.

***temeteus82*** · Dec 18, 2006, 04:42 AM

Did some digging on F-Secures weblog and found this : Link

It seems that F-Secure was aware of this software from Friday, October 13, 2006.