Microgaming-Malware???

[BakuPT]

Was just doing a routine check for spyware and found a registry key named MicroGaming. Almost for sure nothing dangerous but at least is tracking some of my browsing behavior. Anyone know exactly what it does?

 

[cipher]

Was just doing a routine check for spyware and found a registry key named MicroGaming. Almost for sure nothing dangerous but at least is tracking some of my browsing behavior. Anyone know exactly what it does?

Hi BakuPT:

I think if I was looking for information incident to that, I'd shoot an email to ED WARE at 32RED he's listed in the member directory. He may not know but he does have the access to the Microgaming technical people that will know. Have a good one.

 

[Clayman]

Was just doing a routine check for spyware and found a registry key named MicroGaming. Almost for sure nothing dangerous but at least is tracking some of my browsing behavior. Anyone know exactly what it does?

I think this is where your MG passwords are stored. If you delete it, the next time you logon to MG casinos, they will no longer remember your passwords and you will have to enter them manually. Might have the same effect on your account number too.

I doubt if it has anything to do with browser activity.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Its definitely stores your account number - I've removed it a couple of times and each time there was no account numbers stored when I went to login to the couple of MG casinos I play regularly.

 

[Simmo!]

Its quite normal. Its a registry key for controlling access. It gets picked up by Adaware and other spy checkers that but its nothing to worry about as far as i'm (ad)aware

Cheers

Simmo!

 

[Clayman]

Its quite normal. Its a registry key for controlling access. It gets picked up by Adaware and other spy checkers that but its nothing to worry about as far as i'm (ad)aware

Cheers

Simmo!

One can add it to the "ignore list" so it's not picked up every time you run it.

 

[sw2003]

Was just doing a routine check for spyware and found a registry key named MicroGaming. Almost for sure nothing dangerous but at least is tracking some of my browsing behavior. Anyone know exactly what it does?

Yup the other posters are right! It is totally harmless! You can delete it if you want but if you do, next time you start your MG software, it won't remember you account id and the password.

 

[BakuPT]

Thanks for the replies folks!

 

[padanian]

I could be wrong but it's also something that detects if from that computer other real accounts have been opened.

 

[Clayman]

I could be wrong but it's also something that detects if from that computer other real accounts have been opened.

Maybe, but I doubt it. I think they have other ways of doing that.

Does anybody know how I can stop the same dozen tracking cookies from appearing every time I boot? I guess I could increase my cookie setting but some cookies I don't mind having. What's the point of deleting them at the beginning when they just create themselves again and do their thing anyway?

 

[Petunia]

** This information is nothing as bad as it sounds, like everyone says. All this is is a bit of information that the casino's use to track their marketing efforts. This should usually delete itself, and it is a temporary key. It goes away quickly! I wonder if MG knows that it is now listed as spyware, but someone mentioned this before, if I am not mistaken.! Either way, DON"T PANIC, if you have a casino downloaded, or you have clicked on a casino banner/link or SE, this will happen.... Delete it. Keep it. **

 

[sw2003]

Maybe, but I doubt it. I think they have other ways of doing that.

Does anybody know how I can stop the same dozen tracking cookies from appearing every time I boot? I guess I could increase my cookie setting but some cookies I don't mind having. What's the point of deleting them at the beginning when they just create themselves again and do their thing anyway?

Are you sure they recreate themselves on boot? I doubt it! They are put there everytime that you visit some websites.

 

[GrandMaster]

Maybe, but I doubt it. I think they have other ways of doing that.

Does anybody know how I can stop the same dozen tracking cookies from appearing every time I boot? I guess I could increase my cookie setting but some cookies I don't mind having. What's the point of deleting them at the beginning when they just create themselves again and do their thing anyway?

I use a program called edexter from Link Removed ( Old/Invalid) and an edited version of the hosts file from

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. The hosts file sets the IP address of various advertising servers to 127.0.0.1 (localhost), and edexter runs a little webserver on port 80, so that you get white rectangles with little purple lines in place of the ads. With just the hosts file, you would get "No page to display" error messages. As you never get connected to the advertising servers, you never get any cookies from them, and you do not waste your bandwidth downloading ads.

When you deposit hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars into a casino and you have the casino software running on your computer, registry keys or cookies left by the casino should be the least of your concerns.

 

[Clayman]

Are you sure they recreate themselves on boot? I doubt it! They are put there everytime that you visit some websites.

You're right sw - they are not created by booting - my mistake if I said or implied that. They are just always there the next time I boot after, like you say, visiting websites. I just wish they were never there, although I don't think they do any real harm or anything.

GM - thanks for the suggestions. I'll give them a try.

 

[sw2003]

You're right sw - they are not created by booting - my mistake if I said or implied that. They are just always there the next time I boot after, like you say, visiting websites. I just wish they were never there, although I don't think they do any real harm or anything.

GM - thanks for the suggestions. I'll give them a try.

Or you can buy the pay version of Ad-Aware (the free version only removes tracking cookies) which can block all those bad cookies from being put in your computer in the first place. Or you can go with GM's suggestion of course!

 

[Petunia]

* I use scottie - scottie is good. BUT thing is, cookies will come up time after time after time. You will have to get into a routine or run something to clean up on boot. **

 

[vinylweatherman]

Malware Key

The ../microgaming/thumper.... key is permanent. It is used by the installer wizard to determine if a previous version of the casino is installed, whereupon it will uninstall it and reinstall the new version. Your account number and an ID for an affiliate used for joining is also stored. Other information stored relates to preferences, such as playing the intro movie, full screen mode etc. Location of installation on computer.
Subkeys exist for each game as well in the Viper version. These contain your autoplay settings from the last session, as well as a few other game functioning parameters that the advanced tournament player may have an interest in. This tracking of autoplay preferences is stored locally, it is the view of the last hand played that is stored on the casino server.
I would recommend leaving this key alone unless you uninstall the casino, when you may want to remove it as the uninstaller leaves it behind just in case you reinstall the casino again, where it will automatically register you as a current player and you can simply log in again.
I do not see any problem with this key - I use AdAware and it often flags legitimate items as 'malware'. It is the threat rating that should also be considered, low is normally OK, medium or more is where the item has a dodgy reputation, and High means get rid of it unless absolutely certain it is needed.

 

[GrandMaster]

Your account number and an ID for an affiliate used for joining is also stored. Other information stored relates to preferences, such as playing the intro movie, full screen mode etc.

Do you know a way of turning off the movie, or at least the sound by editing the registry?

 

[winbig]

The ../microgaming/thumper.... key is permanent. It is used by the installer wizard to determine if a previous version of the casino is installed, whereupon it will uninstall it and reinstall the new version. Your account number and an ID for an affiliate used for joining is also stored.

Is it just me or is the affiliate ID entry something that should be kept on the casinos end and not the users? I sure hope they're not relying on this key for tracking deposits for their affiliates. Once someone formats, poof...no more money for the affiliate. If it's kept on the casinos end too, it seems like just another useless registry key.

 

[ToucanSam]

I've been using an autoexec.bat file with a Deltree command for a couple years now on both win98 and ME.
Cleans up history, temp, recent, and cookies on boot. Also gets the little known index.dat file, a neat little thing which few users know about.
Wondering if its possible to add a command to delete certain reg keys , but i dont know windows that well.
Code and instructions on autoexec at

Old / Expired Link

 

[winbig]

Wondering if its possible to add a command to delete certain reg keys , but i dont know windows that well.
Code and instructions on autoexec at

Old / Expired Link

Here's a great resource for what you're wanting to do: (runs from DOS)

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[jinnia]

Microgaming claims their 'cookie' is only for keeping your user name and password stored for logging into your account, maybe so, but what is the dlhelper??

This is information on .dlhelper --

I installed Royal Vegas?!


And here is what the 'adware' company says about this ---

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[GrandMaster]

Microgaming claims their 'cookie' is only for keeping your user name and password stored for logging into your account, maybe so, but what is the dlhelper??

This is information on .dlhelper --


I installed Royal Vegas?!


And here is what the 'adware' company says about this ---

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

DLHelper is used to download various MG casinos, mainly Fortune Lounge. It installs in your Startup folder, so it starts automatically when you boot your computer, but in my experience it does not do anything, in particular, it does not try to access the internet. It has nothing to do with Casino-on-Net, which shows the unreliability of the information provided by anti-spyware vendors.

 

[ToucanSam]

Here's a great resource for what you're wanting to do: (runs from DOS)

Neat,
I suppose it could be risky on the integrity of the OS,
have to read up on that.

Thanks

 

[dominique]

DLHelper is used to download various MG casinos, mainly Fortune Lounge. It installs in you Startup folder, so it starts automatically when you boot your computer, but in my experience it does not do anything, in particular, it does not try to access the internet. It has nothing to do with Casino-on-Net, which shows the unreliability of the information provided by anti-spyware vendors.

Yep. It's just a download utility. That is why it is executable.