After upgrading Flash player a week or so ago when prompted to do so, I now get a message from Spybot at start up saying Adobi Speed Launcher is attempting to change the registry.
I've no idea what this is - and I'm pretty careful when upgrading a prog I use to avoid letting it add in 'extras' I don't want.
I can't find a prog with that name in the list - but have uninstalled Flash player, but it's still happening. It doesn't appear to be an 'add-on' or whatever to the browser I use (Firefox).
All it is is that it likes to put a start up entry in to launch a ssmall stub program that puts the adobe code into a cache which makes it start faster when its needed. Its normally OK to let it do it. the problem is that recently Adobe reader and almost all Adobe software want to install new versions of this little bit of code every time you update any of the main code..why? Who knows. I guess they just cam't leave it alone. If you tell it to not allow it, fine but you will get the same nage next time it updates the main code of anything Adobe branded. Been there got the t shirt. I just let it do it nowadays. I have also more recently found that Dropbox is doing much the same as well. Brian
As I say though, anything from Adobe uses this software, now it seems, Shockwave, reader Air digital editions flash etc. I think rather than write faster code they prefer to stach it away so it looks faster.. grin. Brian
Thanks, TNF.
Dave Plowman (News) wrote
Adobe reader and many other Adobe programs have serious security issues. It's worth dumping it and using another free PDF reader like FoxIt.
Are you assuring us that other free PDF readers have no security issues? Or less serious ones? Or fewer?
I used FoxIt for a year or three before their adverts trying to convince me to buy the 'pro' version annoyed me. These days I use the Sumatra reader; the 'portable' version is just one singe .exe that need never actually be installed. It's pretty quick and much much easier to deal with upgrades.
I have had a PDF file crash Sumatra though; on the other hand after submitting a bug report I had emails from two developers within a few hours (but neither they nor I could reproduce the problem, unfortunately) - which is a level of support I don't think you'd get from Adobe.
polygonum wrote
Adobe is the most used, therefore it attracts the most attention from malware and virus creators. Same problem that M$ has/had.
Foxit has had one serious flaw, in early 2013.
Jeremy Nicoll - news posts wrote
Never heard of that program. I've tried a few over the years, many are crap. I don't read/download that any PDFs from iffy sources, which solves most potential problems.
Brian Gaff wrote
Many programs use a 'quick' start system. M$ were one of the first with one for Word/Office. Before Ram was cheap and worked, they were responsible for causing slowdown problems by hogging memory. Luckily, Spybot and similar programs make it possible to turn off unnecessary startup programs. It's always worth checking what s**te has been loaded at startup.
Probably why they upgrade so often.
While ok as a reader, it has some problems with forms and with documents containing automation - it can make a bit of a pigs ear of some calculated fields IME.
Spoke too soon. After unticking the one thing with Adobi in it and saving, still got the message from Spybot at start up.
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