# WeatherBug Spyware Issues



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

I've been using WeatherBug for years and have always had issues with spyware. I recently began using "AntiSpyware" to see if I could get rid of all the crap that seems to slow down every computer I have owned. WeatherBug shows up on the scans as loaded with spyware. I have the purchased version of the Bug and have been assured by the techs at the Bug that the purchased version has no spyware or adware. I realize the "free" version is loaded with both and have cleared the computer of adware (I thought) by using LavaSoft's free adware remover.

Along with "AntiSpyware" comes "ErrorSmart" which wants to completely delete the Bug each time I run a scan. 

I also have Norton Security and that does permit the Bug to run.

The last scan I did with the "AntiSpyware" program showed over 600 items of adware and spyware, mostly generated by the Bug.

I do like the convenience of the Bug and am used to using it. I can do without it if it is one of the reasons my computers keep slowing down. I am using an HP Slimline that has a speed of 3.3 and without the Bug is back to being wickedly fast again. I am running Vista on the HP.

Anybody have any thoughts on this issue? Please try not to be too technical in your responses.

Thanx,
Rich


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## markman07 (Dec 22, 2005)

http://www.weatherbug.com/aws/assets/report_testProsWxBug60.pdf

Good / Long Reading....

I have used it for years and it hasn't infected any of my machines with anything. The do use ADS within the application but if it asks you which ones you want to see..just close that WINDOW.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

rich584 said:


> Please try not to be too technical in your responses.
> 
> Thanx,
> Rich





markman07 said:


> http://www.weatherbug.com/aws/assets/report_testProsWxBug60.pdf


How's 57 pages of technical reading for ya? :lol:


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

tcusta00 said:


> How's 57 pages of technical reading for ya? :lol:


Good Lord! It will take me a while to digest this. I think I will reinstall it and run the scans again and try to copy the results and post them. Just reading the first few pages, I think I gotta disagree with the link, but then, what do I know?

I do know that every spyware program I have tried over the years has flagged many issues with the Bug. If that report is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it yet, why do the spyware programs get all worked up because of the Bug? I will reinstall and get more specifics and post them. Seems like an awful lot of tracking issues showed up in the last scan and that report seems to say that that should not happen.

Don't happen to have the Reader's Digest version of that report, do you?

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

markman07 said:


> http://www.weatherbug.com/aws/assets/report_testProsWxBug60.pdf
> 
> Good / Long Reading....
> 
> I have used it for years and it hasn't infected any of my machines with anything. The do use ADS within the application but if it asks you which ones you want to see..just close that WINDOW.


I don't get any ads, and I'm not sure that my computer is infected with anything. Does seem to run faster without the Bug installed, but that could be my imagination working overtime.

I've had it for many years too, and every time I run a spyware scan I pick up so many Bug related issues that I have to wonder..

Have you run spyware scans other than Norton's?

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

tcusta00 said:


> How's 57 pages of technical reading for ya? :lol:


I'm not even sure what I'm reading on this report. Opened up another can of worms, I did.

Rich


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## Charise (Jan 25, 2004)

I got tired of the annoying, noisy alerts from the weatherbug and hated the spyware so I switched years ago to desktop weather from weather.com. It gives me the temperature and weather alerts, but I don't get anywhere near the spyware or weatherbug's alerts every 30 minutes for wind or possible flooding miles away from me.

P.S. I didn't have to read 57 pages either.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Charise said:


> I got tired of the annoying, noisy alerts from the weatherbug and hated the spyware so I switched years ago to desktop weather from weather.com. It gives me the temperature and weather alerts, but I don't get anywhere near the spyware or weatherbug's alerts every 30 minutes for wind or possible flooding miles away from me.
> 
> P.S. I didn't have to read 57 pages either.


I used weather.com for a while too, but went back to the Bug. How did you find the spyware? What program did you use?

I just read a few of the 57 pages and don't have the ability to understand it or the desire to muddle thru it. But curiosity compels me to research this further. I think I will contact the spyware program website tomorrow and find out their opinion on this.

Rich


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Charise said:


> P.S. I didn't have to read 57 pages either.


always a plus... :lol:


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Charise said:


> I got tired of the annoying, noisy alerts from the weatherbug and hated the spyware so I switched years ago to desktop weather from weather.com. It gives me the temperature and weather alerts, but I don't get anywhere near the spyware or weatherbug's alerts every 30 minutes for wind or possible flooding miles away from me.
> 
> P.S. I didn't have to read 57 pages either.


Wow! Been a long time since I used weather.com. Big change. Thanx for reminding me of it.

Rich


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## fmcomputer (Oct 14, 2006)

Try Weather Exchange. It picks up local personnal weather stations. It is also free and no adware.

http://www.ambientweather.com/freedownload.html


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## JcT21 (Nov 30, 2004)

ive used weatherbug in the past, it came preloaded on my old hp desktop i got back in 2003. i used it along side spyware programs but it never gave me a problem. ive been using weather watcher for little over a year now. so far so good...

http://www.singerscreations.com/Weather-Watcher.asp


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## deltafowler (Aug 28, 2007)

Weatherbug has gone through several transformation during its history.
To what degree your installation may or may not contain depends deeply on which version you have.
Originally, it was just as undesirable Bonzibuddy and Comet Cursors, but it has recently cleaned up its act somewhat.
Personally, I don't trust it, but I will leave it on a computer that I "clean up" as long as I don't find any underhanded behavior going on with it.

I have my own personal weather station, so I use that most of the time, but I also run an old version of the Accuweather Desktop.
it gives my a nice little temperature icon in the system tray and it thunders and flashes red when there are weather alerts for my area.
A quick double-click pops up local RADAR.

The app tries to serve ads through an ad server, but that was easy enough to kill with a HOSTS file entry pointing to nowhere.

If your scans are finding a great deal of junk and your computer is runnung slowly you probably have more problems than just Weatherbug.

Use the Autoruns utility from www.sysinternals.com to vie all of your startup programs.
Google the ones you're uncertain about and make sure you know what you're doing when you uncheck or delete entries.
This is a powerful utility and it will show you absolutely everything that runs on startup, but you have to be careful with it.
If you want, you can run it save the results to a text file.
Copy the contents of the txt file to a PM to me and I'll advise you as to which items should be removed.


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## deltafowler (Aug 28, 2007)

Forgot to mention that you can also get some fantastic overlays for Google Earth for weather information.
RADARS, lightning strikes, hurricane tracking and forecasting, temperatures, maritime data, and on and on.

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php/Cat/0

Overlays (kml) are also available from the NWS
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ridge/kmzgenerator.php


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Just checked further into the spyware program and the Bug is listed as a "minor annoyance". Think I just answered my own question. Will keep it. Thanx for all the input.

Rich


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## HIPAR (May 15, 2005)

rich584 said:


> Just checked further into the spyware program and the Bug is listed as a "minor annoyance". Think I just answered my own question. Will keep it. Thanx for all the input.
> 
> Rich


Collect all of those 'minor annoyances' and your computer becomes a major annoyance.

--- CHAS


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

HIPAR said:


> Collect all of those 'minor annoyances' and your computer becomes a major annoyance.
> 
> --- CHAS


I've gotten rid of the great majority of my "minor annoyances" and "major annoyances". I think I can live with the Bug. I do agree with your comments and will endeavor to make sure that the Bug is my biggest headache.

I have come to depend upon the Bug during the football season when I need weather info on each game quickly and accurately.

Thanx
Rich


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