irsetup.exe Adware?

[highplains]

I just learned that one of my listings on Download.com has been tagged with an editor's comment stating that it contains adware. When I questioned why the comment was on my listing, this is the reply I got:

----------------------------------------------------
Dear Provider,

We scan all titles published on Download.com for adware/spyware. When installing your product, our adware scanner detected 2020Search adware attempting to run. According to our editorial policies, we added the adware notice to your product description.

On receiving your letter, we thoroughly retested your program and discovered the following. When installing, your program adds irsetup.exe file to the folder Documents and Settings\?\Local Settings\Temp. Irsetup.exe is reported being a part of such adware as 2020Search. (http://www.2-spyware.com/file-irsetup-exe.html) Does this file make part of your software?

Regards,

Alexandre
Upload.com Customer Service
----------------------------------------------------

Since irsetup.exe is not a part of my program, I have to assume it's one of the setup procedure files (ir = Indigo Rose?). Can someone explain what irsetup.exe does? Is it possible to change its name or eliminate it? Please tell me it's not really adware. This is killing the downloads of my program. I need to get this resolved ASAP! Thanks in advance for any information.

Randy Donges

[Ted Sullivan]

irsetup.exe is the main Setup Factory 6.0 setup program. It is extracted to a temporary folder when you run the setup.exe file and handles all of the actual installation of your software. It is deleted after the installation or on system reboot at the latest.

It is definitely not "adware" and I have no idea why download.com would say that it is. We have literally millions and millions of setup.exe's out there created with Setup Factory 6.0 by many thousands of different companies.

I can't speak for what is contained in your product or anyone else's, but the idea that irsetup.exe is adware is definitely incorrect. There must be something else going on there. You can have them contact Indigo Rose directly for clarification - I don't know what "tools" they are using to assess their submissions, but that is completely wrong and an obviously simplistic.

Please keep us updated.

[Ted Sullivan]

I have notified the administrator of http://www.2-spyware.com that IRSETUP.EXE IS NOT ADWARE with the following message. I'd recommend that you do too.

The file IRSETUP.EXE is not adware. It is actually part of the extremely common Setup Factory 6.0 installer builder product by Indigo Rose Software (www.indigorose.com). It is extracted to a temp folder when running a setup.exe created by Setup Factory 6.0 and used to handle the main installation tasks. It is deleted at the end of the installation process or at the next system reboot at the latest.

Setup Factory 6.0 is used by *millions* of setup.exe's and many thousands of companies. The IRSETUP.EXE file itself is definitely not adware.

[highplains]

Thanks for the response and for contacting 2-spyware.com. I used their "Edit irsetup.exe description" link (http://www.2-spyware.com/file-irsetup-exe.html) to state the following:

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The file irsetup.exe is the runtime engine for installation procedures created with Indigo Rose Company's "Setup Factory." It is not adware and is not related to adware. If Setup Factory is used to create an installation procedure, irsetup.exe will appear during installation. But irsetup.exe has no relation to the software being installed. The presence of irsetup.exe in no way implies the presence of adware, since millions of Setup Factory installation procedures are in existence for legitimate software.
---------------------------------

I don't know if that's what they're expecting on the edit link, or if I should send the response somewhere else, but maybe somebody will get the message. I need this resolved! It's costing me money. I have another program listed with them that uses Setup Factory, but it hasn't been tagged as adware yet. If every program listed on download.com that has an installation created with Setup Factory gets tagged with the adware label, there are going to be a lot of unhappy Setup Factory customers. It's in Indigo Rose's best interest to get this straightened out too. Thanks for your attention to the problem.

Randy Donges

[ceej]

Hi there,

This sounds very much like threads earlier in the year where Symantecs products detected certain Setup Factory installs as false positives for adware.showbehind. Its more than possible that these signatures may be shared with other vendors too and despite attempts at notifying the manufacturer (see couple of relevant threads in this forum) after several months it still is detected as such (well was last week ).

For you, the quickest solution I think is to update (if you havent already) your version to 6.0.1.4 and recompile your install (or version 7, I havent got round to upgrading yet as I use a lot of custom script so needs a lot of tweaking for the new LUA scripting engine, but I will do when I have the time, and you can run 6 and 7 side by side anyway which is nice to get everything converted over). This issue (if its the same) went away here certainly after re-compiling shields with this version (6.0.1.4), in an ideal world the signature would be fixed, but its not an ideal world

Strictly speaking its not Indigo Roses fault other vendors software give a false positive, but at least you got a response .

Best regards,

Ceej

[csd214]

Ted Sullivan is admirably level-headed in his posts (here in the open forum).

First Norton Anti Virus (and Panda), now Download.com and 2-spyware.com. The adware reputation is really bad news to the users of Setup Factory.

The 2-spyware's recommendation is most impressive: Delete the files irsetup.exe and svchost.exe (Microsoft's "Generic Host Process for Win32 Services").

Download.com's attitude is disappointing.

BTW Thanks to a national IDG Magazine I have achieved contact with the managing director, Symantec, Norway. He has promised to investigate the issue internally within the Symantec organization. His answer about "customer care" is not acceptable. In this minute a journalist is writing an article about Symantec's customer policy.

[highplains]

ceej: I'm already using version 6.0.1.4 so that apparently doesn't fix this particular problem.

csd214: Yes, download.com's attitude is disappointing. They should do more than just blindly accept the verdict of a third party before dumping on their own customers' products.

Ted: I bought version 7 as soon as it was released, but haven't used it yet. Does it use irsetup.exe? If so, upgrading my installation procedures probably wouldn't solve the problem. If not, that might be the easiest solution. The only problem is that download.com will charge me to re-list updated versions of my programs (or that used to be their policy). I hate to pay them to correct their own misinformation. I'm going to send download.com a link to this thread in an attempt to prove that irsetup.exe is not adware. Let me know if there's anything else I can do.

Thanks again everybody for the replies.

Randy Donges

[Corey]

It's a tough spot for everyone, let's give them the benefit of the doubt for now and just hope the message gets through. IRSETUP.EXE is most certainly not adware or spyware. Like that 7-up guy says, "Never had it, never will mon..."

[highplains]

Corey, I'm all for giving people the benefit of the doubt - when they deserve it. I'm not sure who you're talking about, but the way I see it, download.com has a responsibility to verify information about their customers' products, and not blindly accept third party information that may or may not be accurate. If they thought a file associated with my program is adware, at the absolute minimum they should have contacted me about it and gave me a chance to clear up the situation before just tacking on an editor's comment that "This download contains adware...". And a more professional approach would have been to contact me AND check it out themselves. They are, after all, being paid to list the program. But to just accept whatever some spyware site claims and edit my listing without contacting me is inexcusable.

Anyway, I'm not ranting at you. It just steams me that I have to do download.com's and apparently 2-spyware.com's work for them. And I don't even want to hear about how busy they might be, or how much time it would take to check out every potential problem, etc., etc. That's their business. If they can't handle the requirements, either hire more people or get out of the business. Lack of time or personnel to do a proper job is no excuse for not doing a proper job.

This situation is no different than a TV station accepting ads for a product, and then after hearing from somebody that the product was no good, tacking on a commentary at the end of the ad stating that the product was defective, without ever contacting the company that paid for the ad. I think the advertiser would have ample reason to be peeved.

I think Indigo Rose should be peeved about this too. Your product is wrongly implicated in this mess. I really like Setup Factory. It makes my life easier, and I don't want these problems to be associated with its use. Vigilance in controlling all the junk on the Internet and in software is necessary and laudable. But without accuracy, that vigilance will cause as many problems as it solves.

All I ask is that they make an attempt to be accurate and to communicate with me as a customer, and not treat me as a beneficiary of their services with no rights or privileges. In other words, I paid for that listing, and I should have some say in its content. They could have informed me that there was a potential problem and given me the option to temporarily suspend the listing while the problem was resolved. Though my program wouldn't be visible during that time, at least it wouldn't be gaining a bad reputation. But as it is, who knows how many people have decided to not download my program because download.com chose to tag it as containing adware? That's not how you treat customers.

Thanks for your comment, and I hope this isn't taken as being aimed at you. This is not Indigo Rose's fault.

Randy Donges

[highplains]

Check this out:

http://www.2-spyware.com/file-irsetup-exe.html

At the top it reads "The file IRSETUP.EXE is not adware..."
This is the message Ted said he sent them.

But then at the bottom it still reads "WARNING!!! File irsetup.exe is related to spyware. ..."

Those mixed messages are gonna be real helpful to somebody trying to figure out how to get rid of that piece of adware!

At least you made a little progress, Ted.

[Corey]

Constructive ranting such as yours is welcome, and I basically agree with you. Others here at IR may very well be peeved, I can't speak for everyone. Here's my side of it, I picture some poor grunt at Download.com being bombarded by stuff and then I feel sort of sympathetic. I'm a sucker.

Anyhow I do agree with you, make no bones about that. Of course they *should* be better at this by now.

[SUF6NEWBIE]

not really related however:

..another example of the Right arm not knowing what the Left arm
is up to..or 'irresponsibilities' on websites..

a burning program known as 'copytocd-dvd' has slowly been growing in
stature..however on the main website states 'burners not reccomemded'

one of em is Pioneer Burners. (I have a Pioneer DVDCD Combo Burner)

When viewing the Pdf help doc..guess what Brand of Burner is shown
in a 'screenshot' ...you guessed it A PIONEER BURNER..(my model !!!)

The actual reality is that VSO Software have not fully fiqured out
how to talk to all the Pioneer Firmwares properly..where-as other well known
Burning software companies HAVE..
..why not be responsible and say their product currently has some
Pioneer Device 'incompatibilities'.
One thing I do know for sure,Pioneer Australia have
contacted VSO requesting justification about references their products !

[highplains]

2-spyware.com finally changed their description of irsetup.exe. It only took a comment from Ted, an attempt to edit the description by me, and an email from me, but they got it done. Now it no longer states that the file is related to spyware in one place and has no relation to spyware in another. Though they state that the file is not adware and not related to security threats, they still state that the "filename" is related to a particular adware program. But I can live with their overall description. That's probably as much as they're going to do. I would think companies like that would be subject to liable for doing what they did with irsetup.exe. I know for a fact they and download.com should count their blessings that I don't have the resources of Bill Gates, or I WOULD cause them problems for their lackadaisical spewing of misinformation. If their purpose is to help the computing community combat spyware, then they should be interested in accuracy. Inaccurate information is worse than no information at all.

Thanks, Ted for submitting your comments to them. Now if I can get download.com to re-read the 2-spyware.com page they referred me to in the first place and get that #$%^& editor's comment off my program listing, all will be back to normal.

http://www.2-spyware.com/file-irsetup-exe.html

Randy Donges

[Ted Sullivan]

You're right - it's really too bad that these companies don't seem to care who they inconvenience. There has been a lawsuit or two against anti-virus software makers in the news in the past few months, for exactly the situation you described of marking a company's product as a virus when it wasn't. I'd imaging that these "spyware" companies have the same sort of liability issues. The fact is, someone wasn't doing their job properly or rushed through it without the proper diligence and it affects many other people because of it.

Anyhow, it's good that they updated and corrected the information. You have to give them credit for fixing a mistake. Too many people and companies won't even acknowledge that sort of thing anymore.

[Corey]

Nice that they fixed it, I had hoped they would. Let he who has never screwed something up cast the first stone.