SUMware
Premium
join:2002-05-21
| reply to Charles770
Re: Privacy in the new ZoneAlarm 5.5
I did not see an opt out screen either for ZAF.
Seems to me that ZAF may be behaving like spyware. Sending info out of your system without user permission nor the opportunity to opt out nor disable.
Noticed the following line added to my 98SE autoexec.bat file after current ZAF install:
Set tvdumpflags=10
Does this tvdumpflags have anything to do with TrueVector?
I've scanned my registry and Googled trying to figure this out but came up with nada.
Anyone else see it or know what it's about? |
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spooler
@cableone.net | Re: tvdumpflags=10
SUMware:
What happens when you edit your autoexec.bat file to delete that line? |
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Charles770
join:2004-11-08
France
1 edit | reply to SUMware
Re: Privacy in the new ZoneAlarm 5.5
Hi,
SUMware, I can confirm that the new line in AUTOEXEC.BAT
(I'm also with Win98SE  ) is from ZA:
Set tvdumpflags=10  .
Doing a search of all the files containing 'tvdumpflags' in my system,
I found only the 2 dll's: vsinit.dll and vsruledb.dll [TrueVector Service].
Iggy, would you be kind to ask an explanation also for that new line? 
I didn't found anything interesting with Google?
Thanks a lot in advance. |
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SUMware
Premium
join:2002-05-21
| reply to spooler
Re: tvdumpflags=10
Hi Spooler & Charles. Good information. Thank you.
I did disable 'Set tvdumpflags=10' and have noticed no operating differences. But that doesn't mean that there really aren't any.
Again, can find no obvious 'link' from this entry to the registry.
ZA can certainly provide simple answers to these questions if they choose to. |
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dzs
@ntl.com
|  Hello,
I also found this entry in autoexec.bat ( win98se ) and went looking.
Found this thread useful.
Looked in Zone Alarm, on the preferences tab there is an "exceptions" link, to help. Which says
'
Alert me with a pop-up before I make contact
Displays a warning before contacting Zone Labs to deliver registration information, get product updates, research an alert, or access DNS to look up IP addresses.
Note: There are certain situations in which you will not be notified before contact is made. Those include sending Zone Labs Secure Community data to Zone Labs, contacting Zone Lab for program advice, when an antivirus update is performed, or when monitoring your antivirus status. The "Share setting anonymously..." setting below, turns off the Secure Community transfer. All other settings can be disabled from the main tab of their respective panels.
'
Which is the first time I was aware that I could not turn off all the information being sent from my pc.
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Charles770
join:2004-11-08
France
| reply to SUMware
Re: Privacy in the new ZoneAlarm 5.5
said by SUMware  :Noticed the following line added to my 98SE autoexec.bat file after current ZAF install: Set tvdumpflags=10 Anyone else see it or know what it's about?
Here is an answer from the Zone Labs User Forum ( »forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs/boar···id=25044 ),
about the new line:
This is a parameter for ZA to write out logs if a problem occurs.
Its something that support sometimes requests for issues.
Its a value you should NOT modify or remove.
But it seems that this line is added only with the free version of ZA.
So, why?
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SUMware
Premium
join:2002-05-21
1 edit | Good find Charles.
This confirms that ZAF is compiling performance data log submissions for support. This is not in itself suspicious... But why not inform the user?
Questions: When and how (and with user approval?) does support receive this data and what exactly does it contain? And why can't we disable the reg entry if we choose to? Whould this compromise ZAF performance? If we've supposedly been provided the option to opt out of this reporting why then is this active entry in the registry?
We'd like additional info from ZA, please. |
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Charles770
join:2004-11-08
France
| reply to SUMware
Hi,
a comprehensive explanation of the 'tvdumpflags' line
can be read here:
»forums.speedguide.net/showthread···t=159004
Regards
Charles. |
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SUMware
Premium
join:2002-05-21
| Thanks again Charles. I guess that makes sense. Iggy, can you confirm the info at speedguide forums?
The tvdebug.log increases in size over time and is essentially lost HDD space for me. So I've had my autoexec.bat delete it at boot. ZA then automatically creates a new clean file.
Think that I'll continue to do this unless it's determined do be detrimental to actual ZA operation.
'Set tvdumpflags' is also now disabled unless good reason is presented to re-enable it. |
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Charles770
join:2004-11-08
France
| Hi,
more infos about this new variable 'Set tvdumpflags=10', at:
»forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs/boar···id=25401
This environment variable is also set on Windows XP. Since XP does not have autoexec.bat anymore, it is set through My-Computer, Properties, Advanced, Environment Variables.
I'm unsure of the function though. From the name, it presumably affects the type of log file created if Truevector crashes.
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spewak
Kiss It, Kiss It Real Good
Premium
join:2001-08-07
Elk Grove, CA
 ·SureWest Internet
·FrontierNet Intern..
| reply to Charles770
said by Charles770 : said by SUMware :Noticed the following line added to my 98SE autoexec.bat file after current ZAF install: Set tvdumpflags=10 But it seems that this line is added only with the free version of ZA. So, why? That seems to be the prevailing factor here Charles: Only the free version does not have the screeny posted earlier by Iggy that allows for opting out. --
Let's get real, real gone! |
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