tao
Chaos Impends
Premium
join:2000-12-03
Lansing, MI
 ·Comcast
| WMP11, Firefox, and IE - consumer advisory
Excuse me if this is, or has been, previously documented behavior for any version of Windows Media Player.
Shown above are the default settings for Windows Media Player 11. Below is the Microsoft Privacy statement, following that is what I found how it really works. I got tripped up by this, you should be advised of this interpersonal security risk. At the very least, WMP 11 does not completely document all that it does.
From: »www.microsoft.com/windows/window···eHistory
Usage History
When you play digital media content in Windows Media Player, some file history and media information is typically stored on your computer. You can prevent it from being stored if you don't want the information to be available to others who use your computer with the same user account.
Lists of files or URLs that you have played are displayed in the following locations in the Player: on the File menu (in the list of recently played files), in the Open URL dialog box, and in the Open dialog box. You can remove the existing lists, and you can prevent the lists from being stored in the future.
To remove lists of files or URLs you have played
Click the arrow below the Now Playing tab, click More Options, and then click the Privacy tab.
To remove the existing lists, click Clear History. This also deletes any changes that you have made to the media information for CDs and DVDs.
To prevent the lists from being stored in the future, clear the Save file and URL history in the Player check box.
To clear the list of files that are displayed in the Open dialog box, empty the list of recently used documents folder on your computer. For information about clearing the list of recent documents, see Windows Help and Support.
Note When you play a file from a Web site, the Web address for that file will appear if you later open the Open URL dialog box and begin to type a Web address. In this case, a drop-down list appears with the addresses of previously played files from Web sites. To clear this list, you must delete your Web page history. For information about how to do so, see Internet Explorer Help.
To improve performance, Windows Media Player stores information about the devices that connect to it in a cache. In addition, Windows Media Player can create a partnership between the Player and any portable device. This partnership specifies what content in your library will sync to your device automatically or manually.
You can clear all cached device information and all sync partnership information.
To clear cache information
Click the arrow below the Now Playing tab, and then click More Options.
Click the Privacy tab, and then click Clear Caches.
When using Firefox 2.0.0.11, I clicked on a file which was linked in my computer to be opened by Windows Media Player 11. Then I opened a copy of IE7, for which all history and cache had been wiped, and discovered there was in fact some history. The history log showed the web site that the WMP file originated from that I opened in Firefox. Clearing the private data in Firefox does not remove the IE history notation. Clearing the private date from Firefox before you open IE does not clear anything from IE. The above privacy statement details that the URL is saved, it does not detail that it is kept in IE history.
So viewing WMP files in Firefox writes to the history file for IE. |
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AB
Premium
join:2006-04-04
Leesburg, VA
| Gee whillikers! A Microsoft software collects info about its users! Well, knock me over with a feather! 
But thanks for posting that. It's always good to remind folks every once in a while.
If that's the player someone wants to use, fine. As long as they realize what baggage comes along with it.
I suppose the same could be said for any player or any software.
There are so many fine, alternative, free, non-'phoning home', non-DRM enabled players available though, I can't for the life of me understand why a person would opt to use this one.
But, to each their own. |
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Millenniumle
join:2007-11-11
Fredonia, NY
1 edit | reply to tao
That is a connection many might not make, but...
So viewing WMP files in Firefox writes to the history file for IE, unless WMP is set so that it doesn't save its view history. A setting that is clearly dispayed at first use for every user on the computer. Not too bad.
Outlook Express, IE, and WMP have a long history of shared data and settings.
Flash also has it's own history, not cleared by even IE7's perhaps misleading "also delete files and settings stored by add-ons" option. Perhaps it means "files and settings stored in IE by add-ons." Every Flash containing domain visited is stored in plain text in Flash's folder contained in the user's directory, nested about five or six layers deep. I haven't looked, but it may well be stored in the registry's HKCU too. Bastids! In comparison to WMP, I don't remember Flash ever giving me any options here, let alone tell me it does store it. |
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AB
Premium
join:2006-04-04
Leesburg, VA
| said by Millenniumle  :. . Every Flash containing domain visited is stored in plain text in Flash's folder contained in the user's directory, nested about five or six layers deep. I haven't looked, but it may well be stored in the registry's HKCU too. Bastids! In comparison to WMP, I don't remember Flash ever giving me any options here, let alone tell me it does store it. Correct.
You can always disallow 3rd-party content-- though that may also affect functionality.
I don't find it difficult to clean out those files in Macromedia's Docs & Settings folder about once a week, myself.
But you're right, they're not very up-front with their info.
Settings page is here:
»www.macromedia.com/support/docum···l#118539
And if you right-click on the Shockwave testing area, there are a couple of options there for that app, as well:
»www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome/ |
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tao
Chaos Impends
Premium
join:2000-12-03
Lansing, MI
·Comcast
| reply to Millenniumle
If you look at the image I included, I do not have WMP 11 set to save its history. Never the less, it saves them in IE.
Even though Microsoft has declared this is done, I consider this to be a bug. You set an option in a program to not save history, the history should not be saved, otherwise the setting is quite pointless, and misleading. |
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Millenniumle
join:2007-11-11
Fredonia, NY
1 edit | I hadn't noticed that
I don't know why it's doing that. I have IE7, FF3 Beta2 (which should be irrelevent), WMP9, and XP Pro SP2. I just tried it, thanks for the excuse to check out some pRon, and it doesn't show up in in IE7's address bar or history. Perhaps a version 10 or just 11 issue, Vista?
Perhaps a setting in IE7 too. I have it's history set to 0 days. It would be nice if we could narrow this down. |
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Indy Sabre
Sabre Rider From Indianapolis
join:2003-10-02 | reply to tao
Wouldn't just using CrapCleaner (regulary) keep all of this cleared out? |
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tao
Chaos Impends
Premium
join:2000-12-03
Lansing, MI | reply to Millenniumle
XP SP2 is what I run using IE7 and WMP11. |
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Millenniumle
join:2007-11-11
Fredonia, NY
| Are the URL's showing up in WMP11's history too? I'm shooting a hunch that it is behaving more like IE's history which even when set to zero days always remembers the current day's history. Which brings the obvious question, are they stored for more than day? |
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