Equipment manuals - a new kind of virus!

[Dave2002]

I wanted to investigate a hardware unit - in particular this one Behringer UMC404HD Audio Interface - out of curiosity - if nothing else. I quite often do this - look for a manual before buying anything - to get an idea of what the device/kit does etc.

I found several sites which seemed to have the manual - including one from Behringer. When I looked at some - perhaps most - of these I noticed that downloading the manual seemed to be associated with installing MyWay - a known problem - as the home page in the user browser. I couldn't find any links which didn't seem to have this problem.

I would still quite like to see the manual, but there's NoWay I'm going to willingly download anything which has been anywhere near "MyWay". For a presumably respectable company to be offering manuals this way seems grossly negligent.

[johnb]

I found several sites which seemed to have the manual - including one from Behringer. When I looked at some - perhaps most - of these I noticed that downloading the manual seemed to be associated with installing MyWay - a known problem - as the home page in the user browser. I couldn't find any links which didn't seem to have this problem.

The Quick Start Guide is available on Behringer's own website and it is a straight forward download of a pdf file.

I always avoid downloading manuals from dubious third party websites.

[Dave2002]

The Quick Start Guide is available on Behringer's own website and it is a straight forward download of a pdf file.

I always avoid downloading manuals from dubious third party websites.

You are right. In this case it seems necessary to make sure that one is actually and very definitely on the Behringer site - before selecting any downloads. If one does a search to get to the manuals, it is possible that the search itself will hijack one to another site, with undesirable consequences.

I just hope I didn't get hooked back in the MyWay thing - it was a pain to get rid of last time.

[MrGongGong]

I just hope I didn't get hooked back in the MyWay thing - it was a pain to get rid of last time.

Remember "Bonzi Buddy" ?

Sticks like "sh*t to a blanket"

[Anastasius]

Remember "Bonzi Buddy" ?

Sticks like "sh*t to a blanket"

He does.

Sensibly he has a Mac

[Bryn]

He does.

Sensibly he has a Mac

Which, of course, is entirely imune to malware (not!).

[Dave2002]

Which, of course, is entirely imune to malware (not!).

I do indeed have Macs, and I have not turned a PC on for a long while - though we still have a couple of old ones in drawers or cupboards. I use Firefox and the search engine is usually the Duck (DuckDuckgo), which is supposed to help, and not track me.

I did look for the Behringer manuals using that search engine, and it was only after I became suspicious about the lack of an accessible PDF that I looked at a few of the pages turned up by that search system. One of them had a text line - presumably in a sort of pseudo legal way - to the effect that downloading the PDF would constitute an agreement to download MyWay. Many people might not notice that, and would proceed and get infected. Another page which appeared IIRC to be from Behringer, had a search box to put in the models for the manuals. Loooking carefully at the page though, to the left of the input box were the "magic" initials 'MW". I just hope I haven't triggered another occurrence of this PITA.

So - I was trying to use approved software and hardware, but I nearly hit the "accept" button to get the download+infection. I still hope that there wasn't anything else in a drive-by attack.

Arguably (ha) it was not malware, in the sense that it would install itself, as I would have had to "voluntarily" install it!

[johnb]

I use Firefox and the search engine is usually the Duck (DuckDuckgo), which is supposed to help, and not track me.

DuckDuckgo might not track you but a Google search on "Behringer UMC404HD" gives you the official Behringer webite at the top of the list.

[Dave2002]

DuckDuckgo might not track you but a Google search on "Behringer UMC404HD" gives you the official Behringer webite at the top of the list.

Yep - so it's devil and deep blue sea time. I dislike Google with a vengeance. It's good, but it's so good that it can track all sorts of activities and link you into them.

[MrGongGong]

Given that the company in question (who are notoriously litiguous) have made their money by being inspired (in a Sir ALW stylee?) by other manufacuters the whole concern about being "tracked" is rather amusing IMV

[Dave2002]

Given that the company in question (who are notoriously litiguous) have made their money by being inspired (in a Sir ALW stylee?) by other manufacuters the whole concern about being "tracked" is rather amusing IMV

Which company are we writing about here? This is slightly confusing.

[MrGongGong]

Which company are we writing about here? This is slightly confusing.

You will have to look it up
i'm skint and can't afford lawyers