From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

micky wrote:

I bought something that requires software. It installed and ran fine
the first time on the no-longer in use win10, but only displays a little
blue circle for 4 to 60 seconds, usually 4, on my new, main, win11
laptop.

I've written to the vendor, explained everything I did to debug and sent
him copies of their error log.

1) SO WHY DOES HE want to do a remote session? Is there debugging software that can be superimposed on an unmodified program that will
give more information than the log does? That's the only reason I can
think of where a remote session is better than the log****.

2) Precautions:
If I'm watching my monitor, can they be downloading things in background without my seeing?

Maybe.

All of my sensitive information, bank account numbers, userids, and
passwords are either in one email mailbox with an irrelevant name, or
those involving money are in two files password protected by
Libreoffice, and one other email in the outbox. Should I move all
these to external storage and then disconnect that before I allow the session?

Not a good idea to store your personal security needed content in your
email mailbox.

Can they read a LibreOffice password**-protected file without the
password?. **Which is only 5 letters long, because it was meant to
stop the average thief who stole my laptop when I travel?

No

I have a few little bur real reasons to think this guy is not legit,
which I can explain if they are not considered off-topic.

If concerned, uninstall the software and move on.
No software, no need for software vendor to remote in to your device.

**** Seems to me the log should be enough and they won't learn anything
from watching it run on my computer. If the log is not enough they need
to change the program so it creates more log entries. But If they have
a better debugging program, why not just send it to me and wait until I
send back the log.

If asking the above, then sending it to you wouldn't appear to make
sense from their perspective.

Like most of your posts...pertinent information is often left out.
- Something you said you bought (What did you buy)
- Software needed for something you bought (What software does it need)
- How was 'it'(the software) installed in Windows 11
=> was it supported on Win11??? Which era was it released(Win10,
Win8, Win7, WinVista, WinXP, Win95)?? Was it installed in Win10
compatibility mode.

Who knows maybe 'it' needs VS C++ Redistributable 2015-17-19-22 for
Visual Studio.
If so, and since Win11 is x64 only, download it here <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170>
Look under Architectural Link, for the latest x64 version 14.44.35208.0
The downloaded file name is vc_redist.x64.exe
--
...w¡ñ§±¤ñ
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

On Fri, 7/4/2025 10:55 AM, micky wrote:

I bought something that requires software. It installed and ran fine
the first time on the no-longer in use win10, but only displays a little
blue circle for 4 to 60 seconds, usually 4, on my new, main, win11
laptop.

I've written to the vendor, explained everything I did to debug and sent
him copies of their error log.

1) SO WHY DOES HE want to do a remote session? Is there debugging software that can be superimposed on an unmodified program that will
give more information than the log does? That's the only reason I can
think of where a remote session is better than the log****.

2) Precautions:
If I'm watching my monitor, can they be downloading things in background without my seeing?

All of my sensitive information, bank account numbers, userids, and
passwords are either in one email mailbox with an irrelevant name, or
those involving money are in two files password protected by
Libreoffice, and one other email in the outbox. Should I move all
these to external storage and then disconnect that before I allow the session?

Can they read a LibreOffice password**-protected file without the
password?. **Which is only 5 letters long, because it was meant to
stop the average thief who stole my laptop when I travel?

I have a few little bur real reasons to think this guy is not legit,
which I can explain if they are not considered off-topic.

**** Seems to me the log should be enough and they won't learn anything
from watching it run on my computer. If the log is not enough they need
to change the program so it creates more log entries. But If they have
a better debugging program, why not just send it to me and wait until I
send back the log.

Haven't I seen you in the

"I won't pay a lot for this muffler"

advert ? :-)

I remember the one and only time a Muffler Shop
fitted a reedy piece of crap on my car. That was all the
advert I needed.

If an idea seems bad on the surface, and bad after dinner,
it's quite likely to be a bad idea. Especially after dinner.

*******

Spare disk, clean install, test the crappy software.

Did it work ?

Run Process Monitor. Set filter to <name of program> after the trace
(all events are captured, setting the filter reduces visible noise).
Perhaps during the blue circle interval, you can spot the program
looking for something and getting "file not found" and so on.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

It's normal, for programs to scan the registry and come back with
"registry entry not found". The software has to deal with many
environments.

Having the program reading or scanning your Firefox
files, your Bitcoin wallet, and so on, is NOT normal. And software
should be turfed immediately if that happens.

Maybe the product comes from a Black Hat, and the software
never does more than make a blue circle. I trust your sense
of OPSEC on this matter, as I know you don't download software
from dark alleys.

I can't think of a single good reason for anyone to remote
into my computer. I can think of several bad reasons.

Paul
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

On 7/4/25 10:55 AM, micky wrote:

I bought something that requires software. It installed and ran fine
the first time on the no-longer in use win10, but only displays a little
blue circle for 4 to 60 seconds, usually 4, on my new, main, win11
laptop.

I've written to the vendor, explained everything I did to debug and sent
him copies of their error log.

1) SO WHY DOES HE want to do a remote session? Is there debugging software that can be superimposed on an unmodified program that will
give more information than the log does? That's the only reason I can
think of where a remote session is better than the log****.

2) Precautions:
If I'm watching my monitor, can they be downloading things in background without my seeing?

All of my sensitive information, bank account numbers, userids, and
passwords are either in one email mailbox with an irrelevant name, or
those involving money are in two files password protected by
Libreoffice, and one other email in the outbox. Should I move all
these to external storage and then disconnect that before I allow the session?

Can they read a LibreOffice password**-protected file without the
password?. **Which is only 5 letters long, because it was meant to
stop the average thief who stole my laptop when I travel?

I have a few little bur real reasons to think this guy is not legit,
which I can explain if they are not considered off-topic.

**** Seems to me the log should be enough and they won't learn anything
from watching it run on my computer. If the log is not enough they need
to change the program so it creates more log entries. But If they have
a better debugging program, why not just send it to me and wait until I
send back the log.

I'm a fan of honesty. Tell him you're paranoid about your PC, nothing against him (not
that he needs to know). Ask what he wants to do and could you do it for him. --
Linux Mint 22.1, Thunderbird 128.12.0esr, Mozilla Firefox 140.0.2
Alan K.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

micky wrote:

I bought something that requires software. It installed and ran fine
the first time on the no-longer in use win10, but only displays a little
blue circle for 4 to 60 seconds, usually 4, on my new, main, win11
laptop.

You haven't mentioned which remote software the vendor would like to
use. The inbuilt "Quick Assist" is safe enough IMO, so you could
suggest it ...

1) you have to give permission for him to view your screen

2) you would have to give a separate approval for him to have remote
control of kbd/mouse.

3) It doesn't allow copying on/off of files.

4) If you're logged-in as a non-admin account, it won't allow running
UAC programmes without your approval.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Fri, 4 Jul 2025 21:23:16 -0400, "Alan K." <alan@invalid.com> wrote:

On 7/4/25 10:55 AM, micky wrote:

I bought something that requires software. It installed and ran fine
the first time on the no-longer in use win10, but only displays a little
blue circle for 4 to 60 seconds, usually 4, on my new, main, win11
laptop.

I've written to the vendor, explained everything I did to debug and sent
him copies of their error log.

1) SO WHY DOES HE want to do a remote session? Is there debugging
software that can be superimposed on an unmodified program that will
give more information than the log does? That's the only reason I can
think of where a remote session is better than the log****.

2) Precautions:
If I'm watching my monitor, can they be downloading things in background
without my seeing?

All of my sensitive information, bank account numbers, userids, and
passwords are either in one email mailbox with an irrelevant name, or
those involving money are in two files password protected by
Libreoffice, and one other email in the outbox. Should I move all
these to external storage and then disconnect that before I allow the
session?

Can they read a LibreOffice password**-protected file without the
password?. **Which is only 5 letters long, because it was meant to
stop the average thief who stole my laptop when I travel?


I have a few little bur real reasons to think this guy is not legit,
which I can explain if they are not considered off-topic.

**** Seems to me the log should be enough and they won't learn anything
from watching it run on my computer. If the log is not enough they need
to change the program so it creates more log entries. But If they have
a better debugging program, why not just send it to me and wait until I
send back the log.

I'm a fan of honesty. Tell him you're paranoid about your PC, nothing against him (not
that he needs to know). Ask what he wants to do and could you do it for him.

There's a lot to be said for that.

I wrote him back late last night and agreed to it (though I still have
54 hours to change my mind) and I asked what he could get from watching
the shortcut get clicked on and the little blue circle that he coudlnt'
get from the log. But i didnt' make it a condition that he answer.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

On 2025-07-05 12:41, Andy Burns wrote:

micky wrote:

I bought something that requires software.  It installed and ran fine
the first time on the no-longer in use win10, but only displays a little
blue circle for 4 to 60 seconds, usually 4, on my new, main, win11
laptop.

You haven't mentioned which remote software the vendor would like to
use.  The inbuilt "Quick Assist" is safe enough IMO, so you could
suggest it ...

1) you have to give permission for him to view your screen

2) you would have to give a separate approval for him to have remote
control of kbd/mouse.

3) It doesn't allow copying on/off of files.

4) If you're logged-in as a non-admin account, it won't allow running
UAC programmes without your approval.

There is software, designed for video conferencing, that just displays
your desktop to others, so they can't do anything. I don't remember if
they can point at something on the screen.

For example, Jitsi.

https://jitsi.org/
--
Cheers, Carlos.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Sat, 5 Jul 2025 11:41:01 +0100, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

micky wrote:

I bought something that requires software. It installed and ran fine
the first time on the no-longer in use win10, but only displays a little
blue circle for 4 to 60 seconds, usually 4, on my new, main, win11
laptop.

You haven't mentioned which remote software the vendor would like to
use.

He didn't say. Looking now, I see that TeamViewer will transfer files
and do it securely, but they mean secure from 3rd parties along the way,
not from the guy it's being transferred from.

The inbuilt "Quick Assist" is safe enough IMO, so you could
suggest it ...

So that would not allow downloading in background? Oh, you answer that
below.

1) you have to give permission for him to view your screen

I don't mind that. Nothing on my screen that means anything private.

2) you would have to give a separate approval for him to have remote
control of kbd/mouse.

Okay.

3) It doesn't allow copying on/off of files.

Even if he does have remote control, that it can't copy should be
enough. He's not going to go, right in front of me, and find the few
places with something private, and then... I guess if he did get to a
page, he could take screen shots, but all the pages are more than one
level deep. He won't get there in a way that looks accidental or normal debugging.

( The mailbox with userid's has 450 entries, only about 5 of which
involve money. I don't really have 450 subscriptions. There was a crash
and all previous versions of the same email that had been deleted got resurrected. I dont' know how it all works and I haven't had time
enough and nerve enough to go through and delete them.
The one big email with notes about everything still does have my
credit card numbers, but they're not labeled and they're respaced to
look like phone numbers. Maybe a computer could figure it out but he's
not going to figure it out while looking.
One of the two password-protected files is densely packed with stuff,
but Winston says he can't read it, and he certainly can't without
copying into his computer.)

4) If you're logged-in as a non-admin account, it won't allow running
UAC programmes without your approval.

I dont' know if this ia UAC program or not. After it didnt' work, I
checked the box, Run as Administrator, and now it displays the UAC
permission request box, but per the log it runs no differently either
way.

I feel obliged to tell you about this page:
Microsoft warns its Quick Assist app could expose Windows and macOS
users to AI-driven tech support scams and "scareware" https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/microsoft-warns-quick-assist-could-expose-users-to-scams
"While Microsoft is deploying countermeasures against scams, it still recommends internal alternatives, like Remote Help."

Of course they mean people pretending to be Tech Support, not real tech
support doing something bad. The company I'm dealing with seems like a
big company, with quality products. Since I googled them about 1/3 or
all the ads I see on youtube are from them. (It seems that's when it
started. I've never had one company show me anywhere near as much advertising.) They have 50 high tech models of outdoor camera, all
currently for sale, and not cheap, but everyone I write to has the same
email address, support@company.com . They gave me a ticket number which
I thought they would use to direct my emails to the right person, but
the current guy does not use it. And someone else wrote me once, without
using my ticket or my request number, to say, "We haven't heard from
you, Problem solved?" even though I had written 2 more prior times to
that same email address. One admitted to not getting an email I'd sent.
One of them asked me to send a screen shot of the settings, but I'd
already told them the program didn't open, so there are no settings. And
now they want to watch while it again does not run. Stuff like that
makes me feel like I'm dealing with 2 people separately, and that makes
me nervous. OTOH, the 2nd guy never wrote again so maybe he really did
turn it over to the 3rd. And of course the saying "Never attribute to
malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity" or
incompetence.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

micky wrote:

Microsoft warns its Quick Assist app could expose Windows and macOS
users to AI-driven tech support scams

They're just saying its up to *you* to decide if you trust the person
offering support via a remote session.

If you just want to demonstrate what's happening, you can do that, if
you're speaking on the phone to them, they can ask you to do stuff, they
can't do stuff without asking you to grant remote control.

Don't leave them in control while you're not watching, they can't do
file transfer, but they could e.g fire up an email client and send
attachments to themselves, or fire up dropbox.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2