I just got Photoshop CS and have discovered what I think is an interesting little 'cutesie' by Adobe. Something I never noticed with Photoshop 7.
I have ZoneAlarm Pro. For those who may not know, it checks/requests authorization on all outgoing and incoming email/internet packets. (Very inadequate description for all it does but ...)
CS logs in with Adobe when you start and logs out when you finish. In addition it logs every time you use a third party filter/plug-in. Plus it tries to open/send to Adobe a df394b.tmp file and a SafeCast2 file. What ever they are.
Am I correct? Is it 'Reporting to Adobe' everytime I log on and also reporting when I dare to use somebody elses filter/plug-in? Is this bothersome to others or am I just being "Ashcroft has spies everywhere" hyper?
Is this the reason that the new CS runs so slow - it is exspending all my memory reporting the Capitalist Pigs.
I contacted Adobe asking about this. Haven't gotten an answer. Wonder if I will?
Added comment. I think the SafeCast2 has something to do with preventing software piracy but why does it have to report into Adobe? CS runs OK when ZoneAlarm prevents the connection.
Noting login/logout times might be considered reasonable information ... I think (read somewhere? heard? don't remember) that the new Adobe license allows for installations on multiple computers as long as only one is used at a time. Recording login/logout for each license key could then be used to confirm that "one at a time" usage.
Of course, I could be thinking of a totally different software package ....... I do have a lousy memory!!
Logging usage of third party filters/plugins is, in my not-yet-educated opinion, way beyond the line. That's akin to microsoft media player logging and reporting on every media file you play ... none of adobe's business at all (imn-y-eo!)
Had a very nice phone call from "Mr Adobe Man." He really did try to help me. We went into an adobeweb.dll and deleted it. We went into a couple of other folders and deleted them. We said 'yes' to ZoneAlarm Pro when it wanted to let it contact Adobe in the photoshop.exe and a couple of other files.. We then opened a picture file and used the NIK, Adromeda and Alien Skin filters. In EVERY case ZoneAlarm detected that CS wanted to contact Adobe. Same thing happened when we said 'No' when opening CS.
Nice Mr Adobe Man suggested that I turn off ZoneAlarm. I demured more than a little strongly.
Mr Adobe Man said (did I hear hesitation in his voice?) that he would call me back.
Truth be. CS has so many improvements that the anyone who is (or - like me - likes to think he is) a 'power' user will buy it no matter how much of a pain in the tail the constant ZoneAlarm warnings are.
Bottom line as I see it: Adobe wants to know every time one uses a third party filter/add on. FREDERICO - are you hearing me?
I can understand CS calling home to register 'once' after installation, and its reasonable IMO for it to check the local network to determine the number of copies running for the license key being used, but if CS is going to be spyware, I'll be running a cracked version of it soon after I buy my legitimate upgrade/license.
Jerry - just a point of reference - installed CS, it called home once to activate, then not at all after that, and no attempts with plug-ins either. Both on desktop and laptop.
Both machines have Tiny Personal Firewall on - very restrictive settings. Checked the hardware firewall logs as well, no calls to Adobe except for the activation (the hardware firewall records everything into and out of the network - just in case the software firewall was not working).
After reading your post - I disabled TPF and installed Zone Alarm, not a peep from CS.
I have no explaination for your experiance, I can only tell you what mine was, go figure... but thanks for the warning, if CS does start acting up, I will be able to squash the "Spyware" activity quickly. Cheers, Brad
Just installed Photoshop CS, It only called home once to activate. I am using Norton's Firewall set up for high restrictions and logging. Photoshop CS is not showing up as attempting to contact adobe
I wonder if this is the same for the Mac version. I surmise you all are talking about the windows version since afaik, there are no mac versions of Zonealarm Pro and Tiny Firewall.
Daniel, I don't know if this is a problem, but the good news for us is, according to Adobe, there is no activation limitation in the mac version.... yet.
Please help me out guys. Does PS CS require that I am hooked up to the internet EVERY time I use it? What if my DSL or Cable modem line goes down, I can't use CS? What if I'm on a business trip, bring my laptop to kill time in the hotel at night and edit some photos, am I not going to be able to use it?
Brian, my experience (over the last week) is that you need to be online only for the initial activation, after that you can use it off-line any time (i.e. on your laptop out in the field!).
That does it for me -- I HATE spyware -- what I do on my own machines is MY business.
Sorry Adobe -- but activation and now this spyware thing --- I'll stick with PS 7 until I've mastered GIMP2 on Linux.
Hopefully this is not part of a continuing trend -- otherwise say you are out in the field with no Internet connection. Does this mean that software you've legally paid for won't work.
Maybe old "Billy Boy" is not the only greedy one out there.
Mac users -- don't kid yourselves -- if it (activation etc) works on 'Doze it won't be long before you'll have to do it too.
I have a horrible feeling that this spyware thing is a start in the latest idea of software licensing -- you pay not so much for the product but on the number of times it's used -- so if you are a heavy user you'll pay a lot more than the casual user.
The Microsoft Money Machine has been looking at this way of generating revenue for some time as it can't keep forcing people to upgrade 'Doze -- especially now that for PC's unless you build your own 'Doze is usually pre-installed.
This is not a bad idea. There are actually plans to make global log-in points were you can use the software there installed, without installing or downloading the software to your own computer. You don’t buy a program, but you pay for the usage. The only limitation is the bandwidth at this moment. The computer home is only a sort of terminal with limited capabilities.
I really hope this is not the future.
I fear, these are only the first steps. Within a few years, they have all their client information logged on their servers. They can monitor the usage and can make custom-made deals (and offers) with their clients. Privacy is something we will lose in the (near?) future. The Big Brother idea is not so far away. Of course we will struggle, but that is only for a small period. What we think is normal is only relative.
Actually, Adobe had spyware installed in all major Adobe programs for a while, including PS 7, Illustrator 10, Acrobat 5 etc. The following files are known to be a part of the spyware in previous versions. You can just search for them:
You have to delete them to disable the spyware. I am not sure about the CS version of those applications. Maybe now those files are different and the spyware is more sophisticated.
Please excuse this question if I'm being simple minded about this, but what happens if you want to run CS on a computer that is not hooked up to the internet? I have two computers - an older one that runs Windows ME that is hooked up to the internet, and a new computer that runs XP that isn't connected (and quite frankly given that I run off of a cable modem which doesn't run into the room the new desktop sits in it would be a PITA to hook it up to the cable modem). Since I can't use it on the computer that is hooked up to the internet (CS requires Windows XP), what do I do about registering on line? Is this mandatory? TIA
Guess version 6 it still is for me then....